Why we shouldn’t attribute human motivations to animals like bees

Evolutionary biologists say that anthropomorphizing animals such as chimpanzees, dolphins and bees stifles rather than encourages scientific investigation. Marlene Zook

To Marlene Zook

Is PLAY a new tool use? A recent paper reported bumblebees rolling small wooden balls, but apparently just for fun, not for reward. , concluded that this behavior met the criteria for play, stating: In other words, bees just want to have fun, which makes them more human.

This discovery highlights a long-standing conflict in our view of animals. On the one hand, we want to find the traits that distinguish humans from other animals: …