Behavioral, physiological, and genetic drivers of coping in a non-human primate

Bhattacharjee, Debottam; Guðjónsdóttir, Aníta Rut; Chova, Paula Escriche; Middelburg, Esmee; Jäckels, Jana; de Groot, Natasja G.; Wallner, Bernard; Massen, Jorg J.M.; Pflüger, Lena S.

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.108890

Cited by 3 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 101 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A ‘bottom-up’ approach was used to avoid any subjective bias of predetermined clustering of behavioural variables. All 32 individuals tested in the current study were observed in two phases (with an interval of at least two months; see [ 75 ] for dates of data collection) using 20 min-long continuous focal follows (Phase 1: mean ± s.d. = 159.76 ± 2.67 observation minutes (min) per individual; Phase 2 = 159.89 ± 2.64 min per individual) in their existing social group settings.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dominance hierarchies were known and reported in [ 75 ] for all three groups. A Bayesian Elo-rating method [ 77 ] was used to construct the hierarchies based on unprovoked submissive behaviours— avoid, be displaced, silent bared-teeth, flee and social presence , recorded during the focal observations described above.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the durational variable of contact sit was independent of the personality trait-related variables, making it particularly useful for the analyses in this study. From continuous focal observations (see [ 75 ]), the duration of contact sit was extracted for all within-group dyads.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As mentioned before, our measure of friendship was based on a single metric of dyadic contact sit since we could not use other related metrics like grooming due to its use in the personality assessment (cf. [ 75 ]). We did, however, investigate the convergent validity, i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…R. Soc. B 291: 20232730 (ii) Personality Individuals' personality scores were the same as reported in a previous study [75]. Here, we briefly summarize the methods and findings for convenience.…”

Section: (B) Experimental Design and Data Collection (I) Loose-string...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Personality heterophily and friendship as drivers for successful cooperation

Bhattacharjee,

Waasdorp,

Middelburg

et al. 2024

Proc. R. Soc. B.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cooperation is widespread and arguably a pivotal evolutionary force in maintaining animal societies. Yet, proximately, what underlying motivators drive individuals to cooperate remains relatively unclear. Since ‘free-riders’ can exploit the benefits by cheating, selecting the right partner is paramount. Such decision rules need not be based on complex calculations and can be driven by cognitively less-demanding mechanisms, like social relationships (e.g. kinship, non-kin friendships, dyadic tolerance), social status (e.g. dominance hierarchies) and personalities (social and non-social traits); however, holistic evidence related to those mechanisms is scarce. Using the classical ‘loose-string paradigm’, we tested cooperative tendencies of a hierarchical primate, the long-tailed macaque ( Macaca fascicularis ). We studied three groups ( n = 21) in their social settings, allowing partner choice. We supplemented cooperation with observational and experimental data on social relationships, dominance hierarchies and personality. Friendship and dissimilarities in non-social ‘exploration’ and ‘activity–sociability’ personality traits predicted the likelihood of cooperative dyad formation. Furthermore, the magnitude of cooperative success was positively associated with friendship, low rank-distance and dissimilarity in the activity–sociability trait. Kinship did not affect cooperation. While some findings align with prior studies, the evidence of (non-social) personality heterophily promoting cooperation may deepen our understanding of the proximate mechanisms and, broadly, the evolution of cooperation.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (B) Experimental Design and Data Collection (I) Loose-string...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Personality heterophily and friendship as drivers for successful cooperation

Bhattacharjee,

Waasdorp,

Middelburg

et al. 2024

Proc. R. Soc. B.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Personality homophily drives female friendships in a feral ungulate

Bhattacharjee,

Flay,

McElligott

2024

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Friendships, exhibited by both humans and non-human animals, have considerable adaptive benefits. In humans, similarity or homophily in personality is considered a proximate mechanism driving friendships, yet little is known about the behavioural ‘decision rules’ underlying animal friendships. Some empirical research suggests that animal friendships can be driven by personality homophily. However, these studies are restricted to non-human primates, limiting our understanding of the mechanisms of friendships. We investigated a feral population of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) to determine whether homophily in personality drives friendships in this ‘non-model’ social species in free-ranging environmental conditions. We conducted observations on females (n=30), and assessed their friendships and personalities. Close spatial proximity served as a behavioural indicator of friendship, validated by affiliative body contact. An objective ‘bottom-up’ method revealed three personality traits –social tension,vigilance, andgeneral dominance. We found that females with comparatively lower personality differences in social tension and general dominance traits exhibited significantly higher close spatial associations. Our findings show that friendships in buffalo can form based on personality homophily, a decision rule attributed predominantly to primates. We discuss these findings in light of buffalo socioecology but emphasise their implications in the broader evolutionary context of animal personalities and friendships.

show abstract

Personality assessment of synanthropic rhesus macaques: implications and challenges

Gill,

Gautam,

Massen

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

″What makes animals thrive in human-dominated environments?″ is a question that has been extensively researched transcending disciplines, but findings remain inconclusive. Consistent inter-individual differences or personalities can potentially explain the functional significance of habitat-specific traits and their variations that help animals successfully coexist with humans. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are the most successful non-human primate in the Anthropocene, living in diverse climatic and environmental conditions. Studying the personalities of synanthropic rhesus macaques can provide insights into the biological traits that facilitate their success in human-dominated environments. We employed a multi-method ′bottom-up′ approach of behavioral observations and novelty experiments, standardized for assessing captive non-human primates, to evaluate the personalities of synanthropic adult rhesus macaques (N=52). To our surprise, novelty experiments encountered significant challenges, limiting their effectiveness. However, behavioral observations in the form of focal sampling revealed two repeatable traits: sociability and cautiousness. We found an effect of sex on sociability, where males were more sociable than females. In an additional analysis, we found that individuals who obtained food through contact provisioning had higher cautiousness scores than individuals who obtained food through non-contact provisioning. We discuss how the observed personality traits and their variations potentially offer adaptive advantages in human-dominated environments, where rhesus macaques face both benefits, such as anthropogenic subsidies and reduced predation, and costs, like exposure to anthropogenic stressors. We also emphasize that protocols designed for captive conditions may not be directly applicable to free-living animals. Thus, the study underscores the need to reconsider experimental designs to obtain comparable empirical evidence between captive and non-captive populations to enhance the ecological validity of personality assessments. Nevertheless, empirically identifying traits using observations in synanthropic species like rhesus macaques can still provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that enable certain animals to thrive amidst a rapid expansion of anthropogenic activities.

show abstract

Behavioral, physiological, and genetic drivers of coping in a non-human primate

Cited by 3 publications

References 101 publications

Personality heterophily and friendship as drivers for successful cooperation

Personality heterophily and friendship as drivers for successful cooperation

Personality homophily drives female friendships in a feral ungulate

Personality assessment of synanthropic rhesus macaques: implications and challenges

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About