We see it all the time. Curious babies, friendly babies. Puppies, baby primates, elephants. They’re just so curious and interested and carefree.
This can lead to some trouble, which leads me to the question,
Why is it so widespread across mammals?
What has kept young animals to behave this way, but lose it as they grow up? Not to say adults never play or are no fun, but it’s extremely prominent along young ones.
In: Biology
For one, them being so lively and running around all the time is vital to develop a child’s musculature.
For another, playing with other individuals of their family/pack/whatever introduces them to social rules.
Last but not least, their curiosity and willingness to learn is critical to the development of their brain. When it comes to language, for instance, children must acquire certain key elements by imitating and learning from their peers before a certain developmental threshold is reached. If this does not happen, this region will remain permanently underdeveloped.
Latest Answers