In addition to their extremely powerful flair, dogs have an ability that only a few other animals have: detecting low heat radiation. A discovery made by Swedish and Hungarian researchers.
This will only strengthen our admiration for dogs , which will never cease to amaze us with their incredible abilities . Our four-legged friends have the ability to detect weak thermal radiation . A discovery recently made by researchers from the universities of Lund in Sweden and Eötvös Loránd in Hungary. Their work was published on February 28 in the journal Scientific Reports .
Only a few species of snakes, the bat and the black beetles would have this ability, in addition to the dog, therefore.
In dogs, the sensors in question are located on their nose , the operation of which would be similar to an infrared sensor . He would have inherited it from his ancestor the wolf , using it in particular when hunting . This complex natural device would allow it to better localize the heat , even very low, emanating from prey .
To reach this conclusion, the researchers performed 2 tests . In the first, 3 trained dogs managed to detect objects exclusively based on their thermal radiation, without being able to see or sniff them.
For the second test, 13 dogs were subjected to brain fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) while they were offered objects with neutral or strong thermal radiation. The examination found higher brain activity in the presence of objects warmer than room temperature .
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By combining the results of the 2 exercises, the authors of the study noticed, on the one hand, that dogs are indeed able to perceive weak hot spots , and on the other hand, that this thermal radiation activates a region well. particular of their brain: the left somatosensory cortex .
