Contagious yawning in African painted dogs

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Animal Behavior
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Contagious yawning (CY) is a behavior observed in social species, suggesting a link to sociality.
• The social communication hypothesis posits that CY facilitates social bonding and empathy.
• Previous research has primarily focused on primates and other mammals, necessitating broader species investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of contagious yawning in African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus), a highly social canine species.
• To determine if contagious yawning in this species is influenced by factors such as yawn detectability and proximity.
• To provide further evidence for the social communication hypothesis of contagious yawning.

Main Methods:

• Observation and recording of 1387 yawn events from 10 captive African painted dogs in five pairs.
• Temporal analysis of yawn sequences to identify contagious yawning following spontaneous yawns (SYs).
• Statistical analysis to assess the influence of yawn detectability (visibility, proximity) and time spent together on CY occurrence.

Main Results:

• Contagious yawning was confirmed in African painted dogs, with subsequent yawns frequently occurring within 15-30 seconds of spontaneous yawns.
• SYs that were visible or performed in close proximity were more likely to elicit CY.
• The proportion of CY positively correlated with the time spent in physical proximity, indicating a link to social bonding.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first evidence of contagious yawning in African painted dogs, reinforcing its prevalence in social species.
• The findings support the social communication hypothesis, suggesting CY plays a role in maintaining social cohesion in canids.
• The results highlight the importance of using appropriate temporal windows for defining and analyzing yawn contagion to avoid misattribution.