Dispensary Corner

FORGET survival of the fittest - a new research breakthrough in the field of biology has suggested that evolution may in fact favour the laziest.

A report published this month in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B describes a largescale study of fossils and live gastropods in the Atlantic Ocean, concluding that being sluggish could be a fruitful strategy for survival of individuals and species.

The researchers from the University of Kansas analysed the metabolic rates of 299 different species, and found those which required higher amounts of energy were significantly more likely to become extinct.

“Maybe in the long term the best evolutionary strategy for animals is to be lassitudinous and sluggish—the lower the metabolic rate, the more likely the species you belong to will survive,” said one of the authors, Professor Bruce Lieberman.

We’d like to write more on this story, but it looks like it’s just about time for a nap.

YOU’VE heard of maternity leave and paternity leave.

A generous marketing firm in the US city of Minneapolis has taken things a step further by offering its staff “fur-ternity leave” - a week when they are allowed to work from home to help new pets adjust to their surroundings.

Nina Hale confirmed the animalfriendly policy on its website, with company ceo saying “part of embracing employee satisfaction as a business priority means recognising important life events that happen outside the office”.