Scientists from the City University of Hong Kong in China have discovered that goats have evolved sensitivity to human vocal signals over thousands of years of interaction between our species. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Animal Behavior.
Previously, experts found that goats can read a person’s emotions from their facial expressions. Dogs and horses have a similar ability. Goats also have the ability to convey information about their own personalities and experiences through bleating.
In a new experiment led by Professor Alan McElligott, goats were given a series of audio recordings with emotional valence, happy or angry emotional tones.
The results showed that 75% of the goats responded to changes in vocal tone from happy to angry or vice versa. When this happened, the animals looked at the source of the sound longer, thus indicating their attention.
Scientists noted that they could not pinpoint the reason why 25% of artiodactyls did not respond to changing signals. Observations also showed that animals remained calm no matter what people’s voices were doing. This was demonstrated by measurements of heart rate and other physiological processes.
“Observed differences in human goat responses to emotional cues may highlight the importance of individual experience and learning, particularly in cross-species emotional communication,” said Professor Alan McElligott.
Previous scientists I learnedIt turns out which of the ungulates is the most intelligent and creative.