Social experience in early ontogeny has lasting effects on social skills in cooperatively breeding cichlids
The early social environment can affect the social behaviour of animals throughout life. We tested whether the presence of adults during early development influences the social behaviour of juveniles later on in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. In a split-brood design we raised half of the broods together with parents and with or without […]
Bonobos, Pan paniscus, chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, and marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, prefer to feed alone
Many primates share food, but the motives behind this food sharing are mostly not known. We investigated individuals’ preference to feed either alone or together with a tolerant partner. Subjects (chimpanzees who are highly competitive around food, bonobos who are more tolerant around food and common marmosets who are cooperative breeders and share food actively […]
Beyond aggression: Androgen-receptor blockade modulates social interaction in wild meerkats
In male vertebrates, androgens are inextricably linked to reproduction, social dominance, and aggression, often at the cost of paternal investment or prosociality. Testosterone is invoked to explain rank-related reproductive differences, but its role within a status class, particularly among subordinates, is underappreciated. Recent evidence, especially for monogamous and cooperatively breeding species, suggests broader androgenic mediation […]