The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn
Abstract Yawning is undeniably contagious and hard to resist. Interestingly, in our species, even the mere sound of a yawn can trigger this contagious response, especially when the yawner is someone familiar. Together with humans, one other mammal species is known to produce loud and distinct vocali...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49797-5 |
| _version_ | 1797363343693971456 |
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| author | Luca Pedruzzi Martina Francesconi Elisabetta Palagi Alban Lemasson |
| author_facet | Luca Pedruzzi Martina Francesconi Elisabetta Palagi Alban Lemasson |
| author_sort | Luca Pedruzzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Yawning is undeniably contagious and hard to resist. Interestingly, in our species, even the mere sound of a yawn can trigger this contagious response, especially when the yawner is someone familiar. Together with humans, one other mammal species is known to produce loud and distinct vocalisations while yawning, Theropithecus gelada. Geladas are known for their complex social interactions and rich vocal communication, making them intriguing subjects for studying yawning behaviour. To explore the contagious effect of yawn sounds on geladas, we conducted playback experiments in a zoo-housed colony with animals living in two groups. We exposed them to yawn sounds (Test) or affiliative grunts (Control) produced by males from either their own group or the other one. The results were remarkable, as simply hearing yawn sounds led to yawn contagion in geladas, with multiple responses observed when the yawns came from members of their own group. This finding adds a significant contribution to the research on mimicry and behavioural contagion in primates. Moreover, it raises intriguing questions about the involvement of sensory modalities beyond visual perception in these phenomena. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:18:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-06b051352a7d48399e77e2e06d68283d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:18:59Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-06b051352a7d48399e77e2e06d68283d2024-01-07T12:25:27ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-011411710.1038/s41598-023-49797-5The sound of yawns makes geladas yawnLuca Pedruzzi0Martina Francesconi1Elisabetta Palagi2Alban Lemasson3Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of PisaUnit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of PisaUnit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of PisaCNRS, EthoS (Ethologie Animale et Humaine)-U.M.R 6552, Université de Rennes, Université de NormandieAbstract Yawning is undeniably contagious and hard to resist. Interestingly, in our species, even the mere sound of a yawn can trigger this contagious response, especially when the yawner is someone familiar. Together with humans, one other mammal species is known to produce loud and distinct vocalisations while yawning, Theropithecus gelada. Geladas are known for their complex social interactions and rich vocal communication, making them intriguing subjects for studying yawning behaviour. To explore the contagious effect of yawn sounds on geladas, we conducted playback experiments in a zoo-housed colony with animals living in two groups. We exposed them to yawn sounds (Test) or affiliative grunts (Control) produced by males from either their own group or the other one. The results were remarkable, as simply hearing yawn sounds led to yawn contagion in geladas, with multiple responses observed when the yawns came from members of their own group. This finding adds a significant contribution to the research on mimicry and behavioural contagion in primates. Moreover, it raises intriguing questions about the involvement of sensory modalities beyond visual perception in these phenomena.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49797-5 |
| spellingShingle | Luca Pedruzzi Martina Francesconi Elisabetta Palagi Alban Lemasson The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn Scientific Reports |
| title | The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| title_full | The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| title_fullStr | The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| title_full_unstemmed | The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| title_short | The sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| title_sort | sound of yawns makes geladas yawn |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49797-5 |
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