Re: Morgan Tears 3.
Phillip Bigelow (n8010095@cc.wwu.edu)
3 Nov 1995 14:01:47 -0800
I wrote:
>> I said that we don't know of any animals other than humans who DEFINATIVELY
>>secrete emotionally-based tears.
>> <pb>
hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu (H.M. Hubey) responded:
>What do you mean DEFINATIVELY? Put animal in cage, step on its
>tail until it screams and watch it scream until you see some
>water welling up in its eyes?
By definatively, I mean:
1) Does the animal secret tears at any time OTHER than when pain or
emotional stress was inflicted on the animal?
2) Does the animal secrete tears ONLY when put under pain or
emotional stress?
3) What is the composition of the tears secreted during infliction of pain
or emotional stress? Is it a different composition from that from tears
secreted at any other time?
4) How many specimens (n) were studied per species? Is there variability?
5) Can other sources for these secretions be definatively eliminated as
possible causes, OTHER than pain or emotional stress?
Since you, Mark, suggest that "definatively" is too rigorous a conclusion
to strive for, then why don't you provide us with a SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL
reference that states, conclusively, that elephants shed emotional tears?
And don't quote Morgan, because her conclusions are interpretive, not
definative. She didn't address the issues stated above, which complicate
any definative conclusion.
<pb>
|