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2017 ; 5
(ä): e3459
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African penguins follow the gaze direction of conspecifics
#MMPMID28626619
Nawroth C
; Trincas E
; Favaro L
PeerJ
2017[]; 5
(ä): e3459
PMID28626619
show ga
Gaze following is widespread among animals. However, the corresponding ultimate
functions may vary substantially. Thus, it is important to study previously
understudied (or less studied) species to develop a better understanding of the
ecological contexts that foster certain cognitive traits. Penguins (Family
Spheniscidae), despite their wide interspecies ecological variation, have
previously not been considered for cross-species comparisons. Penguin behaviour
and communication have been investigated over the last decades, but less is known
on how groups are structured, social hierarchies are established, and
coordination for hunting and predator avoidance may occur. In this article, we
investigated how African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) respond to gaze cues of
conspecifics using a naturalistic setup in a zoo environment. Our results provide
evidence that members of the family Spheniscidae follow gaze of conspecifics into
distant space. However, further tests are necessary to examine if the observed
behaviour serves solely one specific function (e.g. predator detection) or is
displayed in a broader context (e.g. eavesdropping on relevant stimuli in the
environment). In addition, our findings can serve as a starting point for future
cross-species comparisons with other members of the penguin family, to further
explore the role of aerial predation and social structure on gaze following in
social species. Overall, we also suggest that zoo-housed animals represent an
ideal opportunity to extend species range and to test phylogenetic families that
have not been in the focus of animal cognitive research.