And here I thought they were one dimensional characters…
Michel-Olivier Laurent Salazar, Ph.D., previously a doctoral student at ULB and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Ryukyus in Japan, and a team of colleagues at ULB examined the phenomenon of thigmotaxis, the trend of any animal to seek contact with other objects. Positive thigmotaxis involves an animal seeking contact with a wall, crevice, or other object, providing close quarters and therefore protection. The researchers discovered that, at least among the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), thigmotactic tendencies varied, indicating personality differences. (“Personality” carries a complex meaning in humans; in animals, biologists measure personality as consistent individual behavioral traits.) The researchers’ work was published February 1 in of the open-access Journal of Insect Science.
Cockroach Thanksgiving diorama by Ricky Boscarino.
