The Famous Animals of Science

We look back at some of the biggest contributors to scientific research from the animal kingdom

Lauren Robertson | 04/13/2021 | Quick Read

Dolly the Sheep - Possibly the most famous animal in science history, Dolly made waves in the media when she was born in Edinburgh in 1996. Though she wasn’t the first mammal to be cloned, she was the first created using somatic cell nuclear transfer of an adult cell.

Laika - A stray from the streets of Moscow, Laika wasn’t the first animal in space, but she was the first to orbit Earth in the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2. Sadly (and controversially) she was never expected to return – her sacrifice paved the way for human spaceflight.

Pavlov’s Dogs - These famous canines helped Russian Doctor, Ivan Pavlov, prove that the salivary reflex of dogs could be conditioned – later known as “classical conditioning.”

Schrödinger’s Cat - Okay, so not a “real” cat per se, but this theoretical animal still made a significant contribution to the field of quantum mechanics.

The Common Fruit Fly - We couldn’t conclude our list without giving a nod to one of the many animal models used in scientific research.

Fields & Applications Education

Lauren Robertson

By the time I finished my degree in Microbiology I had come to one conclusion – I did not want to work in a lab. Instead, I decided to move to the south of Spain to teach English. After two brilliant years, I realized that I missed science, and what I really enjoyed was communicating scientific ideas – whether that be to four-year-olds or mature professionals. On returning to England I landed a role in science writing and found it combined my passions perfectly. Now at Texere, I get to hone these skills every day by writing about the latest research in an exciting, creative way.

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