E-Mail IMAGE: Using a newly developed pig brain atlas, University of Illinois researchers show no major differences in pig brain development between pigs in artificial rearing environments vs. sow rearing. The discovery... view more Credit: Lauren D. Quinn, University of Illinois URBANA, Ill. - Before humans can benefit from new drug therapies and nutritional additives, scientists test their safety and efficacy in animals, typically mice and rats. But, as much as they've done for biomedical research, rodents aren't always the best research model for studies on neonatal brain development and nutrition. That's where pigs can play an important role. University of Illinois researchers say the domestic pig is ideal for these studies because their brain size, rate of development, and digestive system are excellent analogues for human newborns.