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Chimpanzee communities differ in their inter- and intrasexual social relationships
Bruce S Rawlings1,2,3, Edwin J C van Leeuwen4,5, Marina Davila-Ross6
1Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
Learning & Behavior
|February 1, 2023
Summary
Chimpanzee social bonds are shaped by their specific social group, not just genetics. This study reveals that demographic differences influence female-female bonding strategies, similar to human cultural influences.
Area of Science:
- Primate behavior
- Social network analysis
- Evolutionary anthropology
Background:
- Human social bonding is influenced by culture and genetics.
- Investigating nonhuman primates can reveal whether social bonds are environmentally or genetically determined.
- Previous studies on wild chimpanzees suggest population-specific bonding strategies, but controlling for ecological factors is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine sex-specific social bonding strategies in two semi-wild chimpanzee groups.
- To determine if social bonds are influenced by group demographics rather than innate predispositions.
- To compare bonding patterns between groups with differing sex ratios but similar ecological conditions.
Main Methods:
- Applied social network analysis to quantify social bonds.
- Compared male-male, female-female, and male-female associations and grooming.
- Analyzed two neighboring chimpanzee groups with comparable subspecies and ecology but different demographic compositions.
Main Results:
- Female-female party co-residence was stronger in a demographically balanced group (Group 1) than in a female-biased group (Group 2).
- Female-female grooming bonds were stronger in the female-biased group (Group 2).
- Maternal kinship significantly predicted proximity and grooming across both groups, aligning with captive studies.
Conclusions:
- Chimpanzee social bonding strategies are influenced by the specific social environment of their group, akin to human cultural shaping.
- Demographic composition, particularly sex ratios, impacts female social bonding patterns.
- Findings challenge the notion of fixed, sex-based bonding predispositions in wild chimpanzees.
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