Mouse-to-Mouse Resuscitation: Rodents Try to Revive Unconscious Buddies

image via New Scientist

March 20, 2025, 10:45 AM

• •Mice perform first aid on unconscious peers, clearing their airways and removing objects from their mouths.
• •The behavior is more likely to occur in familiar partners and in females.
• •The brain regions involved in this behavior are the hypothalamus and the medial amygdala.

Mice have been found to perform first aid on unconscious companions, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal Science, found that mice will sniff, groom and even bite the mouths of unconscious mice in an attempt to revive them. The study's authors say that the findings could help to shed light on the evolution of empathy in humans.

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