The "olfactory mirror" and other recent attempts to demonstrate self-recognition in non-primate species

Gordon G Gallup Jr; James R Anderson

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.010

The "olfactory mirror" and other recent attempts to demonstrate self-recognition in non-primate species

Behav Processes. 2018 Mar:148:16-19. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.010. Epub 2017 Dec 21.

Authors

Gordon G Gallup Jr¹, James R Anderson²

Affiliations

¹ University at Albany, Department of Psychology, 1200 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA. Electronic address: gallup@albany.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.

PMID: 29274762
DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.010

Abstract

The recent attempt by Horowitz (2017) to develop an "olfactory mirror" test of self-recognition in domestic dogs raises some important questions about the kinds of data that are required to provide definitive evidence for self-recognition in dogs and other species. We conclude that the "olfactory mirror" constitutes a compelling analog to the mark test for mirror self-recognition in primates, but despite claims to the contrary neither dogs, elephants, dolphins, magpies, horses, manta rays, squid, nor ants have shown compelling, reproducible evidence for self-recognition in any modality.

Keywords: Mirror self-recognition; Non-primate species; Olfactory self-recognition; Self-recognition in other modalities.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Animal / physiology*
Ego*
Olfactory Perception / physiology*
Recognition, Psychology / physiology*
Smell / physiology