An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings
Play is widespread among vertebrates. Some animal groups stand out in their play behaviors in levels of complexity, innovativeness, sociality, and volume. Despite the vast phylogenetic distance between corvids, parrots, great apes, and dolphins, all are usually identified as among the most playful....
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Animal Behavior and Cognition
2014-05-01
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| Series: | Animal Behavior and Cognition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/2/06.Osvath_etal_Final.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818021451729469440 |
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| author | Mathias Osvath Helena Osvath Rasmus Bååth |
| author_facet | Mathias Osvath Helena Osvath Rasmus Bååth |
| author_sort | Mathias Osvath |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Play is widespread among vertebrates. Some animal groups stand out in their play behaviors in levels of complexity, innovativeness, sociality, and volume. Despite the vast phylogenetic distance between corvids, parrots, great apes, and dolphins, all are usually identified as among the most playful. These groups also have several complex cognitive skills in common. There is growing agreement that play has evolved multiple times under different selective pressures in different lineages. As these groups appear similar in their complex play but are separated by considerable evolutionary distance, the similarity is unlikely to result from homology. Far more probable is that the similarity has arisen from convergent or parallel evolution. It is important to conduct comparative ontogenetic play studies on these groups to learn more about what basic processes underlie complex play and whether such play is, indeed, related to complex cognition. Toward that end, we explored the play behavior of raven nestlings over the last ten days before they fledged. We found high levels of play both in terms of instances initiated and duration. The play behaviors were at level with – or above – maintenance behaviors and flight training. Most of the play was object play, but social object play and apparent play contagion was also recorded. The importance of play in developing young ravens is clear. The reasons might be less clear, however play could underlie both object-related and social development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T08:19:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3037ccb227bf46b39d6c0e05dbc527cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2372-5052 2372-4323 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T08:19:02Z |
| publishDate | 2014-05-01 |
| publisher | Animal Behavior and Cognition |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Behavior and Cognition |
| spelling | doaj.art-3037ccb227bf46b39d6c0e05dbc527cc2022-12-22T02:04:17ZengAnimal Behavior and CognitionAnimal Behavior and Cognition2372-50522372-43232014-05-011215716510.12966/abc.05.06.2014An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven NestlingsMathias OsvathHelena OsvathRasmus BååthPlay is widespread among vertebrates. Some animal groups stand out in their play behaviors in levels of complexity, innovativeness, sociality, and volume. Despite the vast phylogenetic distance between corvids, parrots, great apes, and dolphins, all are usually identified as among the most playful. These groups also have several complex cognitive skills in common. There is growing agreement that play has evolved multiple times under different selective pressures in different lineages. As these groups appear similar in their complex play but are separated by considerable evolutionary distance, the similarity is unlikely to result from homology. Far more probable is that the similarity has arisen from convergent or parallel evolution. It is important to conduct comparative ontogenetic play studies on these groups to learn more about what basic processes underlie complex play and whether such play is, indeed, related to complex cognition. Toward that end, we explored the play behavior of raven nestlings over the last ten days before they fledged. We found high levels of play both in terms of instances initiated and duration. The play behaviors were at level with – or above – maintenance behaviors and flight training. Most of the play was object play, but social object play and apparent play contagion was also recorded. The importance of play in developing young ravens is clear. The reasons might be less clear, however play could underlie both object-related and social development.http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/2/06.Osvath_etal_Final.pdfRaven playAvian playDevelopment of playRaven ontogenyPhysical cognition |
| spellingShingle | Mathias Osvath Helena Osvath Rasmus Bååth An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings Animal Behavior and Cognition Raven play Avian play Development of play Raven ontogeny Physical cognition |
| title | An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings |
| title_full | An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings |
| title_fullStr | An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings |
| title_short | An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings |
| title_sort | exploration of play behaviors in raven nestlings |
| topic | Raven play Avian play Development of play Raven ontogeny Physical cognition |
| url | http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/2/06.Osvath_etal_Final.pdf |
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