"Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow", But Only for Humans?

McGrew, William C.; Baehren, Lucy

doi:10.22330/heb/314/005-014

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The conclusions of this study provide the first evidence of leave-taking behaviour—orientation in the direction of parting—in a wild nonhuman population. The study offers insights into the evolutionary origins of leave taking, which could have a much deeper ancestral history than previously thought [ 7 ]. The function of this behaviour and presence in other primate species will be important in determining how it has evolved to become so prominent in modern humans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reason for this discrepancy in nonhumans remains unclear, as the behaviours have typically been considered together in humans. A handful of suggestions have been made as to why leave taking has not ‘taken off’ in the same way as greeting: it is hard to measure in animals, requiring more advanced technology to capture retrospective behaviours [ 6 ] or it may simply not exist [ 7 ]. However, other sources suggest that there may be some evidence of nonhuman leave taking, even if it is does not parallel human leave taking as greetings often do [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Yet Another Non-Unique Human Behaviour: Leave-Taking in Wild Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

Baehren

Carvalho

2022

Animals

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Leave taking is a common, possibly universal, feature of human social behaviour that has undergone very little empirical research. Although the importance remains unknown, it has been suggested to play an important role in managing separations, mitigating the risk, and increasing social bonding beyond the interaction itself. In nonhuman species, the literature is virtually absent, but identifying leave taking beyond humans may provide unique insights into the evolutionary history of this behaviour and shed light onto its proximate and ultimate function(s). Methods to study leave taking are not well-established, and the variation in definitions, measures, and control variables presented in past studies poses additional challenges. Baboons are a valuable model for investigating human behavioural evolution: as a flexible, highly adaptable, and social primate whose radiation is, similarly to humans, associated with the emergence of the African savannah biome. Using the framework and definition proposed by Baehren, we investigated the presence of leave taking in a wild, generalist primate and tested a range of candidate behaviours on prerecorded video footage: (1) self-scratching, (2) eye gaze, and (3) orientation in the direction of parting. Using multivariate analysis, controlling for interaction duration and individual variation, our results show that orientation in the direction of parting occurs predominantly before social separation events. These results indicate evidence of leave taking in a wild nonhuman population and contrast with previous ideas that this is a uniquely human behaviour. The presence of leave taking in baboons suggests a deep evolutionary history of this behaviour, warranting further investigation into its function and presence across other nonhuman primate species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yet Another Non-Unique Human Behaviour: Leave-Taking in Wild Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

Baehren

Carvalho

2022

Animals

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“…Over the years, many scholars have given credence to the possibility of chimpanzees having an awareness of death (de Waal, , ; Gallup, ; Bering, ; Boesch, ). Conversely, because they greet each other but do not communicate goodbyes, it has been contended that, at a profound cognitive level, they may lack awareness of mortality (McGrew & Baehren, ).…”

Section: Primate Thanatology: a Scattered Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

2019

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For the past two centuries, non-human primates have been reported to inspect, protect, retrieve, carry or drag the dead bodies of their conspecifics and, for nearly the same amount of time, sparse scientific attention has been paid to such behaviours. Given that there exists a considerable gap in the fossil and archaeological record concerning how early hominins might have interacted with their dead, extant primates may provide valuable insight into how and in which contexts thanatological behaviours would have occurred. First, we outline a comprehensive history of comparative thanatology in non-human primates, from the earliest accounts to the present, uncovering the interpretations of previous researchers and their contributions to the field of primate thanatology. Many of the typical behavioural patterns towards the dead seen in the past are consistent with those observed today. Second, we review recent evidence of thanatological responses and organise it into distinct terminologies: direct interactions (physical contact with the corpse) and secondary interactions (guarding the corpse, vigils and visitations). Third, we provide a critical evaluation regarding the form and function of the behavioural and emotional aspects of these responses towards infants and adults, also comparing them with non-conspecifics. We suggest that thanatological interactions: promote a faster re-categorisation from living to dead, decrease costly vigilant/caregiving behaviours, are crucial to the management of grieving responses, update position in the group's hierarchy, and accelerate the formation of new social bonds. Fourth, we propose an integrated model of Life-Death Awareness, whereupon neural circuitry dedicated towards detecting life, i.e. the agency system (animate agency, intentional agency, mentalistic agency) works with a corresponding system that interacts with it on a decision-making level (animate/inanimate distinction, living/dead discrimination, death awareness). Theoretically, both systems are governed by specific cognitive mechanisms (perceptual categories, associative concepts and high-order reasoning, respectively). Fifth, we present an evolutionary timeline from rudimentary thanatological responses likely occurring in earlier non-human primates during the Eocene to the more elaborate mortuary practices attributed to genus Homo throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we discuss the importance of detailed reports on primate thanatology and propose several empirical avenues to shed further light on this topic. This review expands and builds upon previous attempts to evaluate the body of knowledge on this subject, providing an integrative perspective and bringing together different fields of research to detail the evolutionary, sensory/cognitive, developmental and historical/archaeological aspects of primate thanatology. Considering all these findings and given their cognitive abilities, we argue that non-human primates are capable of an implicit awareness of death.

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“…During time apart, interactions with and between others may have impacted relative rank or the strength of a social bond (Laporte and Zuberbühler 2010). Greetings offer the opportunity to clearly signal dyadic rank-relationships or social bonds after a separation, both within the dyad and to others in the vicinity (Luef and Pika 2019), and without the need for more costly strategies such as physical aggression (McGrew and Baehren 2016;Fedurek et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the occurrence and importance of greetings across primate species is well established, there is no similar body of work on leave-taking outside of humans (McGrew and Baehren 2016). Even in the very well-studied chimpanzee, there are only anecdotal descriptions (De Waal 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring greetings and leave-takings: communication during arrivals and departures by chimpanzees of the Bossou community, Guinea

et al. 2021

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"Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow", But Only for Humans?

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

Yet Another Non-Unique Human Behaviour: Leave-Taking in Wild Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

Yet Another Non-Unique Human Behaviour: Leave-Taking in Wild Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

Exploring greetings and leave-takings: communication during arrivals and departures by chimpanzees of the Bossou community, Guinea

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