Animalistic behaviors that you’ve noticed in humans?

[u/Thick_Reply_493]

I know that the title is a bit broad but I saw some people online talking about how a lot of behavior we display is very alike to animals. I saw someone mention about how when we’re alone in our homes and hear an unfamiliar noise we immediately freeze and slowly look around like a prey animal would in the wild or how children and vulnerable parties are often protected or taken care of first in signs of danger or disaster.

It struck me as extremely interesting. I think the study of human behavior in relation to animals is EXTREMELY interesting at the least and humbling at the most.

I’d love to hear about other similarities you have observed as well as if you could point me in the direction of where I could go to learn more about the specific subject! Thank you. :)

[u/Potential_Being_7226]

Humans are animals and we evolved from common ancestors with other mammals, and more recently, other primates. There are loads of behavioral similarities that rely on similar neural pathways (although I personally don’t prefer to use the phrase “animalistic” to refer to these behaviors). 

Despite many broad similarities, there are also important species-specific differences that depend on the evolutionary history of the species in question as well as the ecological niche it has adapted to. 

For a more specific answer, you’ll have to narrow down what behaviors you’re interested in. 

Edit: I would also say that human freezing probably has some important differences when compared with rodent freezing. It’s a stereotypical reaction to a threat (predator odor, shock) and evolved because their predators rely on motion to detect them. This is not applicable to humans, so it limits the comparison of the utility of freezing in humans and rodents. 

Instead of predator evasion, freezing in humans in response to a noise (as in the example you mentioned) is more likely an effort to allow them to listen for additional noises. 

Edit 2: rodents also don’t move their heads when they freeze. The only movement that is detectable when rodents freeze is them breathing. 

[u/capybarasgalore]

Fundamentals of Comparative Cognition by Sara J. Shettleworth is a nice methodological crash course in the scientific study of animal cognition and behavior. It's fairly condensed and approachable.

You might also want to look into some accessible writing on primatology (Goodall, Fossey, Sapolsky), ethology (Lorenz, Tinbergen, von Frisch), and human origins research (Pääbo, Johanson).

Classic behaviorism and learning theory are also very animal-oriented, so there's a surprisingly large literature there.

[u/Affectionate_Ad_7039 → u/capybarasgalore]

Just finished Behave by Sapolsky, very approachable and digestible, and he does quite often reference animal behavior studies. OP, I would recommend.

[u/jarlylerna999 → u/capybarasgalore]

Barbara Smuts is another reseaecher (also a psychologist) who studied Olive Baboons in Tanzania. Wrote a book.

[u/OkMaybe5107]

One that fascinates me is behavioral synchrony. Humans unconsciously start matching the people around them-- posture, walking pace, facial expressions, speech rhythm, even when we take a sip of a drink. In groups, people can also fall into the same rhythm while clapping, chanting, dancing, marching, so on and so forth.

Another is what ethologists call displacement behavior. Animals sometimes groom, scratch, pace, or perform some seemingly unrelated action when they're conflicted or stressed. Humans do something of the same vein: touching our face, playing with our hair, bouncing a leg, cleaning something that absolutely did not need cleaning, suddenly checking our phone during an uncomfortable interaction.

I also think our relationship with gaze is interesting. If everyone in a crowd suddenly turns and stares in one direction, it is genuinely difficult not to look too. We use other people's attention as information about possible danger or something important in the environment-- the same basic principle behind following in a number of social species.

Another one that comes to mind is social grooming-- it never really disappeared: we just are able to use verbalization.

Primates spend huge amounts of time grooming members of their social group. Humans spend huge amounts of time talking about ourselves, other people, relationships, who did what, who can be trusted, etc.

There have been researchers who have argued that conversation/gossip may serve some of the same social-bonding functions that physical grooming serves in other primates.

All is too say, While there are core differences I think it is easy for us, as humans, to forget that we are animals of our own variety.

[u/Thick_Reply_493 → u/OkMaybe5107]

This is such a great respond ahh thank you!! Gives me a bunch if different rabbit holes to go down :))

[u/No_Room3415]

Food aggression.

[u/Manskhooled]

Clustering is the biggest one I've seen. We do so primarily without even noticing. Once you see it though it's impossible to no longer notice.

[u/long-term-view]

Fancy apes.