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Natural-Born Cheaters: A Look at Double-Dealing Animals [Slide Show]

How animals deceive rivals, peers and mates to get what they want

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Baboons do it, fish do it, even yeast do it. Humans might be the masters of deception, but cheating has found its way into most species. Although social groups punish or eliminate deceivers, the practice persists because those who go undetected have a lot to gain. From sneaky sex to cross-dressing, this slideshow will take you on a tour of the myriad of ways other species cheat.

For more on when and why humans deceive, see “Why We Cheat” by microbiologists Ferric C. Fang and Arturo Casadevall in the May/June issue of Scientific American MIND.

» View the Natural-Born Cheaters Slide Show

SA Mind Vol 24 Issue 2This article was published with the title “Natural-Born Cheaters: A Look at Double-Dealing Animals [Slide Show]” in SA Mind Vol. 24 No. 2 ()
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican052013-77ac84lrHzH3xtSqH6ZDgc

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