World's Smallest Bear Can Mimic Facial Expressions
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
Image: Pexels
The sun bear, the world's smallest bear species, is known to mimic the facial expressions of others during social interactions
Image: Pexels
They can mimic the facial expressions of their playmates, including the subtle movements of raising their noses and wrinkling the bridge of their muzzles
Image: Pexels
This behaviour, observed in studies of captive sun bears, suggests that facial mimicry may be more common than previously thought
Image: Pexels
The bears also demonstrate social sensitivity, producing open-mouth faces predominantly when they receive the attention of their playmates
Image: Pexels
This behaviour is surprising, as sun bears are generally solitary animals in the wild. In captivity, though, they are rather playful
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A study of captive animals in Malaysia showed that the bears would often respond to a playmate changing its expression within just one second
Image: Pexels
Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas
Image: Pexels
But the bears were seen to do it with a precision only found in humans and gorillas
Image: Pexels
ndtv.com