See how prairie dogs are doing a Mexican wave [VIDEO] - Gazeta Wyborcza

prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) inhabit the prairies of North America and form sometimes several thousand colonies. Anyone who has seen them once, even at the zoo, knows that sometimes motionless, straightens up like a string and carefully look around. When something bad happens, accompanied by a warning screech.

Researchers also stressed that from time to time one of the rodents straightens i .. starts something very much like a Mexican wave at stadiums (the audience get up at the same time, throw your hands up, and when they sit down, repeating the same movements of their neighbors).

The dog gives a squeal signal that take and transmit itself to the turn neighbors, like spectators in the stands. looks quite comical:

In this work, which appeared in the “Royal Society journal Proceedings B”, the researchers analyze the behavior of prairie dogs and come to the conclusion that the “wave” is way to test the vigilance of neighbors.

An animal that initiates it, makes sure that the companions are armed, calms down and can spend a little more time looking for food, or other living things. The researchers measured the time that passed until the dog again alerted the colony. After transfusion, the “wave” squeaks was no longer calm.

Lead author of the study – prof. Jim Hare of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada – told the BBC that all is not yet clear and need to devote more attention to dogs prairie and research.

probably is right, because I tell you the truth unless we know more about the “Mexican wave “in the human world. More than a decade ago in “Nature” was the work of Hungarian scientists who analyzed the collective movements of spectators in the stands. The researchers found that Mexican wave moves frequently Clockwise rotation speed of about 12 meters (20 seats) per second, and its typical width is 6-12 meters. After seeing dozens of recordings of the stadiums built a mathematical model of this phenomenon. Not much different from the models describing eg the burning of forests or the propagation of impulses in the muscle tissue. Their computer model can be viewed on the web: angel.elte.hu / wave.

And this is one of the most “human” Mexican wave: