Behe, Bias, and Bears (Oh my!)
January 11, 2023
Correcting Intelligent Design creationists leads to some interesting drama. … More Behe, Bias, and Bears (Oh my!)
Tag: animals
The Value of Social Relationships During Aging in Female Rhesus Macaques
April 9, 2018
Rhesus monkeys have an intricate social structure. There is a dominance hierarchy, meaning that not all individuals enjoy the same rank in the group. This also effects the value that individuals gain from each of their relationships. Obviously, having powerful allies is of great value. And to maintain a powerful position requires allies. These are all … More The Value of Social Relationships During Aging in Female Rhesus Macaques
Cats Can Find Their Own Kittens by Smell; They Just Don’t Care
November 27, 2017
A new study resolves an old dispute. Cat mothers DO recognize their own kittens by smell, even if they don’t favor them in retrieval tests. … More Cats Can Find Their Own Kittens by Smell; They Just Don’t Care
Even Marmosets Develop Regional Dialects
November 14, 2017
New research confirms that marmoset calls vary in different groups, showing that the calls are learned, not strictly biologically programmed. … More Even Marmosets Develop Regional Dialects
Dogs Understand the Concept of Different Perspectives
June 28, 2017
New research reveals that dog have an understanding of what you can and can’t know based on what you can see. This argues that they may have a “theory of mind.” … More Dogs Understand the Concept of Different Perspectives
What is the value of play?
May 1, 2017
[This is a quick summary of the second chapter of my book, Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals on play and recreation. The thesis of the book is that we can better understand human behaviors by studying their equivalents in other animals.] Isn’t playing a pointless distraction for an animal? At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any … More What is the value of play?
From Woodpeckers to Apes: Competition Drives the Correlation between Brain Size and Group Size
March 8, 2017
A new study of woodpeckers adds nuance to the relationship between brain power and social interactions. … More From Woodpeckers to Apes: Competition Drives the Correlation between Brain Size and Group Size
Social Learning in Animals: Implications for the Evolution of Human Intelligence
February 7, 2017
It’s becoming increasingly clear that animals do a great deal of social learning, which gives insight into how humans became culturally modern. … More Social Learning in Animals: Implications for the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Dominance Status Affects the Transmission of Fear
October 17, 2016
Fear is a powerful motivator. It’s also a very interesting social behavior that can be either genetically programmed, socially learned, or both. … More Dominance Status Affects the Transmission of Fear
Borrowed Signals: A Discussion of the “Guilty Dog” Look
September 12, 2016
That “guilty dog” look is the product of millions of years of evolution and is actually a sophisticated social communiqué. … More Borrowed Signals: A Discussion of the “Guilty Dog” Look
The Human Evolution Blog 