Response to social challenge in young bonnet (Macaca radiata) and pigtail (Macaca nemestrina) macaques is related to early maternal experiences

Abstract

Previous experience affects how young primates respond to challenging social situations. The present retrospective study looked at one aspect of early experience, the quality of the mother-infant relationship, to determine its relationship to young bonnet and pigtail macaques' responses to two social challenges: temporary maternal separation at 5-6 months and permanent transfer to an unfamiliar peer group at 16-17 months. Relationship quality was measured quantitatively on 30 macaque mother-infant pairs with the Relationship Quality Index (RQI), the ratio of relative affiliation to relative agonism as previously applied to capuchin monkeys. Infants with high RQI values had amicable mother-infant relationships and infants with low RQI values had agonistic mother-infant relationships. Young monkeys with amicable and agonistic relationships showed consistent differences in behavior before, during, and after each social challenge, supporting the hypothesis that juveniles from amicable mother-infant relationships based on the RQI coped more effectively with social challenges than did juveniles from agonistic mother-infant relationships. Results suggest 1) characteristic amicability or agonism in early mother-offspring macaque relationships has the potential to influence offspring behavior in tense social contexts and 2) the RQI is useful as one of a coordinated suite of methods for studying the development of social skills.

Stability of parental care across siblings from undisturbed and challenged pregnancies: Intrinsic maternal dispositions of female rhesus monkeys.

“…This conclusion concurs with research showing that population variation in mother-infant interactions depends upon several characteristics, including maternal-typical behavior (Weaver, Richardson, Worlein, De Waal, & Laudenslager, 2004), infant temperament (Coe et al, 2010; Mantymaa et al, 2006; Roughton, Schneider, Bromley, & Coe, 1998) and environmental context (Ellis et al, 2012). Studies in rodents have revealed how variation in maternal care can have far-reaching consequences on emotional reactivity and brain development, which may continue to be manifest even in subsequent generations (Champagne & Meaney, 2007).…”

Neuroanatomical Substrates of Rodent Social Behavior: The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Its Projection Patterns

“…Moreover, social signals may induce conserved patterns of change in genomic expression through epigenetic modifications, defined as changes in gene expression that are not attributable to changes in DNA sequence (Weaver et al, 2004; Robinson et al, 2008). It is also thought that interactions between genotype and social environment influence the effects of social information on brain function and behavior.…”

Sex differences in learning the allocation of social grooming in infant stumptailed macaques

“…Primate mothers are recognized as a main referential model for a diversity of socially learned or reinforced behaviours (Altmann, 1980;Horvat & Kraemer, 1981;Wallen et al, 1981;Fairbanks & McGuire, 1986;Fairbanks, 1989;Berman, 1990Berman, , 2004McGrew, 1992;Tanaka, 1995;Huffman, 1996;de Waal, 1996;Berman et al, 1997;Tanaka, 1998;Berman & Kapsalis, 1999;Drapier & Thierry, 2002;Maestripieri, 2003;Weaver & de Waal, 2003;Lonsdorf et al, 2004;Schino et al, 2004;Weaver et al, 2004;Lonsdorf, 2005Lonsdorf, , 2006Suomi, 2005;Maestripieri et al, 2007). Mother-offspring attachment including close proximity provide the confidence and visual opportunities to use mother as a model, even if this might perpetuate behaviour of low efficiency (Tanaka, 1995(Tanaka, , 1998Drapier & Thierry, 2002) or abusive mothering styles prone to reduce fitness (Fairbanks, 1989;Berman, 1990;Maestripieri, 2003;Maestripieri et al, 2007).…”