Category Archives: Animal Cognition

Contagious yawning in geladas

Posted on November 7, 2009 by

Yawning is a common phenomenon among vertebrates. Despite its widespread occurrence, the function of yawning remains a mystery 1. Indeed, yawning has been suggested as (i) a cooling mechanism for the brain to maintain cognitive function; (ii) a communicative behavior … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Behavior, Animal Cognition, Primatology | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

A year (almost) in the field

Posted on December 31, 2008 by

My friend and colleague’s final essay in Nature’s post-doc journal has been published this week. You can read the summary of her research and reflections on nearly a year of fieldwork studying the behavior of wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Behavior, Animal Cognition, Fieldwork, Primatology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paper wasps never forget, sort of

Posted on September 24, 2008 by

An elephant may never forget, but paper wasps (Polistes fuscatus) can remember fights with other wasps for up to a week. This is quite an accomplishment considering their brain is one-millionth the size of a human brain! P. fuscatus queens … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Behavior, Animal Cognition | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments