The manifestation of empathy in animals

The review considers the evolutionary prerequisites for empathic behavior. Empathy refers to the ability to indirectly experience the affective states of other individual and motivate behavior aimed at helping a partner. For a long time it was believed that the manifestation of empathy is peculiar only to humans and, possibly, to primates. However, experimental studies conducted in recent decades demonstrate that empathy-like behavior, primarily affective empathy, is observed in many animals, including rodents. In rodents, empathy manifests itself in the form of emotional contagion, emotional buffering, and prosocial behavior. The article also discusses the factors influencing the manifestation of empathic behavior, as well as the brain structures and neurotransmitter systems involved in its implementation.