Experimental evidence of contagious yawning in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

TitelExperimental evidence of contagious yawning in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)
MedientypJournal Article
Jahr der Veröffentlichung2015
AutorenGallup, A. C., L. Swartwood, J. Militello, and S. Sackett
JournalAnimal Cognition
Volume18
Seitennummerierung1051–1058
ISSN1435-9456
Zusammenfassung

Experimental evidence of contagious yawning has only been documented in four mammalian species. Here, we report the results from two separate experimental studies designed to investigate the presence of contagious yawning in a social parrot, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). In Study 1, birds were paired in adjacent cages with and without visual barriers, and the temporal association of yawning was assessed between visual conditions. In Study 2, the same birds were exposed to video stimuli of both conspecific yawns and control behavior, and yawning frequency was compared between conditions. Results from both studies demonstrate that yawning is contagious. To date, this is the first experimental evidence of contagious yawning in a non-mammalian species. We propose that future research could use budgerigars to explore questions related to basic forms of empathic processing.

URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-015-0873-1
DOI10.1007/s10071-015-0873-1



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