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Why do we scream in fear? It doesn’t help and it makes us more vulnerable to predators (continued)
Keith Wright
Manchester, UK
Some previous answers to this question said that we scream in fear as an alarm call for the benefit of kin, and that this effect outweighs any disadvantage to ourselves. In addition, someone’s scream may have the beneficial effect of scaring off a predator.
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It would be interesting to know whether an intelligent entity recognises tardigrades in space as survivors of our planet
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I have a pet theory (pun intended) that dogs have evolved a more efficient system involving their tails. They wag their tails when they are happy. This alerts the group when a dog is on the scent of prey and makes the individual easier for the rest of the pack to follow. In contrast to humans, the signal for fear is that the tail is tucked firmly between the legs, making the animal as inconspicuous as possible to any feared predator.
Beneficial effects comparable to those of a scream are available by barking and growling. Together with showing their teeth, this gives dogs a choice of strategies for defence or aggression.
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