Neuroscience

Articles and news from the latest research reports.

90 notes

Bonobos Catch Yawns from Friends For bonobos, yawning is contagious, but only between friends. Yawns spread more easily between family and close friends, and from high-status monkeys to those lower on the totem pole, according to a study published online in the journal PLoS ONE. This pattern of social yawning mimics one found in humans and suggests infectious yawning is a byproduct of empathy, which coordinates emotions in a group. "It underlines that the mechanism of yawn contagion in the two species is the same," said study co-author Elisabetta Palagi, a primate researcher at the University of Pisa in Italy. "One of the possible functions of yawn contagion is to synchronize individuals of a social group. In humans, yawn contagion is extremely important but just between people who share strong bonds."

Bonobos Catch Yawns from Friends

For bonobos, yawning is contagious, but only between friends.

Yawns spread more easily between family and close friends, and from high-status monkeys to those lower on the totem pole, according to a study published online in the journal PLoS ONE. This pattern of social yawning mimics one found in humans and suggests infectious yawning is a byproduct of empathy, which coordinates emotions in a group.

"It underlines that the mechanism of yawn contagion in the two species is the same," said study co-author Elisabetta Palagi, a primate researcher at the University of Pisa in Italy. "One of the possible functions of yawn contagion is to synchronize individuals of a social group. In humans, yawn contagion is extremely important but just between people who share strong bonds."

Filed under primates bonobos yawning contagious yawning animal behavior empathy neuroscience psychology science

  1. thisistheurlformyblogdoyoulikeit reblogged this from raspberryfeministbarbie
  2. raspberryfeministbarbie reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  3. whisperblueface reblogged this from daenerystarscaryen and added:
    Yawns…
  4. dor-mouse reblogged this from daenerystarscaryen
  5. daenerystarscaryen reblogged this from sagansense
  6. tencomiz reblogged this from sagansense
  7. isaidmissthingallqueensandme reblogged this from commonunity
  8. grasstafarian reblogged this from wildlydistorted
  9. wildlydistorted reblogged this from sagansense
  10. open-yourthirdeye reblogged this from science-isinteresting
  11. heavenbegatshell reblogged this from sagansense
  12. archaeologyandadorable reblogged this from commonunity
  13. psapao reblogged this from sagansense
  14. the-best-tool-we-have reblogged this from sagansense
  15. jfrank93 reblogged this from sagansense
  16. science-isinteresting reblogged this from sagansense
  17. retromantique reblogged this from sagansense
  18. plio-cavedeposits reblogged this from commonunity
  19. commonunity reblogged this from sagansense
  20. sagansense reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  21. instinctualanimals reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  22. skaterboytae reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  23. a-madsci reblogged this from neurosciencestuff and added:
    If the status-derived contagion of yawns were true for humans also, the teacher would always yawn first. If it were only...
  24. jeffreyjefferson reblogged this from neurosciencestuff and added:
    Bonobos Catch Yawns from Friends For bonobos, yawning is contagious, but only between friends. Yawns spread more easily...
  25. chelsey-cupcake reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  26. sarcasmicsarah reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  27. of--mice-and--ben reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  28. allucid-alice reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
  29. itsa-lion reblogged this from neurosciencestuff
free counters