Scent, Sight and Smarts in Asian Elephants: Another Case for Convergent Cognitive Evolution?

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• Joshua Plotnick (Dept. Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge. Head of Elephant Research, Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Anantara Golden Triangle, Chiang Saen, Thailand. President, Think Elephants International, Inc., New York)
• Wednesday 25 April 2012, 12:30-13:30
• Library, Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, Madingley.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Diane Pearce.

Elephants present an interesting case for the study of the evolution of intelligence, as they are a highly appreciated yet highly understudied species. They are well-known for their complex social behavior and their well-adapted capacity for intraspecific communication, but due to their sheer size and the difficulty of testing them experimentally, little is known about their cognition. Here, I present a group of studies, both observational and experimental, aimed at better understanding elephant social cognition. Elephants demonstrate mirror self-recognition, a propensity toward partner-driven cooperation and attention directed at conspecifics in distress, suggesting they are strong candidates for the study of convergent cognitive evolution.

This talk is part of the Madingley Lunchtime Seminars series.

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• Library, Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, Madingley

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