Curious discovery: rats capable of manipulating the matter around them without any contact. A power worthy of the Jedi force, but very real, revealed by American researchers.
These rodents, often criticized, demonstrate here an exceptional aptitude, still unexplored in the animal kingdom. How do they go about it?
Researchers Eduardo Mercado III and Jessica Zhuo from the University of Buffalo and Harvard observed that rats emit particular ultrasonic sounds. The effect of these vocalizations remains inaudible to the human ear. These ultrasounds produce vibrations in theair surrounding environment, which would be capable of moving tiny particles. This phenomenon could allow rats to improve their perception of odors.
This intriguing behavior occurs when a rat makes a sound and then sniffs the air around it immediately afterward. This process would promote the capture pheromones, essential in the communication social. Pheromones are chemical messages transmitted between animals, influencing mating, interactions and territorial marking. By manipulating the air, rats would make these messages more accessible.
Ultrasonic vocalizations, already associated with the emotional states of rodents, could therefore have a much more advanced function. By acting on the environment, these sounds would increase their olfactory sensitivity. Although this hypothesis remains to be confirmed, it opens the way for new research into the use of ultrasound in animal biology. Medical applications could also result from it.
This discovery raises a question: to what extent does natural biology hide capacities that we are yet unaware of? For these rats, ultrasound could be a powerful asset for survival.
How does ultrasound influence rodents’ sense of smell?
Rats emit imperceptible ultrasonic vocalizations (USV)ear human, but essential for them. These sounds, above 20 kHz, move the air molecules around them, thus optimizing the diffusion of pheromones and facilitating the detection of surrounding odors.
The impact of these ultrasounds goes beyond simple communication: by moving the particles around the rodents, they modify the olfactory signals received. This mechanism could be used by rats to better understand their environment, identify nearby individuals or mark their territory.
This research also opens avenues for understanding how certain sound vibrations could influence olfactory perception, not only in animals but potentially also in human technological applications.
