Can You Tell a Monkey's Mood From Its Face?
June 2, 2017 - Can you tell
if a monkey is going to bite you based on its facial expressions? Researchers at the University of Lincoln, UK, found that tourists frequently misread the emotions of wild macaques, and this misunderstanding can have dangerous consequences. Oftentimes tourists believed a monkey was "smiling" or "blowing them kisses" when the animal was in fact aggressive or in distress. The researchers also found that 2D images that were meant to demonstrate what the animals' facial expressions mean were not very effective as an education tool. The study suggests that videos or presentations by expert guides would be more effective in teaching tourists about how best to read an animal’s emotion.
Quiz: Can You Tell If This Monkey Wants to Bite?
Can you tell which monkey is about to bite you?
If you guessed A and B, you are correct.
Researchers from the University of Lincoln, UK, found that tourists misinterpret wild macaques' emotions … believing a monkey was 'smiling' or 'blowing them kisses' when they were in fact threatening them.
Exposure to 2D images explaining animals' facial expressions had no significant impact in educating tourists.
This misunderstanding can lead to dangerous situations … in tourist areas where people interact with wild monkeys.
The researchers suggest videos or expert guides would be more effective … in teaching tourists about how best to read an animal’s emotion.
