Personality Assessment of Synanthropic Rhesus Macaques: Implications and Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Animal Personality Studies
• Anthropogenic Ecology

Background:

• Understanding animal adaptation to human-dominated environments is crucial for conservation.
• Consistent interindividual differences (personalities) may explain habitat-specific traits enabling coexistence with humans.
• Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are highly successful nonhuman primates in the Anthropocene.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the personalities of synanthropic rhesus macaques.
• To identify biological traits facilitating their success in anthropogenic habitats.
• To explore the adaptive advantages of personality traits in human-dominated environments.

Main Methods:

• A multi-method 'bottom-up' approach using behavioral observations and novelty experiments.
• Focal sampling for behavioral observations to assess repeatable traits.
• Standardized protocols for assessing captive nonhuman primates.

Main Results:

• Two repeatable personality traits were identified: social tension and meekness.
• Males exhibited higher social tension than females.
• Individuals receiving food via contact provisioning showed higher meekness than those with noncontact provisioning.

Conclusions:

• Observed personality traits may confer adaptive advantages in human-dominated settings.
• Challenges exist in applying captive-based protocols to free-living populations, highlighting the need for ecologically valid assessments.
• Identifying traits in synanthropic species offers insights into mechanisms of thriving amidst human expansion.