Given the costs, scientists reason that there must be some evolutionary benefit or purpose associated with play. One theory is that play prepares animals for adulthood. In humans, pretend play is a vital stage in development—it helps develop imagination and gives children practice with taking other people’s perspectives. Likewise, it seems like play fights could prepare animals for conflict in adulthood, and that running and jumping could develop strength, endurance, and coordination for hunting or fleeing predators.
But scientists have struggled to find any direct links between play and later preparedness. Zoologist Lynda Sharpe ventured into the Kalahari Desert to study young meerkats’ play behavior. She theorized that if play helped hone adult skills, meerkats who play fought more would win more often in fights as adults, but she found that this was not the case. Another study with kittens found the same thing: play did not correlate with success in adult skills, like catching mice. What scientists have found is that play is sometimes related to general positive outcomes in adulthood; for instance, playful rats are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s , and bears who play as infants are more likely to live past their first year. But just how play could improve health is still mysterious. It might even be that engaging in play is a sign of a health rather than a cause of it.
If play doesn’t improve skills later on, perhaps it serves another purpose. Another theory scientists have considered is that play helps build social bonds or decrease aggression in the group. But though this explanation makes some intuitive sense, there’s little research to back it up. Sharpe’s meerkat studies concluded that meerkats that played were no less aggressive, and that meerkats that played with one another were no more likely to groom one another, a sign of social bonding. A study with wallabies also found no relationship between play and social bonds. Plus, not all play is social—many animals, like the sledding crow, play alone.
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