Not lost in translation: Changes in social dynamics in Bonobos after colony relocation and fusion with another group
Animal welfare is affected by both physical and social environment and these aspects can be particularly critical for cognitively and socially-complex species, such as great apes. We observed a captive group of nine bonobos before (April-June 2021) and after relocation (June-August 2022) and we checked whether and to what extent the transfer would affect their […]
Chimpanzees’ socially maintained food preferences indicate both conservatism and conformity
Chimpanzees remain fixed on a single strategy, even if a novel, more efficient, strategy is introduced. Previous studies reporting such findings have incorporated paradigms in which chimpanzees learn one behavioural method and then are shown a new one that the chimpanzees invariably do not adopt. This study provides the first evidence that chimpanzees show such […]
Considering the role of social dynamics and positional behavior in gestural communication research
While the hominin fossil record cannot inform us on either the presence or extent of social and cognitive abilities that may have paved the way for the emergence of language, studying non-vocal communication among our closest living relatives, the African apes, may provide valuable information about how language originated. Although much has been learned from […]
Friends give benefits: autumn social familiarity preferences predict reproductive output
Fission–fusion dynamics create social instability, as individuals must adjust to changes in group size and composition. In many social species, group changes are associated with increases in aggression, stress responses and individual mortality. It has been hypothesized that fission–fusion processes select for strong bonds between familiar individuals that provide a predictable social environment across group […]