It's reasonably easy to see any herbivore receiving a fitness advantage for evolving this trait, since they are more likely to use it on close kin with whom they share a fraction of their genes than on any unrelated conspecific.
It's interesting, however, to see that the small brain size of mice is still enough to support it. I suspect it has something to do with the hypothalamus/whole brain size ratio.
Since rodents have been established to be capable of experiencing entrained trauma responses (stress hormones, hypervigilance, disturbed sleep habits, reduced sociality and panic behavior to audio triggers) and the OP establishes non-parental caregiving behavior, the combination of the two suggest it's likely that they can feel some version of guilt, shame or grief in the instances where their resuscitation reflex is unsuccessful.
Ants exhibit rather complex first-aid behavior in response to wounded nest-mates (amputating mangled limbs, coating wounds in anti-microbial secretions, carrying the victim off to safety, feeding the wounded ant while it recuperates) so it shouldn't be all that surprising that the comparatively huge brains of mice are capable of similar pro-social behaviors. The inner emotional lives of mice are as you say likely to be much richer than the average person gives them credit for.
OgsyedIE|11 months ago
It's interesting, however, to see that the small brain size of mice is still enough to support it. I suspect it has something to do with the hypothalamus/whole brain size ratio.
Since rodents have been established to be capable of experiencing entrained trauma responses (stress hormones, hypervigilance, disturbed sleep habits, reduced sociality and panic behavior to audio triggers) and the OP establishes non-parental caregiving behavior, the combination of the two suggest it's likely that they can feel some version of guilt, shame or grief in the instances where their resuscitation reflex is unsuccessful.
snackbroken|11 months ago
gnabgib|11 months ago
Papers:
A neural basis for prosocial behavior toward unresponsive individuals https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq2679
Reviving-like prosocial behavior in response to unconscious or dead conspecifics in rodents https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq2677
An innate drive to save a life https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv3731
mrcode007|11 months ago
An innate drive to save a life https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv3731?url_ver=...