Although play fighting has been studied for over a century in both human and non-human animals, quantitative data on marine mammals are still scarce. Here,
Play behaviour reinforces social affiliation in several primate species, including humans. Via a comparative approach, we tested the hypothesis that play dynamics in a group
The primate play-face is homologous to the human facial display accompanying laughter. Through facial mimicry, the play-face evokes in the perceiver a similar positive emotional
Due to their playful propensity, dogs are a good model to test some hypotheses about play dynamics (length, asymmetry, features of players) and communication (play
Several studies have suggested that primates vary in their response to spatial reduction, which represents a challenge for captive animals. Under spatial reduction, primates can
The power of play in limiting xenophobia is a well-known phenomenon in humans. Yet, the evidence in social animals remains meager. Here, we aim to
play fighting, a common form of mammalian play, can escalate into aggression if playful motivation is misinterpreted and not shared by players. In primates, playful
Here, we provide quantitative data concerning adult and immature play distribution in geladas discussing the results in the light of their social dynamics. Sex differences
Darwin (1872), in The expression of emotions in man and animals, underlined that human facial expressions represent a shared heritage of our species with nonhuman
Visual signals convey emotions and intentions between individuals. Darwin underlined that human facial expressions represent a shared heritage between our species and many other social
Psychological, clinical and neurobiological findings endorse that empathic abilities are more developed in women than in men. Because there is growing evidence that yawn contagion
In canids, play dynamics seem to be more affected by dominance hierarchy rather than cooperative social bonds. To test this hypothesis we studied a colony
Post-conflict affiliation is a mechanism favored by natural selection to manage conflicts in animal groups thus avoiding group disruption. Triadic affiliation towards the victim can
The nature of emotions has been long debated in philosophy and science, especially with respect of whether intentions or, alternatively, emotions have a leading role
Introduction to the paper: In primates, playful interactions are often accompanied by specific facial expressions (van Hooff and Preuschoft, 2003). In the great apes, these
Evidence for the anticipation of competition at feeding time has been previously documented in both Pan species. Chimpanzees seem to cope with competitive tendency through
Gestures and facial displays are involved in regulating many aspects of mammal social life such as aggression, dominance-subordinate relationships, appeasement and play. Playful activity is
One of the most productive behavioural domains to study visual communication in mammals is social play. The ability to manage play fighting interactions can favour
Most theories on the function of play have focused on ultimate rather than proximate benefits. Play peaks during juvenility but, in some species, it is
Fine-tuning communication is well documented in mammalian social play which relies on a large variety of specific and non-specific signals. Facial expressions are one of
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