Evolutionary biologist suggests yawning may be a means for telling others to be more alert

Andrew Gallup, an evolutionary biologist with the Psychology and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences Program at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in New York has published a paper in the journal Animal Behavior outlining research into the reason that animals yawn. He suggests there could be a variety of reasons for it but believes it mostly likely signals members of a social group that the yawner is not alert, so others should be.Andrew Gallup, an evolutionary biologist with the Psychology and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences Program at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in New York has published a paper in the journal Animal Behavior outlining research into the reason that animals yawn. He suggests there could be a variety of reasons for it but believes it mostly likely signals members of a social group that the yawner is not alert, so others should be.Read More