Dyadic and triadic reconciliation in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina)

Area of Science:

• Primate social behavior
• Ethology
• Animal conflict resolution

Background:

• Aggression in primate societies can extend beyond the initial combatants to involve their relatives.
• Reconciliation, the tendency for former antagonists to affiliate after aggression, is believed to resolve social conflicts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether reconciliation in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) extends to include the kin of combatants.
• To determine if reconciliation patterns are influenced by kinship, dominance rank, and hierarchy adherence.

Main Methods:

• Observation of affiliative behaviors in a captive group of 39 pigtail macaques.
• Comparison of affiliation rates during post-aggression periods with baseline periods.
• Analysis of reconciliation patterns based on dyadic and triadic interactions, kinship, dominance, and hierarchy violations.

Main Results:

• Affiliation rates increased between combatants and opponents, aggressors and opponents' kin, and aggressors and their own kin following aggression.
• Aggression among kin was reconciled more frequently than among non-kin.
• Recipients of aggression reconciled more often than aggressors; reconciliation was higher between individuals with similar dominance ranks and for hierarchy-violating aggression.

Conclusions:

• Pigtail macaques exhibit both dyadic and triadic reconciliation, indicating a broader social function of affiliation after conflict.
• Macaca nemestrina display a moderate-to-high conciliatory tendency compared to other primate species.
• Reconciliation patterns are influenced by social factors such as kinship and dominance, highlighting the complexity of conflict resolution in primate groups.