Contagious yawning in geladas

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 to indicate drowsiness or stress; (iii) a way to maintain vigilance/promote alertness among animals 2. [...]

A year (almost) in the field

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 the chilly highlands of Ethiopia by following this link.

Paper wasps never forget, sort of

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 share nests with other queens, after establishing social dominance relationships through aggressive contests. Likewise, it [...]