Post by VIB

How does a mouse decide whether to freeze or flee? Hint: it's all about a brain switch. 🧠 In this impact story from our 2025 annual report, two closely related deer mouse species help us figure it out. They live in very different habitats: one in dense vegetation, where fleeing for cover can be lifesaving, and one in open fields, where freezing is the safer strategy. Our researchers showed that the choice between these survival responses does not result from differences in how the animals sense danger. Instead, the coin toss between freeze or flee can be traced back to changes in a conserved brain circuit involved in escape actions. 🔬 Evolution can fine-tune instinctive behavior, and fundamental research can help us figure out how. Read more via the link in comments. ⬇️ VIB-KU Leuven Center For Neuroscience, Karl Farrow (he/him) #VIB #30YearsVIB #vibvibhooray #Neuroscience #BrainResearch #Evolution #ResearchImpact #LifeSciences #ScientificDiscovery