Chimpanzee immigration: Complex social strategies differ between zoo-based and wild animals
Chimpanzee inter-group encounters are typically aggressive in nature, as individuals have evolved the predisposition to jointly defend their home range against neighbouring groups. In the current study, we present data on the behavioural strategies of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during the integration of one male and two female into a well-established group at Basel Zoo, Switzerland. […]
Social bonds predict future cooperation in male Barbary macaques, Macaca sylvanus
Social bonds have been construed as mental representations mediating social interactions among individuals. It is problematic, however, to differentiate this mechanism from others that assume more direct exchanges and interchanges of behaviour such as reciprocity, market effects or mutualism. We used naturally occurring shifts in rates and patterns of social interactions among male Barbary macaques […]
Consistency of captive giraffe behavior under two different management regimes
Abstract Long-term animal behavior studies are sometimes conducted at a single site, leading to questions about whether effects are limited to animals in the same environment. Our ability to make general conclusions about behavior is improved when we can identify behaviors that are consistent across a range of environments. To extend Veasey and colleagues’ ([1996b] […]
A comparative network analysis of social style in macaques
In group-living species, individuals gain significant advantages from establishing an extensive network of social relationships. This results in complex organizations that are difficult to quantify in a comprehensive manner. In this respect, network analyses are an ideal means to pinpoint the overall properties of social structures, and the place of each individual within these structures. […]
Individual and social determinants of spontaneous group movements in cattle and sheep
Group-living animals travel together to collectively exploit the resources of their environment. This study investigates how social relationships and individual temperament traits affect movement orders in domestic cattle and sheep. We analysed spontaneous group movements occurring at pasture after a resting period in a group of 15 18-month-old Charolais heifers and a group of 19 […]
Prosocial behaviour in animals: the influence of social relationships, communication and rewards
Researchers have struggled to obtain a clear account of the evolution of prosocial behaviour despite a great deal of recent effort. The aim of this review is to take a brief step back from addressing the question of evolutionary origins of prosocial behaviour in order to identify contextual factors that are contributing to variation in […]