The western gray kangaroo (
Macropus fuliginosus) in Donnelly Mills, Western Australia. Image credit: Sean Mack / CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Domestication is generally assumed to have resulted in enhanced communication abilities between non-primate mammals and humans, although the number of species studied is very limited (cats, dogs, wolves, goats, and horses),” said lead author Dr. Alan McElligott from the University of Roehampton and his colleagues.
“In species without hands for pointing, gazing at humans when dealing with inaccessible food during an unsolvable task, and in particular gaze alternations between a human and the unsolvable task, are often interpreted as attempts at referential intentional communication.”
Research finds Kangaroos can communicate with people, was Skippy true
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Kangaroos communicate with keepers to ask for help: Aussie study - Xinhua
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2020-12-17 02:35:58 GMT2020-12-17 10:35:58(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
SYDNEY, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) Australian kangaroos are able to communicate with their keepers and ask them for help, according to a study by the University of Sydney (UoS) and University of Roehampton (UoR) in London.
The study, released on Wednesday, involved placing food in a closed plastic container that the kangaroos were unable to open. After trying and failing to reach the food, the kangaroos would gaze at and interact with nearby keepers, showing a remarkable depth of understanding. We ve previously thought only domesticated animals try to ask for help with a problem. But kangaroos do it too, said study co-author Dr Alexandra Green, a post-doctoral researcher at the UoS School of Veterinary Science.