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Counter aggression and reconciliation in Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis)
Matthew A Cooper1, Irwin S Bernstein
1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. biomcc@langate.gsu.edu
American Journal of Primatology
|April 12, 2002
Summary
Assamese macaques exhibit a despotic dominance style, with low counter aggression and rare reconciliation, particularly between sexes. This finding challenges simple phylogenetic correlations and highlights sex differences in primate social behavior.
Area of Science:
- Primatology
- Ethology
- Evolutionary Anthropology
Background:
- The genus Macaca is characterized by the systematic variation hypothesis, suggesting covariation between aggressive and affiliative behaviors like counter aggression and reconciliation.
- These behavioral patterns define a species' dominance style, which Van Schaik's socioecological model links to within- and between-group contest competition.
- Dominance style in macaques is also hypothesized to correlate with phylogeny.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate phylogenetic and socioecological explanations for dominance styles in macaques.
- To test the systematic variation hypothesis in a group of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis).
- To analyze patterns of counter aggression and reconciliation in relation to sex and social relationships.
Main Methods:
- Data collection on counter aggression and reconciliation from a habituated group of Assamese macaques in Assam, India.
- Quantification of agonistic episodes involving counter aggression and calculation of conciliatory tendency.
- Analysis of reconciliation frequencies across different social dyads (male-male, female-female, male-female).
Main Results:
- Counter aggression was infrequent overall but more common among males, especially when females initiated aggression.
- The conciliatory tendency was 11.2%, with low reconciliation rates among males and females, and particularly rare between opposite-sexed opponents.
- Female social relationships aligned with the systematic variation hypothesis, indicating a despotic dominance style.
Conclusions:
- The despotic dominance style in Assamese macaques weakens the correlation between dominance style and phylogeny but remains consistent with socioecological models.
- Male-female relationships did not fit the despotic-egalitarian framework, suggesting potentially more tolerant male social relationships.
- Sex differences are crucial for accurately categorizing species based on dominance style.