Does it correlate with intelligence? Crows are clever. Cetaceans, too, and they are known for play. If play is useful in childhood to facilitate learning, individuals who play as adults should be selected for to the extent that continued learning in adulthood is useful to reproductive success. We know it’s fun for children to play. The physiology of its funitude may be co-opted into adulthood, much in the way the physiology of parental bonds has been co-opted into non-related pair bonding.
Do adult crows and otters play just as much as young crows and otters? Or does it drop off, but not as much as in other species?
Does it correlate with intelligence? Crows are clever. Cetaceans, too, and they are known for play. If play is useful in childhood to facilitate learning, individuals who play as adults should be selected for to the extent that continued learning in adulthood is useful to reproductive success. We know it’s fun for children to play. The physiology of its funitude may be co-opted into adulthood, much in the way the physiology of parental bonds has been co-opted into non-related pair bonding.
Do adult crows and otters play just as much as young crows and otters? Or does it drop off, but not as much as in other species?