Function and Meaning of Wild Gorilla 'Close' Calls

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 827-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H. Harcourt ◽  
K.J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Activity ◽  
Close Call ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members

We investigate the social significance of the within group ('close') calls of gorillas by examining correlates of calling with dominance rank and with relatedness of adults, and by examining whether the outcomes of interactions between adults differ depending on the calls given during the interactions. In two wild gorilla groups, the majority of adults give most of their calls when near another adult and fully in sight of them. Thus gorillas' use 'close' calls as more than mere contact calls. An adult gorilla's use of 'close' calls correlates with its own and with its partner's dominance rank, with effects being most obvious for the most dominant animals, the fully adult males. Thus the proportion of 'double grunts', the most common 'close' call, in an individual's repertoire correlated consistently with dominance rank; all non-silverback adults gave a higher percent of double grunts in the presence of subordinates than they did near dominant animals; individuals were most likely to give 'non-syllabled' grunts in the adult male's presence; and they consistently exchanged calls at a higher rate with the adult males than with other group members. An adult's type of calls did not obviously differ depending on whether their neighbour was kin or non-kin, but kin were overall more likely to give calls in the presence of kin, and to exchange calls with kin than with non-kin, although the association was not consistent throughout the two years of the study. With regard to the consequences of calling, subordinates were less likely to be feeding one minute after an approach by a fully adult male during which calls were exchanged than during silent approaches. In contrast to findings from studies of some other species, calling did not correlate with duration of grooming. We suggest that, among other functions, gorillas' 'close' calls mediate social interactions. One form of calls, 'non-syllabled' calls, are interpretable as appeasement signals. The broadest interpretation of the 'double grunt' is that it is an exaggerated announcement of presence, whose function is to attract attention to the caller, and to signal conditional future activity.

Bonobo baby dominance: Did female defense of offspring lead to reduced male aggression?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Walker ◽  
Brian Hare
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Social System ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Male Aggression ◽  
Dominance Style ◽  
The Social ◽  
Initial Support

The dominance style of bonobos presents an evolutionary puzzle. Bonobos are not male dominant but female bonobos do not show traits typical of female-dominant species. This chapter proposes the offspring dominance hypothesis (ODH) as a potential solution. ODH suggests the social system of bonobos evolved as a defence against infanticide and is not due to pressure to monopolize resources. Females that prevented aggression towards offspring and preferred mating with less aggressive males were most successful. Supporting ODH, during observations at Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary it was found that: 1) adult male bonobos are rarely aggressive towards offspring with mothers, 2) some mother-reared juvenile bonobos attain rank higher than adult males and 3) mother-reared offspring often socially interact with adult males without their mothers nearby. These preliminary findings provide initial support that the bonobo social system evolved due to fitness advantages of effectively protecting offspring against consequences of male aggression. Le style de dominance des bonobos présente un puzzle évolutionnaire. Les bonobos ne sont pas dominés par les mâles mais les bonobos femelles ne montrent pas les traits caractéristiques d’une espèce dominée par femelles. On propose l’hypothèse de dominance de progéniture (ODH) comme une solution potentielle. La ODH suggère que le système social des bonobos a évolué en défense contre l’infanticide et pas sous pression pour la monopolisation des ressources. Les femelles qui préviennent l’agression vers leur progéniture et leur préférence d’accouplement avec des mâles moins agressives étaient très efficaces. À l’appui de la ODH on a trouvé pendant nos observations à Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary que: 1) les mâles adultes bonobos agressent rarement vers les bébés avec mères, 2) quelques adolescents bonobos qui furent élevés par leurs mères atteignent un rang plus haut que les mâles adultes et 3) la progéniture élevée par la mère interagissent avec avec d’adultes mâles sans la présence de leur mère. Ces trouvailles préliminaires donnent appuie à l’hypothèse que le système social des bonobos a évolué par les avantages corporelles de la protection de la progéniture contre les conséquences de l’agression mâle.

