Self-recognition in an Asian elephant. Export

@article{citeulike:989976, abstract = {Considered an indicator of self-awareness, mirror self-recognition (MSR) has long seemed limited to humans and apes. In both phylogeny and human ontogeny, MSR is thought to correlate with higher forms of empathy and altruistic behavior. Apart from humans and apes, dolphins and elephants are also known for such capacities. After the recent discovery of MSR in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), elephants thus were the next logical candidate species. We exposed three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to a large mirror to investigate their responses. Animals that possess MSR typically progress through four stages of behavior when facing a mirror: (i) social responses, (ii) physical inspection (e.g., looking behind the mirror), (iii) repetitive mirror-testing behavior, and (iv) realization of seeing themselves. Visible marks and invisible sham-marks were applied to the elephants' heads to test whether they would pass the litmus "mark test" for MSR in which an individual spontaneously uses a mirror to touch an otherwise imperceptible mark on its own body. Here, we report a successful MSR elephant study and report striking parallels in the progression of responses to mirrors among apes, dolphins, and elephants. These parallels suggest convergent cognitive evolution most likely related to complex sociality and cooperation.}, address = {Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Department of Psychology, Emory University, 532 North Kligo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.}, author = {Plotnik, J. M. and de Waal, F. B. and Reiss, D.}, citeulike-article-id = {989976}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0608062103}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.pnas.org/content/103/45/17053.abstract}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://www.pnas.org/content/103/45/17053.full.pdf}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17075063}, citeulike-linkout-4 = {http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=17075063}, day = {7}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.0608062103}, issn = {0027-8424}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, keywords = {animal, cognition, elephant, mirror, psy97, self, theory\_of\_mind}, month = {November}, number = {45}, pages = {17053--17057}, posted-at = {2006-12-12 17:22:04}, priority = {2}, title = {Self-recognition in an Asian elephant.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0608062103}, volume = {103}, year = {2006} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:989976 L3 - citeulike-article-id:989976 N2 - Considered an indicator of self-awareness, mirror self-recognition (MSR) has long seemed limited to humans and apes. In both phylogeny and human ontogeny, MSR is thought to correlate with higher forms of empathy and altruistic behavior. Apart from humans and apes, dolphins and elephants are also known for such capacities. After the recent discovery of MSR in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), elephants thus were the next logical candidate species. We exposed three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to a large mirror to investigate their responses. Animals that possess MSR typically progress through four stages of behavior when facing a mirror: (i) social responses, (ii) physical inspection (e.g., looking behind the mirror), (iii) repetitive mirror-testing behavior, and (iv) realization of seeing themselves. Visible marks and invisible sham-marks were applied to the elephants' heads to test whether they would pass the litmus "mark test" for MSR in which an individual spontaneously uses a mirror to touch an otherwise imperceptible mark on its own body. Here, we report a successful MSR elephant study and report striking parallels in the progression of responses to mirrors among apes, dolphins, and elephants. These parallels suggest convergent cognitive evolution most likely related to complex sociality and cooperation. IS - 45 JF - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A SN - 0027-8424 AD - Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Department of Psychology, Emory University, 532 North Kligo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. EP - 17057 TI - Self-recognition in an Asian elephant. VL - 103 SP - 17053 KW - animal KW - cognition KW - elephant KW - mirror KW - psy97 KW - self KW - theory_of_mind AU - Plotnik, JM AU - de Waal, FB AU - Reiss, D PY - 2006/11/07/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0608062103 ER -