Social Modulation of Contagious Yawning in Wolves

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 8; p. e105963
• Main Authors: Romero, Teresa, Ito, Marie, Saito, Atsuko, Hasegawa, Toshikazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.08.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal behavior; Animals; Biological Evolution; Biology and Life Sciences; Canidae; Canis lupus lupus; Dogs; Domestic animals; Domestication; Emotions; Emotions - physiology; Empathy; Evolution; Evolution (Biology); Female; Females; Human behavior; Humans; Imitative Behavior; Male; Males; Mammals; Primates; Reaction time; Wolves; Wolves - physiology; Wolves - psychology; Yawning; Yawning - physiology; Yawning behavior; Japan

On the basis of observational and experimental evidence, several authors have proposed that contagious yawn is linked to our capacity for empathy, thus presenting a powerful tool to explore the root of empathy in animal evolution. The evidence for the occurrence of contagious yawning and its link to...