Contagious Urination
Researchers have uncovered the "social dimensions of urination" among captive chimpanzees. This topic had previously been "largely unexplored."
They recorded urination events for a total of 604 hours and calculated urination frequency for each subject. They report:
I guess the obvious question is whether humans also are susceptible to contagious urination. I haven't noticed it, if we are.
More info: "Socially contagious urination in chimpanzees"
They recorded urination events for a total of 604 hours and calculated urination frequency for each subject. They report:
Contagious urination, like other forms of behavioral and emotional state matching, may have important implications in establishing and maintaining social cohesion, in addition to potential roles in preparation for collective departure (i.e. voiding before long-distance travel) and territorial scent-marking (i.e. coordination of chemosensory signals)...
we find that in captive chimpanzees the act of urination is socially contagious. Further, low-dominance individuals had higher rates of contagion.
we find that in captive chimpanzees the act of urination is socially contagious. Further, low-dominance individuals had higher rates of contagion.
I guess the obvious question is whether humans also are susceptible to contagious urination. I haven't noticed it, if we are.
More info: "Socially contagious urination in chimpanzees"
Comments
Surely humans - at least men at urinals - are more prone to anti-contagious urination?
Posted by Richard Bos on 02/08/25 at 02:17 AM
Cue the joke about women always going to the toilet in groups.
Posted by Yudith on 02/10/25 at 06:33 AM
What comes first to my mind is reindeer herds.
A "poronkusema" is the distance a reindeer will walk between urinations. It seems to me herders likely stop the entire herd rather than letting it get strung out as individuals stop willy-nilly to do their business. So, do some reindeer hold it until everyone else goes? Do those who don't feel the call of nature yet do what they can because everyone else is going?
I also wonder about the places they usually stop. Urine is a difficult fertilizer because of its salt content. Are the fields where herds stop to pee lush because of the nitrogen additions or are they barren because all the plants have been burned?
A "poronkusema" is the distance a reindeer will walk between urinations. It seems to me herders likely stop the entire herd rather than letting it get strung out as individuals stop willy-nilly to do their business. So, do some reindeer hold it until everyone else goes? Do those who don't feel the call of nature yet do what they can because everyone else is going?
I also wonder about the places they usually stop. Urine is a difficult fertilizer because of its salt content. Are the fields where herds stop to pee lush because of the nitrogen additions or are they barren because all the plants have been burned?
Posted by Phideaux on 02/10/25 at 01:46 PM
Speaking of reindeer urination, do Santa's reindeer produce blue ice?
Posted by ges on 02/11/25 at 02:22 PM
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Category: Animals | Experiments | Psychology | Body Fluids