Thanks for the info. My impression was that emotions are like different modes that an animal can operate under, and you switch modes in a kind of haphazard way based on social and environmental cues, energy level, etc. Does that sound more or less accurate?
Has coherent goal-directed behavior spanning multiple days been observed in animals?
Well, that’s sufficiently vaguely-phrased that just something like a pack of wolves or orcas pursuing their quarry for days, which does happen, would seem to qualify. Or the bird building a nest as described below.
FWIW, pregnant African elephants often find a good time and place to give birth around the end of their term and then consume the leaves of a certain tree to induce labor (humans in the area use it for the same purpose). The pregnancy takes over a year and the labor itself, once begun, can take several days.
Thanks for the info. My impression was that emotions are like different modes that an animal can operate under, and you switch modes in a kind of haphazard way based on social and environmental cues, energy level, etc. Does that sound more or less accurate?
Has coherent goal-directed behavior spanning multiple days been observed in animals?
Well, that’s sufficiently vaguely-phrased that just something like a pack of wolves or orcas pursuing their quarry for days, which does happen, would seem to qualify. Or the bird building a nest as described below.
FWIW, pregnant African elephants often find a good time and place to give birth around the end of their term and then consume the leaves of a certain tree to induce labor (humans in the area use it for the same purpose). The pregnancy takes over a year and the labor itself, once begun, can take several days.
Something as simple as a bird building a nest would seem to meet that criterion.