altruism... in the other animals

Apr 06, 2013, 04:51 PM

6 Amazing Ways Animals Show Compassion | Mother Jones

Quote:

Consider these instances of compassion and moral behavior in mammals, all from De Waal's book:

Capuchin monkeys show clear altruistic behavior—they'll help out a fellow capuchin even when they don't have to. Consider an experiment with two capuchins in separate, adjacent cages. One of the monkeys can choose between two differently colored tokens—but importantly, the choice of a green token rewards both monkeys, whereas a red token rewards only the chooser. Sure enough, the monkey soon starts generously choosing green tokens. (Chimpanzees do the same.)
Capuchins also show a strong sense of fairness—and outrage at perceived injustice. In another experiment with a similar setup, the monkeys are fine and happy if both receive cucumber slices to eat after performing a task. But if one capuchin received a slice of cucumber and the other a grape, the "slighted" monkey violently rebels, flinging the cucumber back at the experimenter and shaking the walls of the cage.
Chimpanzees take care of their ailing and elderly—for instance, running and fetching water for an older, arthritic female.
Elephants try, using their tusks, to pick up a fellow elephant that is injured or dying. They also collaborate—for instance, two elephants will pull a rope at precisely the same time to reel in a food cart that can only be captured if they work together.
Bonobos—in whom fighting is rare, but not nonexistent—lick up blood from a biting wound they have inflicted.
In one case, a bonobo named Lody bit off the finger of a human veterinarian—an act for which he felt apparent remorse. Upon seeing the veterinarian's bandaged hand, Lody "took one glance…and went to the farthest corner of the exhibit, where he sat head down with his arms wrapped around himself." The bonobo then showed an apparent lifelong awareness of the consequences of this action. Fifteen years later, when the vet returned to the sanctuary, Lody was obsessed with looking at her hand until she held it up, showing the missing finger. "He knew," she said of the incident.

So where does morality ultimately come from? De Waal believes that empathy is fundamentally rooted in our core emotions, and that it likely evolved to support childrearing and stable group and social behavior.

lizardlady · Apr 06, 2013, 05:07 PM

Interesting article George. Thanks also for reconnecting me with Mother Jones. I used to be a subscriber.

I wonder though. How does helping an elderly member of society "support childrearing and stable group and social behavior"?

Apr 06, 2013, 05:26 PM

Maybe as a legacy/respect thing? The elderly should remain part of a stable social group. They may even help with rearing the young. I know that in gorilla society most of the group helps in caring for the younger members.

Apr 07, 2013, 08:42 AM

The Capuchin grape/cuke scenario...spite jealousy envy and such are quite human characteristics as well...why couldn't it be interpreted as that rather than 'a sense of fairness' I wonder? If some animals are capable of human-like altruistic acts...I'm sure they're subject to the negative parallels as well?

Apr 07, 2013, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuizzickleII

The Capuchin grape/cuke scenario...spite jealousy envy and such are quite human characteristics as well...why couldn't it be interpreted as that rather than 'a sense of fairness' I wonder? If some animals are capable of human-like altruistic acts...I'm sure they're subject to the negative parallels as well?

I think it might have been that pretty much. But I'm not sure it's correct to call their behavior human-like. The primates were here before humans. Maybe we are exhibiting monkey-like behavior

Apr 07, 2013, 02:37 PM

Hahaha...maybe! For clarity though our social complexities likely passed primates pretty early on. We had a strain going that really wasn't on the level of other primates even when our knuckles dragged. Good God...it's never occurred to me but I wonder if at some point way way back...when there weren't too many differences physically, [not sure if DNA would be compatible that far back...but maybe???] there was perhaps some inter-species hanky panky??? Cripes...maybe man-kinds primitive forms bred that stuff into OTHER primates? Now there's a question best kept out of late night drinking establishments...

Perhaps mans beginning was an amalgam of primate species. I haven't read up much on this stuff...seems possible...depends on compatible DNA...but back then Australopithecus [for example]...may have had the right stuff for the cute but dimmer honey across the valley. Just using Austro. for an example as he is pretty old...pretty much a primate??? Damn...I have to go read up on anthropology a little...my idea was a joke mostly but perhaps it's an accepted thought already or part of some theory or another. What did I get myself into? *grin*

Apr 07, 2013, 02:45 PM

LOL. It may have been a joke but it was something that would have been considered seriously. I've been into Neanderthal society lately. The common theory at one time was that Neanderthals were forced into extinction by the more intelligent species of man.
More recent research has shown that Neanderthals had more intelligence than was previously thought. But more interesting is that there was interbreeding and Neanderthals may have been absorbed rather than driven to extinction.
We all have Neanderthal DNA and some of that DNA was quite helpful

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altruism... in the other animals

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