We already knew that yawning is contagious. However, a group of researchers from the University of Pisa has discovered that lions, like people, cannot help but yawn when they see another of their kind do it. Furthermore, in their research, scientists have described what they learned about the practice of yawning in lions, especially when found in the wild. The results of this research have been published in the journal Animal Behavior.
Why do lions yawn?
In previous research, scientists have been able to show that animals, like people, yawn. Yawning increases blood flow to the head, which oxygenates and cools the brain. This allows humans and some animals to be more alert. Likewise, in other investigations it has also been concluded that many animals experience the contagion of yawning. That is, when they see another person or animal yawn, they feel the need to yawn and do it themselves.
Yawning, a means of group surveillance
However, researchers now believe that yawning may play a different role in some animals. The scientists, who traveled to Africa to conduct the study, found that if a lion mimicked the behavior of yawning, it would soon afterward mimic another behavior. For example, if a lion yawned, it was quite likely that another lion would as well. However, if the first lion got up and walked a short distance, then the same lion that had mimicked the yawn would also get up and walk a very similar distance.
This is because, according to the researchers, yawning could be a means to boost group vigilance in animals living in a cooperative environment. Thanks to collective work, lions have more opportunities to find food, detect dangers and therefore survive in the wild.