Mother-Infant Relationships in Three Species of Macaques (Macaca Mulatta, M. Nemestrina, M. Arctoides). Ii. the Social Environment

Behaviour ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 131 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Maestripieri
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Interspecies Differences ◽  
Infant Handling ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Pigtail Macaques

AbstractThis study compared social interactions between mothers, infants, and other group members in rhesus, pigtail, and stumptail macaques living in large captive social groups. Mother-infant pairs were focally observed in 4 weekly 30-min sessions for the first 12 weeks of infant life. Rhesus and pigtail mothers were remarkably similar in several contact, proximity, and grooming measures, but their scores were lower than those of stumptail mothers. The three species did not differ quantitatively in interest shown in infants by other group members, as measured by infant handling and grooming. Infant handling in stumptail macaques was always gentle and infants were carefully avoided by other group members when off their mothers. Infant handling in rhesus and pigtail macaques also involved harassment and kidnapping. The frequency of infant harassment did not differ in rhesus and pigtail macaques but harassment was more severe in the former than in the latter species. Rhesus mothers reacted aggressively to a higher proportion of infant handling attempts than pigtail and stumptail mothers. These results confirm the hypotheses that female interest in infants does not differ among macaque species and that the quality of infant handling is a good predictor of interspecies differences in maternal protectiveness. Mothering style, however, is probably multidimensionally determined, and to fully understand interspecies differences in mother-infant relationships and their functional significance, we need to understand the mechanisms by which reproductive and ecological variables influence maternal behavior and infant development in primates.

Developmental and Comparative Aspects of Social Play of Mantled Howling Monkeys in Costa Rica

Behaviour ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 123 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 144-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan L. Zucker ◽  
Margaret R. Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Observation Time ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Juvenile Period ◽  
Mantled Howlers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Focal Observation ◽  
Howling Monkeys

AbstractThe social play of infant and juvenile mantled howling monkeys in Costa Rica was studied via focal sampling (529.2 h) of known individuals of known age over a 22-month period. Observations of adult males (291.2 h of focal samples), done over portions of 3 calendar years, provided supplemental data for the social play of adults. Developmental patterns of play are presented, and are compared with data available for other mantled howlers, other sites, and other species of howlers. Social play by infants and juveniles occurred at the rate of .56 bouts/h, represented 5.79% of the total focal observation time, and bouts had a mean duration of 6.19 minutes. Play by an adult male occurred at the rate of .03 bouts/h (.007/h for all 4 adult males combined), represented 0.24% of his total focal time, and had a mean duration of 5.0 minutes. Ontogenetically, social play began in the 8th week of life. Infants' rates of play and percentage of time spent in play increased from the I1 stage through the I3 stage, then decreased into the juvenile period (> 1 year of age). Mean durations of play bouts increased through the 3 infant stages, then decreased slightly in the J1 stage. The occurrence ofplay groups (3 or more individuals) increased through the infant and juvenile stages. As infants aged, a larger percentage of bouts occurred further from the infants' and juveniles' mothers. With respect to social variables, no overall developmental pattern was evident for playing with an older or younger partner, or a partner that was the offspring of a mother ranked higher or lower than one's own mother; different age classes showed different patterns. When an older sibling was available as a play partner, no preference for this relative was shown. I3's had the highest number of different play partners. Immature howlers played predominantly with other immatures (93% of their interactions). The behaviours observed during play were similar to those reported for other howlers; the behaviours emitted by an adult male were similar to those of the juvenile partner, as was the style and intensity of play. The social play of these mantled howlers is viewed with respect to social, demographic, and ecological variables. The play of howlers is both facilitated and constrained by these variables.

The Influence of Siblings On Wild Infant Chimpanzee Social Interaction

Behaviour ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 134 (15-16) ◽  
pp. 1189-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.A. Bard ◽  
L. Brent ◽  
J. Blangero ◽  
C.A. Bramblett ◽  
M.A. Bloomsmith
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
National Park ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
Gombe National Park ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Infant Chimpanzee ◽  
Infant Chimpanzees ◽  
Older Siblings

AbstractThe presence or absence of older siblings influenced the social interactions of 17 wild infant chimpanzees between the ages of 6 and 24 months living at the Gombe National Park, Tanzania. The total amount of time spent in social interaction (contact, grooming and play) was similar for infants with and without siblings, as was the overall level of social interaction with the mother. However, subjects with siblings spent more time with their siblings, while subjects with no siblings interacted with other group members. These results indicate a possible set-point for infant chimpanzee social interaction. Developmental changes were also similar in both groups, but the infants with siblings had lower levels of interaction with the mother and higher levels of interaction with other group members during the age period of 12-18 months. The levels of social behaviors were not related to the sex of the infant.

