Chimpanzees Display Mirror-like Yawning Response to a Robotic Yawn

Headline: Chimps Catch Yawns from a Robot: A New Approach to Rest Cues

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at St. George's University of London have found that chimpanzees can 'catch' yawns from an android imitating human facial expressions, suggesting that yawns may serve as more than just social reflexes. This study is the first of its kind, as it shows yawn contagion in response to an inanimate model, opening new doors for understanding empathy and non-verbal communication across species.

The researchers, led by Dr Ramiro Joly-Mascheroni, tested the responses of 14 adult chimpanzees aged between 10 and 33 years at the Fundació Mona Primate Sanctuary in Spain. They used an android head that could simulate facial expressions - 'yawning', 'gaping', and 'neutral' - with each facial movement lasting 10 seconds. The results were astounding: chimpanzees displayed contagious yawning in response to the android's 'yawn,' indicating a sensitivity to the width of the robot's mouth opening.

Interestingly, adult chimpanzees also gathered bedding and lay down only during the yawning condition, suggesting a deeper behavioral link between yawning and rest. This finding implies that yawns may act as a cue to rest rather than simply triggering an automatic response.

While the evolutionary origins of yawning and yawn contagion are still largely unknown, this study shows that chimpanzees are sensitive to facial expressions, even from an inanimate model like an android. This sensitivity, combined with the graded response to different expressions, highlights their perceptual abilities and adaptability to various stimuli.

In an interview, Dr Joly-Mascheroni explained that while the primary functions of yawning remain elusive, yawning may have an old, non-verbal communicative role, and its contagious aspect could help us better understand how humans and animals developed ways of communication and social interaction.

More research is needed to uncover the mechanics behind this response and to determine if other actions performed by robots or artificial agents are contagious to animals and how similar they are to the response in humans.

This exciting advancement is just the tip of the iceberg, shedding light on non-verbal communication and the evolution of empathy across species. As technology continues to advance, studies like this one will help us better understand the ways in which both humans and animals interact and communicate, paving the way for a deeper understanding of social cognition and behavior.

Notes:- Contagious Yawning: Chimpanzees yawned in response to the android's yawning expression, indicating that they can catch yawns from an artificial agent.- Restful Behavior: Beyond yawning, chimps also exhibited restful behaviors like gathering bedding and lying down, suggesting that yawning acts as a rest cue.- Graded Response: The strength of the yawning response in chimps was influenced by the extent of the robot's mouth opening, showing perceptual sensitivity.- Implications for Empathy and Non-Verbal Communication: This research highlights the potential role of social factors in shaping yawn contagion, providing new insights into the evolution of empathy and non-verbal communication across species.

This groundbreaking study in neuroscience news sheds light on the field of robotics, as it demonstrates a new approach to rest cues, as chimpanzees display contagious yawning in response to an android's yawning expression.
The implications of this research extend to the realm of psychology, as it suggests that yawns may act as cues to rest and hints at the evolution of empathy and non-verbal communication across species.
In the realm of fitness-and-exercise and health-and-wellness, the study reveals that adult chimpanzees exhibited restful behaviors, like gathering bedding and lying down, in response to the yawning condition, implying a deeper behavioral link between yawning and rest.
The findings of this research contribute to the science field by confirming that chimpanzees are sensitive to facial expressions, even from an inanimate model like an android, demonstrating their adaptability to various stimuli, which can be closely related to the study of artificial intelligence.
As technology advances, further studies on contagious yawning in response to robots or artificial agents could uncover fascinating insights into the mechanics behind this response and shed light on the similarities and differences in social cognition and behavior between humans and animals.