Japanese scientists have created a mouse that is not afraid of cats
Quote:
Japanese scientists have created a mouse that is not afraid of its traditional arch enemy - the cat.
The remarkably fearless rodent is able to sniff a feline and even get underneath its paws without any worry.
Researchers at Tokyo University have managed to create the phenomenon by turning off the receptors in a mouse's brain that reacts to the scent of its main predator.
But instead of scurrying away or playing dead, the genetically modified rodents are able to carry on as usual when coming face-to-face with a cat.
Professor of biophysics and biochemistry at Tokyo University, Ko Kobayakawa, explained the procedure.
He said: "Mice fear cats because they are innately conditioned to express fear when they sense the odour of predators. So, by getting rid of the specific receptors for sensing the odour, mice never feel afraid of cats."
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12-12-2007, 05:10 PM
Japanese scientists have created a mouse that is not afraid of cats 
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