Grooming and aggression in captive Japanese macaques

This study investigated the relations between allogrooming and aggression in a captive group of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Our aim was to test whether evidence of an interchange between allogrooming and a reduction in aggression could be identified at a group level. Female Japanese macaques did not direct less aggression to those group mates that groomed them most. Although generally they did not direct more grooming to those group mates that attacked them most, they did show increased grooming towards those nonkin group mates that showed the most aggression. These results are interpreted in light of the conflicting processes that are likely to underlie macaque social choices.