Knowing when to fight and when to flee is a big part of many animal societies, including our own.
Knowing when to fight and when to flee is a big part of many animal societies, including our own.
University of Cincinnati biologist Elizabeth Hobson says some animals make the call based on a sophisticated understanding of social standing and their place in it.
“We have a phrase: Choose your battles wisely. Animals do that. People do that,” said Hobson, an assistant professor in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.
In a new article published in the journal Current Opinion in Psychology, Hobson says some animals seem to understand where they fit in a dominance hierarchy and pick their fights accordingly. This high-level social information helps animals improve or maintain their status.
Read more at University of Cincinnati
Image: UC biologist Elizabeth Hobson, right, and UC postdoctoral researcher Annemarie van der Marel mark a monk parakeet for identification. (Credit: UC)
