Science & Technology - Posted by Shemina Davis-Sheffield on
Friday, November 11, 2011 13:48 - 0 Comments Whiskers’ key role
in reptile-mammal split U. SHEFFIELD (US) — New research
comparing rats and mice with marsupials suggests moveable
whiskers were an important milestone in the evolution of mammals
from reptiles. Using high-speed digital video recording and
automatic tracking, Tony Prescott, a psychology professor at the
University of Sheffield, and colleagues have shed light on how
rodents such as mice and rats move their whiskers back-and-forth
at high speed—and in varying ways to actively sense the
environment around them in a behavior known as whisking.
Whisking allows mice or rats to accurately determine the
position, shape and texture of objects, make rapid and accurate
decisions about objects, and then use the information to build
environmental maps. Straight from the Source When running in a
straight line, rats and mice move their whiskers back-and-forth
the same amount on both sides. However when