Neuroscientist Sara Freeman studies coyote brains for signs of grief
The gist
Utah State neuroscientist Sara Freeman examines brain tissue of a coyote that outlived her mate, looking for a "grief state."
The question is whether animal mourning is real emotion or human projection.
How it unfolded
- Aug 2026Freeman showed a reporter brain tissue from a female coyote who had outlived her mate, kept in an ultracold freezer, as part of her research.
- Oct 31, 2026The Green Post published an article on elephants' memory and emotional intelligence, including observations of elephants touching the bodies and bones of deceased herd members.
- Nov 1, 2026Haaretz published an article on animals mourning their dead and whether it aids survival, citing a recent Ethology paper by Jacob Dembitzer and Dror Ben-Ami.