This instinctive reflex is shared by many furry mammals including mice, cats, squirrels, lions, tigers and bears. The move helps animals to remove water, insects or other irritants from hard-to-reach places. But underlying the shakes is a complex ' and previously mysterious ' neurological mechanism. Now, researchers have identified the neural circuit that triggers characteristic 'wet dog' shaking behaviour in mice ' which involves a specific class of touch receptors, and neurons that connect the spinal cord to the brain. Their findings were published in Science on 7 November1. 'The touch system is so complex and rich that [it] can distinguish a water droplet from a crawling insect from the gentle touch of a loved one,' says Kara Marshall, a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. 'It's really remarkable to be able to link a very specific subset of touch receptors to this familiar and understandable behaviour.' The hairy skin of mammals is packed with more...
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