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Happy and Sad - The Inner Lives of Animals

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April 15, 2013

Do animals have feelings? Scientists long believed they only had instincts. But lab tests carried out by researchers in Münster have shown that guinea pigs can feel afraid, abandoned - and brave. The scientists used the stress hormone cortisol as an indicator.

The limbic system is primarily responsible for the emotional life and belongs to a part of the brain that appears to be similar in all mammals. The researchers' findings could revolutionize animal treatment practices.

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