How small #mammals shrink their brains to survive the cold https://phys.org/news/2026-01-small-mammals-brains-survive-cold.html

How small #mammals shrink their brains to survive the cold https://phys.org/news/2026-01-small-mammals-brains-survive-cold.html

Genomic comparisons shed light on the adaptive basis of brain size plasticity and chromosomal instability in the Eurasian common shrew https://academic.oup.com/mbe/advance-article/doi/10.1093/molbev/msag006/8419347

"This allows species such as the common #shrew to reduce the size of their brain, skull and other organs by up to 30% during the winter to save energy. In the spring, these tissues regenerate—an exceptional example of physiological plasticity."