Locust research could tell us why Elvis preferred peanut butter sandwiches

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Locust Schistocerca obscura. Credit: Spencer T Behmer
Locust, Schistocerca obscura. Credit: Spencer T Behmer

It’s said that Elvis Presley’s love of fried peanut butter sandwiches started during his impoverished childhood, and the fat-soaked snack remained a favourite dish for the rest of his life. Locusts and Elvis could have something in common. In a study published in Science, Oxford researchers showed that the value given by locusts to a particular food depended on their condition at the time of eating it first.


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