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Prawns and lobsters 'feel pain'
It may cause disquiet in the kitchen, but scientists say they have convincing evidence that prawns and lobsters feel pain.
Researchers conducted a study in which they dabbed irritant acetic acid on to the antennae of 144 prawns.
The creatures reacted by grooming and rubbing the affected area for up to five minutes.
This focused response is similar to that seen in mammals exposed to a noxious stimulant.
It flies in the face of the popular notion that only vertebrates feel pain, according to Professor Robert Elwood, who led the research at Queen's University, Belfast.
He told New Scientist magazine: "The prolonged, specifically directed rubbing and grooming is consistent with an interpretation of pain experience."
Prof Elwood, an expert in animal behaviour, believes it makes sense for even lowly crustaceans to feel pain as it increases their chances of survival.
However he is at odds with other scientists who point to the primitive nervous systems of invertebrates.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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