Reader questions and feedback on the behavior of humans and animals. Also refer to emotional, anti-social, uncontrolled, group, mob mentality, rules, laws, motivations, addiction, anger, fear, joy, sorrow, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Behavior:
Animal Cultures
The following 2 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
Can animals be taught?
Question
November 13, 2003
The question of teaching in non-human animals is as yet unanswered. I conduct research on teaching behaviour in free-living meerkats in the southern Kalahari, and although there is some suggestive evidence that this and other species engage in directed instruction of young, it is misleading to present this as fact. I appreciate your attempts to convey fascinating areas of biology to a wider audience, but it is dishonest to oversimplify things to such an extent that you are lying. Refer to Caro and Hauser's (1992) paper in Quarterly Review of Biology for the only thorough review of the question of animal teaching. This paper presents a functional definition of teaching. As yet, there is no research on any species that can fit this definition.
Alex -
1197
Answer
I appreciate your comments.
Certainly many of the higher non-human animals learn from their parents and others in their group through observation and imitation. The adults do not "teach" in the human sense of sitting the young down and explaining things. But what would you call it when a lioness takes her young on a hunt and perhaps allows them an easy kill? If that isn't teaching, I don't know what is.
There are scientists who claim that non-human animals cannot think, reason or be taught. That may be true in some very narrow definitions of those words. In my opinion, those scientists have lost touch with reality. I think they are doing a disservice to science with such a narrow-minded and esoteric views.
In all fairness, I would be glad to publish a summary of your studies with meerkats and allow you to express your views on teaching behavior concepts.
Science fair project on cultures
Question
October 13, 2003
Hello
My name is Chrissy and i am doing a science fair project at school and i and my partner have decided to do it on animal curtures and i was hopeing you could send me some more information about other animals and their cultures.
Thank you
Chrissy
Please hurry i don't have much time.
chrissy -
814
Answer
Any animals that live together in groups or "societies" have a set of rules concerning the way they interact. This can be called their culture. If you look at a pack of wolves, they have a distinct social structure. But some vary from others. That means they have a different culture, which they may pass on to the next generation. Of course, the higher the animals the more the culture seems well defined.
Some links on Chimpanzee culture are:
http://138.251.146.69/cultures3/articles/nature1999.html
http://138.251.146.69/cultures3/articles/download/cultures.pdf
I hope that helps. Best wishes in your project.
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Answers to Readers' Questions on Behavior