A5079910550- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Face Recognition and Perception
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Scientific Computing and Data Management
- Museums and Cultural Heritage
- Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity
- Diverse academic and cultural studies
- Mobile Crowdsensing and Crowdsourcing
- Community Health and Development
- Phytochemistry and Biological Activities
University of Turin
2018-2025
Accademia Albertina delle Belle Arti
2018-2025
University of Pisa
2012-2022
University of California, San Diego
2021
Natural History Museum Aarhus
2019
Google (United States)
2017
Fondazione Stella Maris
2016
Museo Galileo
2008-2014
Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "Alessandro Faedo"
2009
The ability to share others' emotions, or empathy, is crucial for complex social interactions. Clinical, psychological, and neurobiological clues suggest a link between yawn contagion empathy in humans (Homo sapiens). However, no behavioral evidence has been provided so far. We tested the effect of different variables (e.g., country origin, sex, characteristics) on by running mixed models applied observational data collected over 1 year adult (>16 years old) human subjects. Only bonding...
Post-conflict third-party affiliation has been reported to have different functional meanings, one of them being consolation. Here, we tested the main hypotheses that put forth explain presence this phenomenon at a level in bonobo: Self-Protection Hypothesis, Victim-Protection Relationship-Repair or Substitute for Reconciliation and Consolation Hypothesis. By analyzing data collected over 10 years, investigated what factors affected distribution both spontaneous third party (initiated by...
In humans and apes, yawn contagion echoes emotional contagion, the basal layer of empathy. Hence, is a unique tool to compare empathy across species. If are most empathic animal species, they should show highest response also at level contagion. We gathered data on in (Homo sapiens) bonobos (Pan paniscus) by applying same observational paradigm identical operational definitions. selected naturalistic approach because experimental management practices can produce different psychological...
Abstract Rapid facial mimicry (RFM), the rapid and automatic replication of expression perceived, is considered a basic form empathy was investigated mainly during play. RFM occurs in Catarrhini (Old World primates), but it not still demonstrated Platyrrhini (New primates). For this reason, we collected video data on playful interactions ( N play_interactions = 149) three species spider monkeys Ateles fusciceps — 11, hybridus 14, paniscus 6) housed at La Vallée des Singes ZooParc de Beauval...
Abstract In social groups, competition for individual advantage is balanced with cooperation, the collective benefit. Selection against aggression has favored cooperation and non-aggressive competitive strategies. Because play a behavioral system that fluctuates between competition, selection might have especially influenced this behavior. African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) are low aggressive species, therefore suitable to investigate aspect. We collected all occurrences...
Background The ecological factors contributing to the evolution of tropical vertebrate communities are still poorly understood. Primate Americas have fewer folivorous but more frugivorous genera than regions Old World and especially many Madagascar. Reasons for this phenomenon largely unexplored. We developed hypothesis that Neotropical fruits higher protein concentrations from Madagascar representation in Neotropics is linked high fruits. Low fruit would restrict frugivores Malagasy...
The power of play in limiting xenophobia is a well-known phenomenon humans. Yet, the evidence social animals remains meager. Here, we aim to determine whether promotes tolerance toward strangers one most basal group primates, strepsirhines. We observed two groups wild lemurs (Propithecus verreauxi, Verreaux's sifaka) during mating season. Data were also collected on nine visiting, outgroup males. compared distribution play, grooming, and aggressive interactions across three conditions: OUT...
Play fighting, a common form of mammalian play, can escalate into aggression if playful motivation is misinterpreted and not shared by players.In primates, facial expressions mimicry be performed to signal share motivation.Here we compare play (Play Face, PF: lower teeth exposed; Full FPF: upper exposed) their in captive chimpanzees lowland gorillas, during fighting.These two species have different social dynamics, with cohesion being -and possibly riskier -in gorillas than chimpanzees.Thus,...
Contagious yawning differs from spontaneous because it occurs when an individual yawns in response to someone else's yawn. In Homo sapiens and some non-human primates contagious is higher between strongly than weakly bonded individuals. Up date, still unclear whether this social asymmetry underlies emotional contagion (a basic form of empathy preferentially involving familiar individuals) as predicted by the Emotional Bias Hypothesis (EBH) or linked a top-down, selective visual attention...
ABSTRACT It is under debate whether intersubjectivity—the capacity to experience a sense of togetherness around an action—is unique humans. In humans, heavy tickling—a repeated body probing play that causes automatic response including uncontrollable laughter (gargalesis)—has been linked the emergence intersubjectivity as it aimed at making others laugh (self‐generated responses are inhibited), often asymmetrical (older younger subjects), and elicits agent‐dependent (pleasant/unpleasant...
