Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Empathy is likely more widely distributed among animals than many researchers realize or perhaps are willing to admit. Studies of social carnivores, other group-living animals, and communication via different modalities will help us learn more about the evolutionary roots and behavioral, sensory, and cognitive underpinnings of empathy, including what it means to have a sense of self. There are also important implications for debates about animal well-being.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Marc Bekoff (2002) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: