Emotions are for people. But is it possible for animals to be emotional as well? Would it be possible that they have reactions to external forces?
According to The Indian Times, it is what they call as emotional fever. Emotional fever is related to how animals feel and react to the external forces. A new study tells us that when animals show a slight increase in their body temperature which is connected to consciousness and emotions, this is called emotional fever and fishes have this.
Research team from Universities of Barcelona and Bristol did a study and observed for the first time the changes in the temperature of zebra fishes. They said that for the first time they have observed the increase of about two to four degrees when they were exposed to stressful situations. This phenomenon is related to animals' feelings when they are under an external stimulus. This was observed in mammals, birds and some reptiles but never in fishes.
They divided 72 zebra fishes into two groups of 36 fished each. They then put them in a large tank with different interconnected divisions that had different temperatures ranging from 18 degrees to 35 degrees Celsius. The fishes in this controlled group were left undisturbed in a temperature that they prefer which is about 28 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, another group where subjected to stressful situations. They were placed in a net inside the tank with a temperature of 27 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes and were released.
The researchers found that the group of fishes who were in a controlled tank stayed in the area at a temperature of about 28 degrees Celsius. However, the other group under stress moved around the compartments.
There was a recorded increase in body temperature of about two to four degrees. Sonia Rey from University of Barcelona said, "These findings are very interesting - expressing emotional fever suggests for the first time that fish have some degree of consciousness."
While others don't think the view is correct. They said that fishes has a small brain and detailed morphological and behavioural analyses have highlighted homologies between some of their brain structures.
