How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research

By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast

Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and welfare, new research shows.

At first glance, Persian cats and pugs don’t seem like they’d have much in common. One’s a cat, the other’s a dog, separated by 50 million years of evolution. But when evolutionary biologist Abby Grace Drake and her colleagues scanned 1,810 skulls of cats, dogs and their wild relatives, they found something strange. Despite their distant histories, many…

Read complete article

~	Journalism in exile: Muwatin’s fight for independent media in the Gulf

~	Mizzima News: Surviving the junta and reporting Myanmar's ‘Spring Revolution’

~	What is the biggest gaffe, blooper or blunder that a recent president has made? It may depend on what your definition of ‘is’ is

~	‘Super antibodies’ for snake toxins: how a dangerous DIY experiment helped scientists make a new antivenom

~	Fake news and the election campaign – how worried should voters be?

~	Myanmar crisis deepens as military attacks persist and needs grow

~	May Day or Detention Day? Turkey marks Labor Day

~	Want to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage? Leave your phone at home

~	Can drinking champagne reduce your risk of sudden cardiac arrest? Here’s why it’s only a small part of the story

~	From vigorous brushing to clear aligners, here’s what might be causing your gums to recede