?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Play+Signals+as+Punctuation%3A+The+Structure+of+Social+Play+in+Canids&rft.creator=Bekoff%2C+Marc&rft.subject=Ethology&rft.description=Actions+called+play+signals+have+evolved+in+many+species+in+which+social+play+has+been+observed.+Despite+there+being+only+few+empirical+demonstrations%2C+it+generally+is+accepted+that+play+signals+are+important+in+the+initiation+(%22I+want+to+play%22)+and+maintenance+(%22I+still+want+to+play%22)+of+ongoing+social+play.+In+this+study+I+consider+whether+a+specific+and+highly+stereotyped+signal%2C+the+bow%2C+is+used+to+maintain+social+play+in+adult+and+infant+domestic+dogs%2C+infant+wolves%2C+and+infant+coyotes.+To+answer+this+question+the+temporal+placement+of+bows+relative+to+actions+that+are+also+used+in+other+contexts+(dominance+or+predatory+encounters)+such+as+biting+accompanied+by+rapid+side-to-side+shaking+of+the+head+was+analyzed+to+determine+if+bows+performed+during+ongoing+social+play+are+used+to+communicate+the+message+%22I+want+to+play+despite+what+I+am+going+to+do+or+just+did+--+I+still+want+to+play.%22+The+nonrandom+occurrence+of+bows+supports+the+hypothesis+that+bows+are+used+to+maintain+social+play+in+these+canids+when+actions+borrowed+from+other+contexts%2C+especially+bites+accompanied+by+rapid+side-to-side+shaking+of+the+head%2C+are+likely+to+be+misinterpreted.+&rft.date=1995&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F158%2F1%2F199709003.html&rft.identifier=++Bekoff%2C+Marc++(1995)+Play+Signals+as+Punctuation%3A+The+Structure+of+Social+Play+in+Canids.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D++++(Unpublished)++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F158%2F