Group Responses To Specially Skilled Individuals in a Macaca Fascicularis Group

Behaviour ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 107 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 241-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduard Stammbach
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Macaca Fascicularis ◽  
Social Position ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
High Ranking ◽  
The Social ◽  
Lower Ranking ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Two Phases

The aim of this study was to investigate the capability of monkeys to assess special characteristics in conspecifics. In a first phase I ascertained that all members of a colony of longtailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were able to attain food by manipulating a one lever apparatus, thus introducing the "tradition" of lever pulling. Then, experiments were carried out on subgroups of the colony where only one of the lower ranking subgroup members was trained to succeed in a more complex task where three levers had to be pulled in a correct sequence. Eight specialists were established in sequence. These specialists became food producers for themselves and for the other group members. Each trial of a specialist's series was carried out in two phases. In the first, the food phase, the food dispensing apparatus was active and responses of other subgroup members to the food producing specialist were observed. In the second, the social phase, the apparatus remained inactive and observations focused on social interactions of the subgroup. As expected, primarily high ranking subgroup members attempted to participate in the food rewards gained by the specialist. It is shown that high ranking animals began to hold back their initial chasing of the specialist from the food site in course of the trials and were soon tolerated to sit near the subordinate food producer. Furthermore, some of the non-specialists began to follow or even to pass the specialist when he was approaching the apparatus to manipulate the levers. These non-specialists thus indicated that they were able to anticipate later actions. In seven out of 55 specialist-non-specialist relationships all predicted changes in social interactions occurred. In the majority of the dyads in which a change in social affiliation was registered an increase of grooming or spatial proximity was positively correlated with the amount of benefit gained from the specialist. In the social phase of the trials the non-specialists gave more grooming to the food producers and maintained spatial proximity even in this second phase. To conclude: At least some of the group members became aware of the skills of the specialists and adapted their behaviour accordingly as if to maximize benefits from their skills. Previous studies had already suggested that monkeys know about social position, social relationships and kinship of group members. This study adds a new aspect of knowledge, namely knowledge on capabilities and skills of others. Differential knowledge allows monkeys to select partners optimally according to their skills and social position.

Social behavior of alpine marmots (Marmota marmota): seasonal, group, and individual variability

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 1945-1953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Perrin ◽  
Jacques Coulon ◽  
Michel Le Berre
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Active Season ◽  
Play Fighting ◽  
Marmota Marmota ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
Social Events ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Family Groups

The composition and social interactions of three family groups of Marmota marmota were observed during a study in the Vanoise National Park (French Alps) from mid-June to late September. Interactions between members of the same group were mainly cohesive, which confirms the social nature of this species. Social interactions between marmots from different family groups were rare and agonistic. The rate of social interactions decreased as the season progressed, probably in relation to a shift in allocation of energy to preparation for hibernation. Some cohesive interactions increased just before immergence, when marmots restricted their activity to the main burrow system. Rates of social interactions differed between groups and between individuals. Fewer agonistic acts, more play-fighting, and persistence of play-fighting late in the active season among immatures suggest the influence of an ontogenetic component. The most agonistic of the studied groups included an adult male that had recently immigrated. He focused most of his agonistic acts on three 2-year-old males, of which two dispersed during the season. Social events characteristic of each group, individual variability, and level of familiarity between group members influence the quality of social interactions and the dispersal of immatures. Social relationships between familiar individuals are amicable and can facilitate the retention of immatures in their natal group as well as their recruitment by emigrant adults.

scholarly journals Third-party vocal intervention in the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Scheumann ◽  
Kathrin M. Röper ◽  
Senthilvel K. S. S. Nathan ◽  
Benoit Goossens
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Proboscis Monkey ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Third Party Intervention ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Lower Kinabatangan ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractVocal intervention is a triadic social interaction, where a third party responds vocally to a conflict between group members, minimizing the costs of aggression in response to the intervention. Because there is little information on vocal third-party intervention in nonhuman mammals, we investigated whether adult male proboscis monkeys use the bray vocalization as a vocal third-party intervention signal to intervene in intragroup conflicts. First, we audio-recorded 1,811 vocalizations from 17 free-ranging proboscis monkey groups in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, analyzing 378 vocal responses of the adult male to agonistic vocal exchanges (shrieks) of group members. Second, we video- and audio-recorded five habituated groups in the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary investigating the context of these vocalizations and the conflict dyads evoking vocal support. We found that adult males of one-male/multifemale groups mainly uttered bray vocalizations, whereas females, immatures, and infants uttered shrieks in intragroup conflicts or in response to other animal species. The adult male uttered significantly more often brays after agonistic shrieks than expected based on the overall occurrence of brays. Brays ended 65% of agonistic conflicts, which were accompanied by vocalizations of the conflict partners and occurred more often after conflicts between females than between offspring. This suggests that the bray functions as a vocal third-party intervention signal for intragroup conflict resolution. We suggest that living in the high canopies of the tropical rainforest might restrict direct access to conflict partners and prevent physical intervention, favoring the evolution of the bray as a third-party vocal intervention signal.

