New on AAAS: Sniffing is More Complicated Than You Think

Sniffing is a common way for animals to greet each other. Most of us have seen dogs or cats vigorously inspecting a new acquaintance by sniffing, and we assume they're simply smelling each other. But there might be more to these encounters. New research, published March 7 in Current Biology, shows that rats sniff each other to reinforce their social hierarchy and prevent aggressive behavior. Read more! "Sniff Signals: Rats Communicate Social Status by Sniffing" (pdf or link)