Liam Bettez
Author: Jennifer Viegas
Date: November 21, 2014
Link: http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks/from-shy-to-social-each-shark-has-its-own-personality-141002.htm
Summary
The article describes how sharks have personality traits similar to those of humans. To test this, David Jacoby and his research team assembled multiple tanks with slightly different habitat set ups. They then monitored ten groups of spotted catsharks’ interactions in the different tanks. They concluded that, “even though the sizes of the groups forming changed, socially well-connected individuals remained well-connected under each new habitat,”. He also described how some sharks blended into the “sea floor” rather than grouping with the other sharks. This shows that some sharks are more social or shy than others. Jacoby thinks that these characteristics in sharks may be due to predator-prey interactions in the past but that more research will have to be conducted to be certain of this prediction.
Relevance
Jacoby uses hypothesis-based science in his research because he observed the sharks interacting, then asked a question about their interactions. Which was whether or not sharks have certain personality traits similar to humans. Next, he came up with a hypothesis about the sharks characteristics, and predicted if the sharks had these traits. Lastly, Jacoby and his team designed an experiment to test his prediction.
Just because the sharks are social or shy doesn't necessarily make them have human personality traits. What traits make them more human-like than other animals?
ReplyDeleteI think the research conducted just shows that sharks are more like humans then other species, not that they are the same as humans.
DeleteHow did the habitats vary between the tanks?
ReplyDeleteWhat predator-prey interactions in the past may have caused sharks to develop human-like personality traits?
ReplyDelete