They discovered that the animals sniffed the air immediately after making a sound. Such techniques exist in vibroacoustics, a field of study where ultrasound vibrations are used to create particle clusters in the air.
It’s possible that the rats are doing something similar. They could be using sound to create clusters of odor molecules that their powerful noses can detect more easily, allowing them to pick up on the traces of their friends, foes, or potential mates.
Since the 1950s, the ultrasonic field in rats has been an area of interest among scholars. Rats are also often used in research because of how similar they are to humans in terms of their communication, social behavior, and emotional processing.
Right now, Mercado and his team do not have a complete understanding of how nanoparticles can be manipulated by sound.
The concept has not been proven yet, but if it turns out to be true, it will reveal new insights into animal behavior and make an impact on an entire field of research.
“It’s a radically different process, and the findings could have far-reaching implications ranging from the development of treatments for psychological disorders to a better understanding of the evolutionary drivers of many cognitive processes to technological advancement,” Mercado said in a statement from the University of Buffalo.
The study was published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
