A 'Technological' Cow

Veronika, a Swiss Brown cow living in an Austrian mountain village, is the first bovine to demonstrate tool use. Her owner noticed years ago that the animal would pick up sticks with her mouth to reach hard-to-scratch spots on her body.

Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna studied Veronika's behavior, providing her with a deck brush. The cow used the object in various ways to scratch herself.

"The differential use of both broom ends constitutes the use of a multipurpose tool, exploiting distinct properties of a single object for different functions. Comparable behavior has only been consistently documented in chimpanzees," the researchers stated.

The study challenges stereotypes about cattle, highlighting how technical problem-solving skills are not exclusive to species with large brains or manipulative hands.

Ancient Rock Art

Hand stencils dating back 68,000 years have been discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. This is the oldest known rock art, predating those attributed to Neanderthals in Spain by approximately 2,000 years.

Aging in Zoos

A study found that mammal populations in European and North American zoos are aging and becoming less reproductively active. On the one hand, this is a sign of improved animal health and longevity, but on the other, it jeopardizes the ability of zoos to host "insurance" populations and facilitate the reintroduction of threatened species.

Mercury Under Observation

The BepiColombo space mission, a collaboration between Europe and Japan, has made three close flybys of Mercury, revealing distinct images of the planet's magnetosphere. The data collected suggest the presence of "bursty bulk flows," phenomena that also occur on Earth and drive energetic particles toward the planet.