There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
01-28-2016, 06:12 PM( This post was last modified: 01-28-2016, 06:13 PM by brotherbear )
Yellowstone Bears in the Wild by James C. Halfpenny.
George and Jana Stevenson, neurosurgeon and neruroanatomist and biologist, are using MRI and CT technology to produce three-dimensional maps of Yellowstone grizzly brains. Their research reveals that the brains, while similar to other mammals, have an enlarged olfactory apparatus. Compared to humans, a bear's olfactory region is about 250 times larger.
The bear's enhanced sence of smell is directly wired to the brain, a condition much more primitive than for other senses such as vision and hearing. This leads the Stevensons to believe that bears develope "smell maps" in their brains. Humans have "visual maps." A "smell map" allows a bear to navigate primarily by odors augmented by vision and hearing.
The Stevensons also found larger somesethic ( touch ) and motor regions. The bear's enhanced sense of touch and motor skills probably allows bears to manipulate objects with their claws. I have observed grizzlies picking up single pine nuts with their claws as if their claws were chopsticks.
Survival Skills of Bears