scholarly journals BEHAVIORAL SYNCHRONY IN IBEX GROUPS: EFFECTS OF AGE, SEX AND HABITAT

Behaviour ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (8) ◽  
pp. 1033-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathreen Ruckstuhl ◽  
Peter Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Activity Budgets ◽  
Male Adult ◽  
Sex Structure ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Group Members

AbstractSynchrony of activities is usually high in foraging groups, possibly to maintain group cohesion. Individuals with different levels of activity budgets, however, may have a hard time synchronizing their behavior to each other without incurring a cost. We predicted that the age and sex structure of a group would affect synchronization levels within a group because of differing individual activity budgets. Individuals in same-sex-age groups were hypothesized to show higher levels of activity synchrony than individuals in mixed sex-age groups. We investigated activity synchrony in adult male, adult female, subadult, and mixed sex-age groups of Alpine ibex - one of the most sexually dimorphic ruminant species. Activity budgets and movement rates were measured to calculate synchrony of activities between group members in June and July 1999. Adult males were more synchronized with group peers than either females or subadults of both sexes. However, while adult males were synchronized in 81% when in bachelor (adult male) groups, they were only synchronized in 65% of the time when in mixed sex-age groups. Adult females were synchronized 61% of their time when in mixed sex-age groups and 69% when in female groups. Individual subadult males displayed higher synchrony when in bachelor or female groups than when in mixed sex-age or subadult mixed-sex groups. Subadult groups and mixed sex-age groups showed the lowest degree of synchrony of all group types. In general, animals in groups of same body-sized individuals were more synchronized with their group members than animals in mixed body-size groups. Two and three year-old males did not adjust their time spent lying to the group but their time spent walking. They also tended to change their time spent grazing and standing according to group type. Among subadults, females spent more time foraging than males but less time lying and standing. There was no difference in time spent walking. Bachelor and subadult groups had the greatest movement rates while female groups were relatively sedentary within escape terrain. Individuals in escape terrain did only marginally synchronize their behavior to each other likely because groups did not move much and synchrony was presumably less important. We conclude that habitat type, group movement rates, and a group's sex-age composition may affect the extent to which an individual will synchronize its activities to the other group members.

Group Modeling in Social Learning Environments

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slavomir Stankov ◽  
Vlado Glavinic ◽  
Divna Krpan
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Group Modeling ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
Group Members

Students’ collaboration while learning could provide better learning environments. Collaboration assumes social interactions which occur in student groups. Social theories emphasize positive influence of such interactions on learning. In order to create an appropriate learning environment that enables social interactions, it is important to carefully choose group members. In this paper, a group modeling process designed both to help students learn better and to face problems in introductory programming courses together is described. The group model is supported by graph theory and used in a popular social network environment. The authors conducted action research, analyzed students’ activities and the social environment, all of which provided us with helpful experiences for further research.

‘It actually painted a picture of the village and the sea and the bottom of the sea’: Reading groups, cultural legitimacy, and description in narrative (with particular reference to John Steinbeck’s The Pearl)

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Allington
Keyword(s):  
Book Club ◽  
Popular Fiction ◽  
Social Production ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
Literary Value ◽  
Reading Groups ◽  
Cultural Legitimacy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Descriptive Writing

This article proposes a form of research that integrates reader study with textual analysis. Its purpose is to investigate the social production of literary value, potentially providing cultural sociology with a systematic means by which to study the formal features of texts in relation to their social significance: a means arguably required by (but not necessarily supplied in) the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of reading group (or ‘book club’) discussions reveals an association between descriptive writing, cultural legitimacy, and a focus on the form, rather than the content, of fictional texts. In order to understand this association, the analysis then turns to two paragraphs from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl (2000 [1946]), which had been read by most of the groups involved and which many group members had referred to as involving ‘description’. It is argued that a long-standing tradition of association between descriptive writing and visual art has served as a resource both for consumers and for producers in distinguishing literature from popular fiction.

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