A new study has revealed that cows can recognise familiar human faces, a skill previously demonstrated in dolphins, dogs, and great apes. Researchers from INRAE in Nouzilly, France, conducted experiments showing that cows stare longer at videos of unfamiliar people compared to familiar ones, indicating they can differentiate between known and unknown faces.
Study Methodology
The team, led by Léa Lansade, enlisted 32 Prim Holstein cows. In the first experiment, cows were played muted videos of familiar and unfamiliar male faces while researchers measured how long the animals gazed at them. The results showed cows stared longer at unfamiliar faces.
In a second experiment, videos were paired with audio of the men speaking identical sentences. Cows spent more time staring at the video when the voice matched the face, suggesting they can match a known handler's voice to their face.
Emotional Response
The researchers also measured heart rates to gauge emotional response, but found no significant changes, indicating that familiarity did not affect emotional state.
The ability to recognise familiar faces, known as social recognition, is crucial for social animals and has been observed in many mammals. This study, published in PLOS One, extends this capacity to cows. The researchers noted, 'The observed results support the view that cows can categorise human faces according to familiarity.'
Future research should explore whether cows adjust their behaviour based on the person they interact with, reflecting their agency in human–animal relationships.
