Sciencenews.org and MSNBC both recently reported on a new study which has found that some carnivores lack the ability to taste sweet things because of mutations to certain taste receptor genes such as Tas1r2. The researchers studied 12 animals, 7 of which eat only meat and had gene mutations to certain receptors that normally enable the ability to taste sweets. These 7 animals included bottle nosed dolphins, sea lions, spotted hyenas and fossas; all of these animals are predators and hunt for their food, suggesting that they do not need to taste sweet things. However, this was not enough evidence to claim that all carnivores are unable to sense sweetness because other results showed that some carnivorous animals can taste sweet, that not all or any of their sweet receptor genes were inhibited by mutations. Carnivorous animals which can taste sweetness include domestic cats, raccoons, spectacled bears, Canadian otters and red wolves, among many others documented in the past. These animals often eat a broader variety of foods and do not always hunt for their food (they may scavenge). Although it is interesting that this study was able to identify specific gene mutations associated with sweet taste receptor loss, it is not enough to prove that all carnivores lack the sweet sense. Instead, it is much more likely that the study found an example of how evolution has led to some species being able or not able to taste sweet based on their foraging habits.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Some Carnivores have no Sweet Tooth
Sciencenews.org and MSNBC both recently reported on a new study which has found that some carnivores lack the ability to taste sweet things because of mutations to certain taste receptor genes such as Tas1r2. The researchers studied 12 animals, 7 of which eat only meat and had gene mutations to certain receptors that normally enable the ability to taste sweets. These 7 animals included bottle nosed dolphins, sea lions, spotted hyenas and fossas; all of these animals are predators and hunt for their food, suggesting that they do not need to taste sweet things. However, this was not enough evidence to claim that all carnivores are unable to sense sweetness because other results showed that some carnivorous animals can taste sweet, that not all or any of their sweet receptor genes were inhibited by mutations. Carnivorous animals which can taste sweetness include domestic cats, raccoons, spectacled bears, Canadian otters and red wolves, among many others documented in the past. These animals often eat a broader variety of foods and do not always hunt for their food (they may scavenge). Although it is interesting that this study was able to identify specific gene mutations associated with sweet taste receptor loss, it is not enough to prove that all carnivores lack the sweet sense. Instead, it is much more likely that the study found an example of how evolution has led to some species being able or not able to taste sweet based on their foraging habits.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is intresting in the sense that they can not taste sweets at all. I wonder if the gene is somewhat linked or is simular to that of the receptors we have that some humans have the gene to taste bitterness and some do not. As research is done more information will explain more but intresting article.
ReplyDelete