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Imitation and cultural transmission in apes and cetaceans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2001

Andrew Whiten
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9JU, [email protected] www.chimp.st-and.ac.uk/cultures

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests imitation is more developed in some cetaceans than the authors imply. Apart from apes, only dolphins have so far shown a grasp of what it is to imitate; moreover dolphins ape humans more clearly than do apes. Why have such abilities not been associated with the kind of progressive cultural complexity characteristic of humans?

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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