An interesting article on altruistic behaviour in rats:
Quote:
Rats that benefit from the charity of others are more likely to help strangers get a free meal, researchers have found.
This phenomenon, known as 'generalized reciprocity', has only ever been seen before in humans. A good example, says Michael Taborsky of the University of Bern, Switzerland, is what happens when someone finds money in a phone box. In controlled experiments such people have been shown to be much more likely to help out a stranger in need following their good luck.
[ ...... ]
Taborsky believes this behaviour isn't confined to just rats and humans. "I'm convinced generalized reciprocity will be very widespread and found in many different animal species, as our study suggests that an underlying evolutionary mechanism is responsible."
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To be honest, i would be surprised it this behaviour
wasn't found in many animal species, but to explain what "underlying evolutionary mechanism" could possibly lead one to help an unrelated stranger is going to take some very fast talking indeed.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/0707.../070702-4.html
3rd July 2007, 09:40 AM
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