Insects May Be Able To Feel Fear, Anger And Empathy, After All

A recent survey suggests that for most of us that have ever had a pet companion, it’s a no-brainer that mammals and birds are emotional creatures, sharing emotions with multiple species and not just their own. Yet despite the thousands of YouTube videos and hundreds of recent scientific studies presenting easily accessible evidence and examples, not everyone thinks so.

It was only in 2012 that scientists finally agreed that nonhuman animals are conscious beings. Meanwhile, in the laboratory, we have only just discovered that dogs display immensely complex human-like emotions like jealousy, and we are only just deciphering how cows express positive emotions through the white of their eyes. But what about insects?

What are emotions?

Briefly, let’s touch on the definition of what an emotion is, which is still largely debated even today. While most of us are pretty convinced that emotions exist (seeing as we experience them ourselves), defining emotions is easier said than done