Cockroaches hate mornings too

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A study by the biologists at Vanderbilt University found the cockroach’s learning ability showed dramatic variations throughout the day. In the mornings they couldn’t learn any new task, whereas in the evening they showed great learning ability.

Terry L. Page, professor of biological sciences, said to MSNBC.com:

This is the first example of an insect whose ability to learn is controlled by its biological clock.”

Page said the whole study of cockroaches surprised him and the researchers, first of all that cockroaches could be trained, and their learning behavior in response to the body clock.

This study will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the study they taught cockroaches to associate peppermint, a scent that the critters normally dislike, with sugar water so that they favored it over one of their favorite smells, vanilla.

The researchers trained hundreds of cockroaches at different times through out the day and tested them to see whether they were able to remember the peppermint – sugar water association.

The cockroaches trained during the evening and night, were able to remember the association for several days, but the roaches that were trained in the morning were unable to remember the connection.

“It is very surprising that the deficit in the morning is so profound,” said Page, who lead the study. “An interesting question is why the animal would not want to learn at that particular time of day. We have no idea.”

Page said the study could provide insight into the connections between biological clocks, memory and learning behavior in animals and humans.

They should have given some coffee in the morning; maybe the cockroaches might have shown good learning behavior.