Ravens console each other after fights

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study investigating the behavior of ravens has found strong evidence that after conflicts bystanders appear to console and relieve the distress of victims with whom they have a relationship, and that ...

Animal aggression depends on rank within social hierarchies

Humans and animals alike constantly size up one another. In the workplace, a new employee quickly learns which coworkers are the most respected—and therefore hold more power. Big brothers boss around little brothers. In ...

The brains of birds synchronize when they sing duets

When a male or female white-browed sparrow-weaver begins its song, its partner joins in at a certain time. They duet with each other by singing in turn and precisely in tune. A team led by researchers from the Max Planck ...

Ravens understand the relations among others

Like many social mammals, ravens form different types of social relationships – they may be friends, kin, or partners and they also form strict dominance relations. From a cognitive perspective, understanding one's own ...

Power struggles are best kept out of the public eye

For animals, prevailing in a fight affects their likelihood of winning future conflicts. The opposite is true of losing a fight. The sex hormone testosterone is often believed to mediate this "winner effect". Researchers ...

Bull elephants' social behavior varies with the rainfall

(PhysOrg.com) -- The lone bull elephant is an image as iconic to the African savanna as the lonesome cowboy on horseback is to the American West. Although female elephants form tightly knit groups guided by a matriarch, ...

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