Research Shows Rats are… Compassionate?

New research shows that rats can demonstrate compassion?

FOX News Radio’s Chris Stanley has the story:

Contrary to the old expression ‘you dirty rat’, implying someone is sneaky and selfish.  New research from the University of Chicago reported in the Journal ‘Science’ shows rats displaying a trait that some scientists thought was reserved only for humans and higher primates; compassion.  In the experiment, rats repeatedly freed another rat trapped in their cage, even though they were put in proximity to chocolate as a distraction.  23 of 30 rats opening the trap by pushing in a door, choosing to free their partners, and then sharing the chocolate.  Also, the six females showed consistent empathy, all of them freeing the trapped rat, while 17 of the 24 males did.

Chris Stanley, FOX News Radio.