Methanol extract of dried leaves of Momordica charantia Linn ( Cucurbitaceae ) was investigated for anxiolytic, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models. Anxiolytic activity of methanol extract of dried leaves of Momordica charantia Linn was tested by elevated plus maze test and the results showed a significant anxiolytic effect comparable, with diazepam in all the t...

Spatial memory guides animals when they are searching for resources and it is particularly important in challenging environments where resources are scattered and fluctuate in quality. Studies of insects, birds and mammals have shown that animals use flexible spatial learning strategies when they search for food or new nest sites. Little is known, however, about the application of these strateg...

The spectacular migration of the Monarch from northeastern America to its overwintering grounds in Mexico requires the butterfly to set its time-compensated compass south in the autumn, then north in the spring for its return home. The stimulus responsible for compass resetting has been identified as a reduction in temperature.

Individuals that participate in exchanges with delayed rewards can be exploited if their partners don't reciprocate. In humans, friendships are built on trust, and trust enhances cooperation. New evidence suggests that close social bonds also enhance trust in chimpanzees.

The concept of what is fair seems to be deeply imbedded in the human psyche. Equal pay for equal work has been a rallying call for some since the industrial revolution. To see others get a better reward for the same job is aggravating as is ‘bait and switch’ when a better prize is first offered and a lesser one given. The question is, how far back in evolutionary history do these sentiments go?...

There is a growing body of robot-based research that makes a serious claim to be a new methodology for biology. Robots can be used as models of specific animal systems to test hypotheses regarding the control of behaviour. At levels from learning algorithms to specific dendritic circuits, implementing a proposed controller in a robotic device tests it against real environments in a way that is ...

To Charles Darwin, it was obvious that animals are sentient, so why should the idea not be now universally accepted? I review the difficulties and issues with animal sentience with a view to answering some of the critics. Sentience is ‘the hard problem’ and it is important we acknowledge the difficulties and do not claim too much for the evidence we have. Two sorts of evidence are examined: evi...