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1-Page Summary of Zoobiquity

Overview

Humans tend to think of themselves as separate from the animal kingdom, but we actually have a lot in common with our fellow animals. When we understand what they have in common with us, we can better understand ourselves.

You probably already know that we have many things in common with our closest animal relative, the ape. There are also connections to other animals as well. For example, there is a lot of collaboration between veterinarians and physicians, which leads to great advances in medicine for both humans and animals.

We’ll also learn what sea otters can tell us about teenage drunk driving, the similarities between obesity in humans and weight gain in livestock, how water buffalos follow drug-addiction patterns like humans, why ring-tailed lemurs suffer from erectile dysfunction just like human males and how joint research between doctors and veterinarians could lead to cures for cancer.

Big Idea #1: Humans and animals are so genetically similar that it makes sense for their doctors to collaborate.

Have you ever gone to the zoo and been surprised by how human-like some animals are? This is because they share a lot of our DNA. In fact, humans have 98.6% of their genetic makeup in common with chimpanzees.

Biologists refer to the genetic similarities we share with other animals as deep homology. Deep homology is not just found in closely related species, like wolves and dogs or humans and chimps. It’s also found in distantly related species, such as light-sensitive vision between a hawk and photosensitivity in green algae.

Because animals are similar to humans, it makes sense that medical researchers should collaborate with veterinary scientists. This used to be the case, but today veterinarians don’t have as much prestige and higher salaries than physicians do.

The distinction between doctors and veterinarians is slowly becoming less distinct. For example, in 2007, the head of the American Medical Association met with the head of the American Veterinary Medical Association to discuss how they could work together.

If scientists continue to collaborate with one another, we may get a better understanding of both human and animal biology. We are genetically similar to animals in many ways; however, our behavior is different than that of other animals. Diseases can affect us differently as well. By taking a closer look at some of the similarities between humans and animals, we can see how much alike we really are.

Big Idea #2: Fainting might be a protection mechanism for both humans and animals.

Have you ever felt lightheaded or dizzy after standing up quickly? Have you fainted before? Fainting is actually quite common. In fact, 33% of adults have already fainted in their lifetime. There are two reasons why this might happen.

If you stand up too quickly, your blood has to be pumped into your brain. If that process doesn’t happen fast enough, it can make you dizzy and lead to fainting.

There are two potential causes of fainting. One is related to the heart and blood flow, while the other has to do with emotions. When you have a strong emotional reaction, your heart beats faster in order to keep up with your body’s needs. However, if that heartbeat drops too suddenly, it can lead to a lack of oxygen going from the lungs into the bloodstream and finally into the brain.

Emotional fainting is a symptom of something else. Animals provide some clues to what that might be.

Animals faint when they find themselves in a dangerous situation. They do this to protect themselves from harm.

One example of a learned behavior is the way ducks sometimes faint when they see a fox. This makes it less likely for them to be attacked by the fox, as the duck appears dead and the fox wants something that’s alive.