Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Nadeem Gabbani on 05/11/2019 10:10:27
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Jim asks:
Can animals keep track of time? More specifically, cows and dogs?
Any ideas?
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Yes - most animals and plants have a circadian rhythm - even some microbes. This clock is located at the cellular level, and was the subject of a recent Nobel prize.
At my uncle's dairy farm (many years ago), the cows would line up for milking in the morning and afternoon.
At a more mundane level, my dog knows how long his dinner takes to defrost after I take it from the freezer. If I get busy doing something else and forget to give it to him, he will come and remind me.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm