Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears
the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be …

Spontaneous mimicry appears fundamental to emotional perception and contagion,
especially when it involves facial emotional expressions. Here we cover recent evidence on …

Debates about the evolution of the 'mirror neuron system'imply that it is an adaptation for
action understanding. Alternatively, mirror neurons may be a byproduct of associative …

Primates communicate with each other using a wide range of signals: olfactory signals to
mark territories, screams to recruit help while fighting, gestures to request food and facial …

Davila-Ross, M., Allcock, B., Thomas, C., and Bard, KA 2011. Aping expressions?
Chimpanzees produce distinct laugh types when responding to laughter of others. Emotion …

Humans favor others seen as similar to themselves (ingroup) over people seen as different
(outgroup), even without explicitly stated bias. Ingroup-outgroup bias extends to involuntary …

Yawn contagion in humans has been proposed to be related to our capacity for empathy. It
is presently unclear whether this capacity is uniquely human or shared with other primates …

The aim of this review is to discuss recent arguments and findings in the comparative study
of empathy. Based on a multidisciplinary approach including psychology and ethology, we …

The ability to share others' emotions, or empathy, is crucial for complex social interactions.
Clinical, psychological, and neurobiological clues suggest a link between yawn contagion …

In humans, the susceptibility to yawn contagion has been theoretically and empirically
related to our capacity for empathy. Because of its relevance to evolutionary biology, this …