#206 Jo Wimpenny on AESOP'S ANIMALS

Zoologist and science writer Jo Wimpenny chats with Trey Elling about AESOP'S ANIMALS: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FABLES. Questions include: From "The Crow and the Pitcher", why did one researcher refer to corvids as "feathered apes" in 2004? (4:50) Inspired by "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", are there animals more likely than wolves to use deception in capturing prey? (14:09) Based on "The Ass Carrying the Image", ancient cultures lauded donkeys. So why did our collective opinion about them change? (19:27) From "The Fox and the Crow", why did one wildlife biologist call foxes the "catlike canine"? (28:03) Inspired by "The Lion and the Shepherd", is the lion's mane a defense mechanism? (36:24) Based on "The Ant and the Grasshopper", can humans take any valuable traffic tips from ant highways? (49:17) From "The Tortoise and the Hare", why did a team of mechanical engineers argue a few years ago that the fastest animals and vehicles are neither the biggest nor fastest over a lifetime? (52:01)