The evolution of two types of play

Abstract

Play is an important and understudied class of phenomena that likely serves a critical role in the ontogeny and maintenance of fitness-enhancing behaviors. Many species exhibit little or no play. Among those animals that do play, some exhibit only very simple forms, while others engage in complex play both solitarily and socially. Likewise, some animals play only as juveniles, while others continue to play as adults. We propose a general framework to explain interspecies variation in the evolution and emergence of simple vs. complex forms of play, supported by both a review of the empirical evidence and a novel mathematical model. The emergence of play requires that initial investment returns benefits that sufficiently compensate the opportunity costs associated with simple play. The subsequent evolution of complex play depends upon the interplay of several life-history factors related to the benefits, costs, and time course of play investment. We conclude with implications for understanding the evolution of play across the animal kingdom.

Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds

“…An interesting paper by Smaldino et al 102 examines how complexity in play behaviour (i.e. in social play) interacts with behavioural variation and socio-cognitive demands.…”

Where do we stand with the covariation framework in primate societies?

“…Acknowledging the existence of linkages between traits opens the door to a range of alternative explanations to interpretations based on the direct action of natural selection. For example, it is generally thought that play promotes skill development (Burghardt, 2005; Fagen, 1981), and that the form of social play is an adaptation to the species‐specific social system (Beltrán Francés et al, 2020; Smaldino et al, 2019). Since the experience gained through play can help to manage future situations, it is reasonable to assume that the drive to play is under strong selective pressure.…”

Practice does not make perfect: Juvenile object play does not improve the predation skills of adult mink in “simulated prey” tests

“…It is also typically categorized into one of three subtypes: (1) play involving an inanimate object (“object play”); (2) play involving movement of the individual's own body (“locomotor play”); and (3) play involving the participation of a conspecific (“social play”; Fagen, 1981). Given the diversity of species that play and their distant relationships, in addition to the absence of play in other species and the heterogeneity of subtypes among those species that do play, some have suggested that play may have evolved repeatedly in independent lineages (e.g., Auerbach et al., 2015; Pellis et al., 2015; Smaldino et al., 2019). Play is not without costs, particularly in terms of energy (e.g., Miller & Byers, 1991) and increased risks of injury or predation (e.g., Harcourt, 1991).…”