Mark Cocker

Animals make us human

Anthropomorphism was once seen as the ultimate scientific sin. Not any more, as three fascinating books explain

issue 28 October 2017

There was a time when biologists so scorned the attribution of human qualities to other animals that anthropomorphism was seen as the ultimate scientific sin and suitable only for children’s stories. Not anymore. Today the inner lives of other creatures are widely accepted as a major research frontier, and here are three books that reflect these preoccupations.

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