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Goats display audience-dependent human-directed gazing behaviour in a problem-solving task
Goats might not seem like the most cuddly animals, but researchers have found evidence that goats are as clever as dogs, and just as capable of building emotional relationships with humans as all the other domesticated animals we've let into our hearts and homes. The 2016 study showed that goats stare intensely at their owner when they're struggling to complete a task - a trait that's also observed in domesticated dogs, but not wolves.
[...] "From our earlier research, we already know that goats are smarter than their reputation suggests," said one of the researchers Alan McElligott. "But these results show how they can communicate and interact with their human handlers even though they were not domesticated as pets or working animals."
Not only does that suggest goats have the potential to be awesome and loving sidekicks, just like dogs, it also indicates that living alongside humans for tens of thousands of years - regardless of whether they're companion animals or not - might have a bigger impact on species than we expected.
Goats display audience-dependent human-directed gazing behaviour in a problem-solving task (open, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0283) (DX)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by frojack on Monday July 02 2018, @07:27PM (3 children)
Animals watch what is watching them, especially if one animal is perceived to be dangerous to the other. So do humans.
Encountering two bears, one watching you intently, one ignoring you (back turned), which one would you keep your eyes on?
Walking a trail yesterday, I came upon a deer, maybe 25 feet away. It froze, watching me, I stopped and watched it. Both animals (me and deer) same behavior. Would we make good pets for each other? Or do animals naturally watch a source of potential danger? I didn't feel threatened, deer didn't instantly run.
Situation persisted long enough for me to slowly take out my phone and take a few pictures.
I turned my back for a couple seconds, to get the sun light off of the phone's screen, and when I looked again the deer was gone. Silently.
It was clearly just self preservation at play here.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @07:58PM
The one with his back turned, obviously. I would suspect him of hiding the fact that he was texting his friends to sneak up behind me, or loading a gun.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @12:32AM
Course not. The deer won't make a good pet for you.
I don't know about the reverse, the IQ of that deer may be high enough to make it a good idea.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:13AM
My own pet frojack? I will call him "Squishy" and he shall be my squishy!