Rats are able to perfectly understand the varieties of white wine (2 photos)

During the experiment, the rodents distinguished smells with 94% accuracy.





It was previously believed that animals, even if they have an excellent sense of smell, cannot boast the ability to classify complex smells, since they do not have sufficient cognitive abilities that people have. However, a new study has refuted this.

A team of scientists from Italy, Great Britain, Austria and the USA conducted an experiment: scientists taught domestic rats to distinguish the smells of two types of white wine - Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. These varieties were used in the experiment because they have distinct aromas and other characteristics.

Nine adult male rats took part in the experiment. The animals were placed in chambers with a hole for the nose, two levers, and a port through which they could get a treat. In front of the holes, the rats were given paper cups of wine. There were about eight cups in total, four with Riesling, and the rest with Sauvignon Blanc.



The animal used levers to identify the wines. If the rat correctly identified the type of wine, it was immediately rewarded with a sugar ball, and if it was wrong, there was a pause.

Once the rats had figured out the principle, they were given samples of wines they had never tried before. The results were astonishing: the rats recognized familiar wines with 94% accuracy, and new varieties were correctly identified in 65% of cases.

As part of the study, the rats were introduced to wines from different countries, including France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.