Naturalistic observations of conflict events documented that, similarly to nonhuman primates, human bystanders take an active role in managing the negative consequences conflicts.However, although primates it has been suggested that conflicts increase social tension by turn affecting their propensity, humans there is still lack evidence. By applying observational methods from primatology, we conducted video analysis streets fights recorded surveillance cameras public spaces Amsterdam order...
Abstract Automatic behavioral matching includes Rapid Facial Mimicry (RFM) and Yawn Contagion (YC) that occur when the facial expression of an individual acts as a ‘mirror social releaser’ induces same in observer (within 1 s for RFM, minutes YC). Motor replication has been linked to coordination emotional contagion, basic form empathy. We investigated presence modulating factors Smile (RSM) YC infants/toddlers from 10 36 months at nursery ‘Melis’ (Turin, Italy). In February-May 2022, we...
Abstract Urine marking has been neglected in prosimian primates. Captive studies showed that the Malagasy Lemur catta scent marks with urine, as well via specialized depositions. L. urine mark, a multimodal signal, differs from simple urination terms of different design features, including tail configuration: is held up during (UT‐up) and down (UT‐down). We explore economy function UT‐up female dominant . collected 240 h observations on one group at Berenty (south Madagascar) nonmating...
Play behaviour reinforces social affiliation in several primate species, including humans. Via a comparative approach, we tested the hypothesis that play dynamics group of lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are different from those chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as reflection their difference and agonistic support. We selected one chimpanzees, hosted at ZooParc de Beauval (France), managed similar way living enclosures. The same observers video-collected analysed data on both groups,...
Abstract Contrary to spontaneous yawning—an ancient phenomenon common vertebrates—contagious yawning (elicited by others’ yawns) has been found only in highly social species and may reflect an emotional inter-individual connection. We investigated yawn contagion the domestic pig, Sus scrofa . Owing complex socio-emotional cognitive abilities of , we posited that could be present this (Prediction 1) influenced individual/social factors 2). In June-November 2018, on 104 semi-free ranging...
Abstract In primates, yawn contagion (the yawning response elicited by others' yawn) is variably influenced individual (e.g., sex, age) and social factors familiarity) possibly linked to interindividual synchronization, coordination, emotional contagion. Two out of three studies on in bonobos ( Pan paniscus ), found the presence phenomenon with mixed results concerning effect familiarity no replication its modulating factors. To address this puzzling issue, we recorded all occurrences data a...
The scratching–stress linkage has been demonstrated in monkeys and apes but never strepsirrhines, either the wild or captivity. We analysed data collected on a 14-animal group of Eulemur fulvus Berenty forest (South Madagascar, March–July 2008). applied protocol (same weather conditions, time slot, social/activity context, quadrat, subgroup formation) involving four under which we recorded scratching response: predation attempt, reconciled conflict, non-reconciled control. found that remains...
Dominance hierarchy influences the life quality of social animals, and its definition should in principle be based on outcome agonistic interactions. However, defining comparing dominance profile groups is difficult due to different measures used because no one measure explains it all. We applied analytical methods winner-loser sociomatrices determine five wild lemurs (species: Lemur catta, Propithecus verreauxi, Eulemur rufus x collaris) from Berenty forest (Madagascar). They are an...
Psychological, clinical and neurobiological findings endorse that empathic abilities are more developed in women than men. Because there is growing evidence yawn contagion an empathy-based phenomenon, we expect the female bias reflects on a gender skew responsiveness to others' yawns. We verified this assumption by applying linear model dataset gathered during 5 year period of naturalistic observations humans. Gender, age social bond were included analysis as fixed factors. The receiver's...
Play signals are commonly used by animals to communicate their playful motivation and limit the risk that rough acts misunderstood playmates. The relaxed open mouth is most common facial expression performed during play in many mammals represents ritualized version of movement anticipating a bite. signaling nature this has been proven haplorrhine species but never demonstrated strepsirrhines. Our purpose was assessing whether, also strepsirrhines, an actual communicative function. We studied...
Abstract The uneven representation of frugivorous mammals and birds across tropical regions – high in the New World, low Madagascar intermediate Africa Asia represents a long-standing enigma ecology. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain these differences but ultimate drivers remain unclear. Here, we tested hypothesis that fruits contain insufficient nitrogen meet primate metabolic requirements, thus constraining evolution frugivory. We performed global analysis consumed by...