Would you believe it if I told you that these disgusting, dirty and hated creatures, rats, can laugh? Probably not. Or would you want to believe it? The idea that rats are capable of laughter may seem far-fetched, but give me a chance.
The late Dr. Jaak Panksepp, a renowned neuroscientist and leader of this line of research, suggested rats may experience “social-joy” type emotions in response to playful activities, such as tickling. We all know it too well. Dr Jaak Panksepp and his colleagues observed that young rats emit high frequency, ultrasonic calls, or chirps that are akin to laughter, which according to Dr Jaak Panksepp may be a potential indicator of this experience. (playful activities). Their chirps during tickling are distinct from other vocalisations they emit and are similar to those sounds associated with joy and playfulness. Moreover, an evaluation was conducted comparing the neural substrate aka brain mechanisms of rat laughter, which were found to be consistent with those of positive emotions in humans, us. This supports the interpretation that these chirps are indeed the rat equivalent of human laughter.
Now what do we even care?
The implications of this research extend beyond the realm of basic animal behaviour to humans. The nature of rat “laughter” leads many researchers to wonder about the evolutionary prehistory and origin of human joy. If the neural mechanisms and emotional processes underlying rat laughter can be understood, it can expand our knowledge of social and emotional development in not only rats but even humans. Researchers are currently trying to gain a deeper understanding of the “neurobiological basis of emotions”. For all of us non-scientists, it's the process in our brain and nervous system to produce and feel emotions. An improved understanding of the mechanisms behind emotions could have positive impacts on our knowledge of affective clinical disorders in humans, such as depression and anxiety, which is a rising concern in this society.
Overall this discovery may challenge our perceptions of these animals but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the emotional richness of the animal kingdom. It highlights the complexity of rats' emotional lives and the interlink of diverse inhabitants of our planet and humans. Some suggest this emphasises approaching all animals with empathy and respect. Do you think we`ll approach rats with empathy and respect now when seeing them on railways in the metro? Do you think this research will cause advances in clinical fields?
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