So human-like: why do animals do that?

More and more studies show that nature is not as conservative when it comes to sexuality as some people argue. Across the animal kingdom, many species enjoy sexual interactions with partners of the same sex or in ways that will never lead to making babies. A great example are the snow monkeys, who are not only known for bathing in hot springs but are also really flexible in their mating season. Join me on a quest to uncover the (natural!) sexual stimulation both males and females share with partners of the same sex, opposite sex and alone. Because love is love – even monkeys know that.

Even if you are not a dog-person, it is likely that you still enjoy watching dogs doing cute and silly things on the internet in your free time. Occasionally, you may come across dogs imitating their owners – hopping on one leg or doing "yoga". Such actions are meaningless and unnecessary; they do not bring a dog closer to highly-desired, delicious food. So, why do dogs imitate causally-irrelevant actions (overimitate)? Arriving in Vienna for the first time in my life, three and a half years ago in the midst of covid, my job was to investigate this strange phenomenon at the Clever Dog Lab.