Joint attention skills in wild Arabian babblers ( Turdoides squamiceps): a consequence of cooperative breeding?

ABSTRACT: Human cooperation strongly relies on the ability of interlocutors to coordinate each other's attentional state: joint attention. One predominant hypothesis postulates that this hallmark of the unique cognitive system of humans evolved due to the combination of an ape-like cognitive system and the prosocial motives that facilitate cooperative breeding. Here, we tested this hypothesis by investigating communicative interactions of a cooperatively breeding bird species, the Arabian babbler ( Turdoides squamiceps). The behaviour of 12 wild social groups was observed focusing on two distinct communicative behaviours: object presentation and babbler walk. The results showed that both behaviours fulfilled the criteria for first-order intentional communication and involved co-orientation of recipi

SUBMITTER: Ben Mocha Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6501685 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature