Press coverage

6/22/22

National Geographic – Why some animals evolved to sacrifice themselves

From headbutting muskoxen to self-sacrificing bees, evolution favors populations, not individuals.

5/27/22

CBC Quirks and Quarks – Headbutting animals can accumulate brain damage

Animals like mountain bighorn sheep and muskox compete for mates and social dominance by slamming their heads together with massive force. Scientists had wondered how they could do this without damaging their brains. It turns out they can’t, as a new study has shown the animals can have brain trauma similar to that found in humans with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which results from repeated head injuries. The research was led by Dr. Nicole Ackermans from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

13/1/22

Ologies – Bovine Neuropathology (HEADBUTTING)

Slamming heads together to impress someone: why does this happen? Let’s ask Dr. Nicole Ackermans, whose current job involves receiving sheep heads and painstakingly counting damaged neurons from headbutting concussions.