Study offers new ways to assess animal welfare in industry and could lead to happier flocks

Mark Twain wrote that “Man is the only animal that blushes – or needs to”. New research seems to have proved him wrong, however, with the discovery that hens have the capacity to blush and use other forms of facial expression.

Researchers in France found that female chickens appear to blush when they are scared or excited and fluff up their head feathers when they are content. The finding offers a new way of understanding the birds’ emotions, which could help farmers judge the happiness of their flock.

Study got dog owners to either take a maths test or do something relaxing and observed effect on pets’ emotions

The ability of dogs to sniff out stress levels in humans has been known for some time.

But the relationship between woman and man’s four-legged best friend is two-way, and scientists now believe they have discovered that when a dog senses a person in distress, it has a knock-on effect in the behaviour of the animal – most notably, it makes them pessimistic.

Analysis of thousands of wild chimp gestures in east Africa found striking similarities to human conversations

Humans might be the masters of quick-fire banter, but it seems chimpanzees have their own rapid back-and-forths, albeit in the form of hand signals.

Researchers analysed thousands of gestures made by wild chimps in east Africa and found striking similarities with the turn-taking seen in human conversations, in particular how swiftly the apes responded to one another.

Researchers unsure why animals turn up with items such as socks and gloves – but agree pilfered items are not presents

The thieves went for particular items. Day after day, they roamed the neighbourhood and returned home to dump their loot. Before long they had amassed an impressive haul: socks, underpants, a baby’s cardigan, gloves and yet more socks.

It’s not unusual for cats to bring in dead or petrified mice and birds, but turning up with random objects is harder to explain. Researchers suspect a number of causes, but tend to agree on one point: the pilfered items are not presents.