Determining whether an animal feels discomfort or not is a quite tough job. You cant precisely go and inquire, and judging by their responses also isnt clear. The majority of animals (if not all) display something called nociception– a physical response to hurt that is helpful (it assists the animal prevent what is damaging)– but this is not precisely discomfort per se.
Until not long earlier, it was thought that only people and some mammals can feel pain. Significantly, though, scientists discovered that way more animals can feel discomfort. Fish are one fine example: for a long time, we believed fish couldnt feel discomfort, but research study has actually shown that thats not truly the case. Now, its time for the insects to go under the magnifying glass.
Progressively, though, scientists found out that method more animals can feel pain. Fish are one excellent example: for a long time, we believed fish couldnt feel pain, however research has shown that thats not actually the case.
Behaviorally, bugs are really tough to study. Theyre little, its difficult to communicate with them, and theyre nothing like us. A group of researchers discovered that insects do respond to really serious physical damage, like when one of their legs is cut. This does not actually say anything about whether this reaction is nociception or real discomfort. Far, nothing new.
Journal Reference: Matilda Gibbons et al, Descending control of nociception in pests?, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2022 ). DOI: 10.1098/ rspb.2022.0599.
Figuring out whether an animal feels discomfort or not is a quite hard job. A lot of animals (if not all) exhibit something called nociception– a physical response to hurt that is useful (it helps the animal prevent what is hazardous)– however this is not precisely pain per se.
This isnt the very first time scientists have actually discovered evidence of sensation pain. In 2019, one research study showed that pests can experience persistent discomfort and, significantly, evidence is mounting that insects may be more sentient than we thought.
To look at the matter more deeply, the team started directly from the source: the insects anxious systems. This is due to the fact that in some cases, in an emergency, the brain produces opiates that pirate the brain and prevent it from feeling discomfort.
Image credits: Jenny Chambers.
Ultimately, the scientists argue that while more research study is needed to examine this, there stand out similarities between how bugs and vertebrates react to pain. However studying this in more detail raises a brand-new challenge: if bugs can feel pain, then there are ethical factors to consider as to how you can inflict that discomfort and study on them.
Pests dont truly produce opiates, however they produce neuropeptides, which are compounds that serve a comparable function. Scientists discovered that when insects were exposed to physical injury, they appear to produce neuropeptides, imitating how people and other vertebrates produce opiates, which is possible evidence of them feeling discomfort.