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American Zoologist 1974 14(1):371-389; doi:10.1093/icb/14.1.371
© 1974 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
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Social Play in the American Black Bear: Its Similarity to Canid Social Play and an Examination of its Identifying Characteristics

J. D. HENRY and S. M. HERRERO
Department of Biology and Faculty of Environmental Design, The University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4

Bears evolved from a canid stock at quite a recent date (early Miocene). Despite this recent origin, bcars show substantial morphological, physiologicai, and ecological differences when compared to modern day canids. However, the display behaviors of Canidae and Ursidae have remained remarkably similar. In this paper, the motor patterns of black bear social play are described in detail. Numerous similarities between canid and ursid social play are pointed out. Agonistic displays common to both families are also pointed out. These behavioral similarities support the principle that social behavior, particularly display behavior, will frequently be conservative in its evolution as compared to the evolution of morphology, anatomy, or ecological adaptations.

Beach (1945) stressed the importance of identifying and testing the general characteristics of play. A large number of characteristics have been suggested as being diagnostic of play, but these characteristics have received very little testing. Five characteristics of social play were tested in this study, and two were found to be only partially valid for black bear social play. Extensive testing of the general characteristics of play on as wide a range of species as possible is definitely recommended for future research.


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