by The myth of elephant cemeteries has permeated popular culture, and recent sightings of buried Asian elephant calves may lend some credence to that legend.
In the research published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, two scientists describe five cases where elephant calves were found buried in an upright position within irrigation trenches of tea plantations in northern Bengal, India. The authors argue that the unusual location, the surrounding ground being compacted by the feet of several elephants and injuries that suggest they are dragging after death, indicate deliberate burial practices.
If this conclusion is correct, these observations could reveal an understanding of death and grief that may be unlike anything we’ve seen in the animal kingdom, revealing another way in which humans are not so unique and previously conceived.
Archaeological evidence suggests that our hominin ancestors have been burying their dead for at least 100,000 years – possibly much longer. Burials are of interest because of what they reveal about the mindset of the people doing the burial. For us – and probably for our ancestors who started this practice – burial is not just about disposing of bodies, but about expressing sorrow and honoring the life that has passed.
Across cultures, people put time and effort into burial rituals as a way to commemorate life. Burials are a clear expression of our feelings and compassion. In fact, it is commonly believed that our reactions to death are the same as humanity. So far, evidence of a similar mental representation of death is scarce in other animal species, and despite a few stories, no animal species has been found that systematically buries its dead in the ritualistic way that we do.
Are elephant burials intentional?
It may be too early to cross burials off the uniquely human list. Although the recent reports of calf burials are of interest, these five burials have not been directly observed, so questions remain. It is possible, for example, that dead or weak calves fell into the trenches while being transported, before the trench collapsed around the body due to the subsequent panic of the family.
However, burial reports are at least consistent with what we know about elephants’ acute actions for death. Elephants have been observed carrying the bodies of dead infants. They often show a change in behavior when approaching the corpse of a family member or other individual.
This response can involve quiet investigation, sniffing and touching of body parts with the head down, perhaps trying to move or wake the carcass, and rarely, mud or large palm fronds. over the bodies of dead relatives. This is probably what would be recognized in humans as sadness or crying.
Understanding death
Of course, elephants aren’t the only animals that show interesting reactions to dead partners. Crows often gather around and peck at the carcass of another dead crow, in what is sometimes called a funeral. This social gathering seems to give the crows a chance to learn about danger to avoid, lest they end up in the same state (rather than a chance to say goodbye in the traditional funeral sense).
Even some social insects, like ants, will clean up their dead. When ants detect certain chemicals released by dying or dead people in their colony, it prompts them to remove the bodies – and in some species even bury them – to limit the possibility of disease transmission.
As researchers who study animal behavior and, more specifically, grief, however, we have no reason to assume that this extraordinary “body management” behavior means that the ants have any sense of life or death. .
In the 1950s, biologist and entomologist EO Wilson applied the vital chemical to live ants, causing the nests to respond as they would to a dead animal. They tried to drag the unfortunate individual out of the nest and dumped him a safe distance away.
Similar responses to decay chemicals have been observed in rats, which bury others dead long enough to deteriorate. Like Wilson’s ants, they also try to bury anesthetized – but still alive – rats with the signature smell of decay. They even try to bury sticks of wood that smell the same. Some social animals find it difficult to remove decaying items from their nests.
These examples in rats and ants are clearly different from human burial, and from the crying behavior we see in elephants and many other species including orcas.
While the jury may still be out on whether or not elephants choose to bury their dead, there is no denying that their emotional reactions to the death of a family member or associate are unusual and cause great concern. noticed. It is still difficult to adequately explain these reactions without implying that elephants have some kind of concept of death.
This article from The Conversation is republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The authors do not work for, consult with, or own shares in, or receive funding from, any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
