Media Images
PLOS’ Media Team commissions infographics and illustrations for selected PLOS papers, which are shared with journalists alongside other press materials and sometimes feature in media coverage of the research. These beautiful images are licensed under CC-BY, and they are curated here for the interest and use of readers. The related research paper may be accessed from the link in each image credit.
![Illustration of scientists making dairy cows walk in a straight. Link to associated research paper (Tijssen et al., 2021): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0253479](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dairy-cows-walking-illustration.png)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
They’re sober, honest! Scientists made dairy cows walk in a straight line – but to test their gait, not their alcohol intake! Link to associated research paper (Tijssen et al., 2021).
AI experts suggest 39 percent of domestic chores could be automated within a decade
![Housework automation infographic Infographic showing how researchers predict the percentage of time that will no longer be spent on housework in 5 years and in 10 years, thanks to automation of domestic tasks. Link to associated research paper (Shi et al., 2023): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0281282](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Housework-automation-infographic-q2hrzyo7b6qymy65m5wvjyvnoyxgas1qk27zyso3n4.png)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers predicted the percentage of time that will no longer be spent on housework in 5 years and in 10 years, thanks to automation of domestic tasks. The predictions estimated by experts varied according to their country and gender (top panel). Experts’ estimation of the reduction in time dedicated to domestic work also varied significantly between activities (bottom panel): grocery shopping was predicted to be most automatable within 10 years whereas physical childcare was predicted to be least automatable.
Link to associated research paper (Shi et al., 2023).
Seven canine behaviors seen as important for bonding with your dog
![Dog bonding behaviors illustration Illustration of dog owners bonding with their dogs. Owners identify seven behaviors which they report as important for bonding with their dog: physical touch, consistency, proximity, communication, positivity, attunement, and shared activities Link to associated research paper (Riddoch et al., 2022): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0274353](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Dog-bonding-behaviors-illustration-scaled-q2hrziorzqbgsaqzti41k1d3hhnok9166s5k9r59ts.jpg)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Owners identify seven behaviors which they report as important for bonding with their dog: physical touch, consistency, proximity, communication, positivity, attunement, and shared activities. Link to associated research paper (Riddoch et al., 2022).
![Illustration of bumblebees solving a puzzle](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Bumblebee-puzzle-solving-illustration-scaled.jpg)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Bumblebees can learn to solve a puzzle by watching a trained “demonstrator” bee
Bumblebees can learn by watching a trained bee demonstrating one of two ways to solve puzzle for a sugary reward, then copy the bee to solve the puzzle in the same way. Link to associated research paper (Bridges et al., 2023).
Dogs with more active owners may get more exercise
![Dog exercise illustration Illustration of man walking his dog. Research article: comparing inactive and active dog owners and their dogs’ weight. Link to associated research paper (Banton et al., 2022): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0272299](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Dog-exercise-illustration-scaled-q2hrzs3bzchydofpol2hkijfj9tvswbm75nlluxuuo.jpg)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Compared to inactive owners, active dog owners report exercising their dogs more and report their dogs’ weight as healthier. Link to associated research paper (Banton et al., 2022).
Great Britain’s city centers ranked on “greenness”
![Green space in UK cities infographic Infographic showing how researchers used a new greenness metric to rank the UK’s 68 urban centers with a population of over 100,000, with the top five being Exeter, Islington, Bristol, Bournemouth, and Cambridge, and the bottom five being Glasgow, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Leeds. Link to associated research paper (Robinson et al., 2022): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276962](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Green-space-in-UK-cities-infographic-q2hrztz0d0l3hhp9pok78lwd3w0ti6i9gwgelde1js.png)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers used a new greenness metric to rank the UK’s 68 urban centers with a population of over 100,000, with the top five being Exeter, Islington, Bristol, Bournemouth, and Cambridge, and the bottom five being Glasgow, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Leeds. Link to associated research paper (Robinson et al., 2022).
![Illustration of Dog detecting newts](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Dog-detecting-newts-illustration-scaled.jpg)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Sniffer dogs can detect great crested newts
In experiments, a trained English springer spaniel accurately detected critically endangered Great Crested newts, at a distance and even underground. Link to associated research paper (Glover et al., 2023).
Dogs’ average age at cancer diagnosis is associated with size, sex, breed
![Dog breeds and cancer infographic Infographic displaying the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality in dogs depending on breed. Link to associated research paper (Rafalko et al., 2023): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0280795](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Dog-breeds-and-cancer-infographic-q2hrzligni8y4ep9r083l277dkqbb0lhu9378x7m28.png)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers studied the median age at which 43 different dog breeds are diagnosed with cancer, finding that Mastiffs had the youngest median age at cancer diagnosis (5 years), while Bichon Frises had the oldest median age (11.5 years). The median age of cancer diagnosis was also seen to be lower for purebred dogs than for mixed breed dogs. This information may guide cancer screening practices for earlier detection and treatment. Link to associated research paper (Rafalko et al., 2023).
The Secret Life of Bees: Honey bee behavior within the hive
![Bee behaviors illustration Illustration bee behaviors. Researchers identified multiple honey bee behaviours inside the hive, including hive remodelling, surface cleaning, self-grooming, brood care, pollen and nectar storage, and even cannibalism Link to associated research paper (Siefert et al., 2021): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247323](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Bee-behaviors-illustration-q2hryf7q3ynm2jqzy2mchyph12yzyiwr9x86ofhavs.png)
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Through video analysis, the researchers identified multiple honey bee behaviours inside the hive, including hive remodelling, surface cleaning, self-grooming, brood care, pollen and nectar storage, and even cannibalism. Link to associated research paper (Siefert et al., 2021).
![](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Gender-ratios-in-citations-infographic.png)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Gender disparities in scientific fields remain, though have evolved over the decades
This study evaluated the gender composition of top-cited authors, finding that men outnumbered women 1.88-fold among all authors, with a decrease from 3.93-fold pre-1992. Among top-cited authors, men outnumbered women 3.21-fold. Across 174 scientific subfields, there are still few realms where women are as likely to find themselves among the top-cited authors as men. Link to associated research paper (Ioannidis et al., 2023).
Vegan diets for cats infographic
![Vegan diets for cats infographic Vegan diets for cats infographic](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Vegan-diets-for-cats-infographic-qg6ezrromw53o9p8rnhalogsvd5fdc5ur64pi3j19k.png)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Guardians reported seven general indicators of illness for 1,369 cats. Despite some concerns about vegan diets being possibly less healthy, cats on a vegan diet were reported as being more healthy or as healthy as cats on a meat-based diet for the studied indicators, without statistically significant differences. Link to associated research paper (Knight et al., 2023).
Pet exposure and food allergies infographic
![Pet exposure and food allergies infographic Pet exposure and food allergies infographic](https://plos.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Pet-exposure-and-food-allergies-infographic-scaled-qg6f5n9dcm5rjn5lykvnw1chyaipkeioo0o7fx0zt8.jpg)
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
The researchers assessed exposure to pets during fetal development (pink dots) or early infancy (teal dots) and the incidence risk of food allergies in young children (confidence intervals on bars in light pink). Exposure to indoor pet dogs was associated with reduced risk of egg, milk and nut allergies, whereas cat exposure was associated with reduced risk of egg, wheat and soybean allergies. Link to associated research paper (Okabe et al., 2023).