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  1. Why do we sympathize in general when we see something or someone dying even if we personally don't know it/them?
  2. Is there any species other than humans which sympathize with the death of its own species?
  3. Is there any species other than humans which sympathize with the death of other species?
AliceD
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One Face
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    interesting question. I can say that elephants are known to stop when passing by the carcasses of diseased elephants +1 – AliceD Jan 20 '15 at 12:14
  • Wow, didn't know that! – One Face Jan 20 '15 at 12:15
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    National Geographic knowledge mind you, but I might be able to find a reference if need be. – AliceD Jan 20 '15 at 12:16
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    In addition, there's a lot of work on empathy in monkeys and apes by Frans de Waal. Not exactly on death as such, but I think your question can be boiled down to empathy. – AliceD Jan 20 '15 at 12:40
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    Seconding @ChrisStronks' elephant knowledge (although I suspect he means deceased, not diseased), and curious to hear if anybody has data about Q3. – Krysta Jan 20 '15 at 13:43
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    @Kristal - deceased yes :) – AliceD Jan 20 '15 at 13:50
  • https://books.google.ch/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tNaTfIlMh8wC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=empathy+death+animal&ots=2J8RPQfOy3&sig=BJuNrb4k7JtiVAFqmWEbeZjiFB8#v=onepage&q=death&f=false – CuriousIndeed Feb 19 '15 at 18:37

1 Answers1

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  1. Empathy (exists because cooperation can lead to better survival chances)
  2. Elephants, apes (chimpanzee), donkeys.
  3. Dolphins at least see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy#Evolution

https://books.google.ch/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tNaTfIlMh8wC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=empathy+death+animal&ots=2J8RPQfOy3&sig=BJuNrb4k7JtiVAFqmWEbeZjiFB8#v=onepage&q=dolphin&f=false

CuriousIndeed
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