Science Ticker Neuroscience

How domestication changed rabbits’ brains

Study sizes up differences in the ‘fear centers’ of wild and tame bunnies

wild and domesticated rabbits

RABBIT REMODELING Domestication of wild rabbits (left) physically changed the animals over time, including their brains. A domesticated rabbit is shown on the right.

FranciscoMarques/shutterstock (left); Grigorita Ko/shutterstock (right)

By Tina Hesman Saey

This article is only available to Science News subscribers.

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to access our archives.

Not a subscriber?

Science News is a nonprofit.

Support us by subscribing now.

More Stories from Science News on Neuroscience

  1. crowd of people screaming with joy
    Neuroscience

    Surprisingly, humans recognize joyful screams faster than fearful screams

    By Anushree Dave
  2. models of an early human skull and an apelike skull with brains highlighted in blue
    Anthropology

    Ancient humans may have had apelike brains even after leaving Africa

    By Charles Choi
  3. rabbit standing on front paws
    Animals

    A gene defect may make rabbits do handstands instead of hop

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  4. a composite image of a person in a wheelchair progressing to walking with a walker
    Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, researchers treated chronic pain with electricity

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  5. cat rubbing on a catnip plant
    Neuroscience

    Catnip repels insects. Scientists may have finally found out how

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  6. illustration of a science fiction nanobot brain mesh interface
    Neuroscience

    Three visions of the future, inspired by neuroscience’s past and present

    By Laura Sanders
  7. embroidery of pyramidal neurons
    Neuroscience

    Famous brain sketches come to life again as embroideries

    By Laura Sanders
  8. mice cuddling
    Neuroscience

    Mice may ‘catch’ each other’s pain — and pain relief

    By Carolyn Wilke

From the Nature Index

Paid Content