PIGS may be able to tell people apart by their faces. Hajime Tanida of
Hiroshima University in Japan trained pigs to approach a person wearing
overalls, gloves and boots by rewarding them with food. Individual pigs were
then given the choice of approaching the feeder or an identically dressed
person, when both sat behind waist-level screens. Even if the researchers’
scents were masked with perfume, or they partially hid their faces, the pigs
still approached the original feeder (Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol 73,
p 45). “Visual cues are very important for them,” says Tanida. “They are smart
and…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
3
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
4
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
5
Possible signs of ancient life on Mars are rich in complex carbon
6
The lunar botanist with a plan to farm vegetables on the moon
7
All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female
8
Unapproved gene therapy for boosting longevity is set to go on sale
9
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
10
Some of the last Neanderthals were surprisingly genetically diverse



