Contagious Yawning In Chimpanzees
According to a study of chimpanzees who were shown videos of other chimpanzees yawning, researchers determined that the resulting yawns were similar to the contagious yawning in humans, which researchers associate with empathy.
Based on the observation of 6 female chimpanzees who were shown videos of other chimpanzees yawning, two exhibited significantly higher frequencies of yawning in response to the videos. This response is only slightly lower than that observed in humans. The presence of contagious yawning in chimpanzees is thought to be evidence of advanced self-awareness and empathetic abilities.