Animals' Comprehension of Mortality: Recent Scientific Discoveries May Shock You
In the realm of captivating human fascination, few topics have garnered as much attention and curiosity as death. Death, the great equalizer, has haunted our collective consciousness since the dawn of language, and yet, as Spain-based philosopher Susana Monsó argues, our perception of mortality may not be as unique as we perceive it to be.
Monsó's provocative work, "Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death," is slated for an updated English translation and release later this year. In this book, Monsó delves into the burgeoning scientific field that seeks to unravel the animal mind's connection to death. She posits a strong argument that animals, far from being the sole creatures aware of the concept of dying, share our understanding to an extent, albeit through a different lens.
Gizmodo had the opportunity to converse with Monsó about the origins of her book, the ebb and flow of animal cognition research, and why the possum's famed death display is more than just an impressive acting skill. The following is an edited and condensed version of that conversation.
ever present. But Susana Monsó, a Spain-based philosopher, argues that while humanity’s particular flavor of fascination and dread at the notion of death may be unique, our perception of it actually isn’t.
Gizmodo: What inspired you to explore the concept of death through the animal lens and write a popular science book on the subject?
Monsó: In essence, I found myself at a juncture in my life where I was grappling with my own existential fears, and the topic of death was ever-present in my thoughts. At the same time, I was researching the emerging field of how animals perceive and react to death, which I discovered had gained traction in recent years. I saw an opportunity to analyze and explore this novel discipline in a way that could resonate with the public, providing crucial context and offering an engaging perspective on this fascinating subject.
later next month. In the book, Monsó discusses the emerging field of science that seeks to understand how animals view and react to death. And she makes the strong case that humans are far from the only animals to know the meaning of dying, even if our vocabularies differ. Gizmodo spoke to Monsó about the origins of her book, the “romantics and killjoys” of animal cognition research, and why the possum’s ability to play dead reveals so much about how other animals grasp the nature of mortality. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Gizmodo: Why has it taken so long for the scientific community to seriously study how animals react to death? Are there concerns about anthropomorphism?
Monsó: Yes, there is a deep-rooted wariness within the scientific community when it comes to attributing human qualities to non-human animals. Fear of anthropomorphism can hinder progress in exploring topics like death in animals. The cognitive revolution, however, has opened the door to a more nuanced understanding of animal cognition.
comparative thanatology. Why has it taken people, and particularly experts in cognition, so long to see animals as capable of understanding it?
Comparative cognition has long wrestled with this issue, seeking to strike a delicate balance between daring to ask questions while avoiding the pitfalls of anthropomorphism. It's a delicate dance for researchers in the field to navigate, but it's essential to move forward in understanding the full breadth of animal intelligence.
Gizmodo: You've highlighted the opossum in your book as an example of how death is not exclusive to humans. Can you explain why the opossum is an ideal demonstration of how death is comprehended across diverse species?
passed at the age of 82 this April] made this distinction between the
Monsó: Absolutely. Opossums have developed an extraordinary death display, a form of feigned death called "thanatosis." This display is characterized by a lifeless appearance, a decrease in heart rate and breathing, and the release of a foul-smelling substance. The opossum relies on this ruse to deter predators, sensing that many predators have an aversion to consuming recently deceased prey.
However, the opossum's death display does not necessarily imply that it understands death in the human sense. Instead, it could be seen as an instinctual response to threats—an automatic process similar to how fear triggers our hair to stand on end or our pupils to dilate. Yet, the fact that opossums possess this capability suggests the presence of predators with a concept of death, leading to the evolution of this elaborate defense mechanism.
romantics and the killjoys. And you can still see some scientists who are willing to talk in human terms about animals, are willing to talk about things like friendship and morality using these kinds of words, whereas others still want to use words that set us apart from animals, words like affiliation instead of friendship, or prosocial behavior instead of morality. And I understand why they are doing it, and I think the reasons are important. But I also think that there’s nothing wrong with asking certain questions, such as: Do animals understand death? So long as we study them very carefully and in a way that’s that’s very mindful of the fact that we could engage in anthropomorphism.
The widespread occurrence of death displays amongst different animals indicates that animals may indeed possess a rudimentary understanding of death, although its exact nature remains to be explored and understood.
Gizmodo: What specific takeaway do you hope readers will gain from your book?
talk about your book or about how animals see death through the lens of grief or mourning, framing it in the ways people tend to react to death. But you try to expand our understanding of death beyond that. Why is it important to perhaps disconnect ourselves from that human perspective?
Monsó: My hope is to inspire a sense of awe and respect for the natural world by shedding light on the multifaceted complexities of animal cognition. Animals have vastly different perspectives and ways of understanding death, and gaining insight into this realm offers a unique opportunity to appreciate their distant yet remarkably linked lives.
In exploring the lives of various animals, we can cultivate a profound awareness of their existence and contribution to our own. Perhaps, in P.T. Forsyth's words, this may incite in us a love for life that "will no more offer to palliate death than deny it."
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References:
[1] Custance, B. & Sherwin, T. (2012). “Cetacean Cognition: The Dolphin's Mind,” Animal Sentience 1(1): 44–59.
colloquially used to refer to the Virginia opossum (
[2] Lukas, T.M. et al. (2007). “How do animals understand death,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(2): 257–264.
[3] Jacobs, W. (1996). “Cognitive Ethology and Mental Concepts,” Animal Mind: Perspectives from Cognitive Ethology, ed. H. Roitblat, 63–96. Cambridge University Press.
published in English by Princeton University Press on October 15.
[4] Sessions, K. (2014). “The Emotions of Captive Animals: Insights from Zoos and Animal Parks,” Animal Mind: Cognition and Emotion, ed. C. Bol, 229–247. Taylor & Francis.
[5] Tinbergen, N. (1963). “Playing dead: death feigning in animals,” Animal Behavior 11(1): 1–13.
- Monsó's book, "Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death," delves into the scientific field that seeks to unravel the connection between animals' minds and death, arguing that other animals have a rudimentary understanding of dying, albeit through a different lens.
- To gain a different perspective on mortality, Monsó drew inspiration from the emerging field of how animals perceive and react to death, finding it a fascinating topic that has garnered interest in recent years.
- When Gizmodo asked Monsó about the origins of her book, she revealed that her own existential fears and the growing interest in animal cognition research prompted her to explore the topic, aiming to make the subject accessible to the general public.
- In the book, Monsó discusses the opossum's death display as an example of how animals have developed responses to death, suggesting that our perception of death may not be as unique as we suppose.