Social structures in Pan paniscus: testing the female bonding hypothesis

Primates; Journal of Primatology
J StevensLinda Van Elsacker

Abstract

Based on previous research in captivity, bonobos, Pan paniscus, have been called a female-bonded species. However, genetic and behavioural data indicate that wild females migrate. Bonding between these unrelated females would then be in contradiction with socio-ecological models. It has been argued that female bonding has been overemphasized in captive bonobos. We examine patterns of proximity, grooming and support behaviour in six well established captive groups of bonobos. We find that female bonding was not a typical characteristic of all captive bonobo groups. In only two groups there was a trend for females to prefer proximity with other females over association with males. We found no evidence that following or grooming between females was more frequent than between males and unrelated females or between males. Only in coalitions, females supported each other more than male-female or male-male dyads. We also investigated five mother-son pairs. Grooming was more frequent among mothers and sons than in any other dyad, but sons did not groom their mothers more than males groomed unrelated females. Mothers groomed their sons, or provided more support to them than females groomed or supported unrelated males. Thus, while bonds...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1991·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·G Idani
Jan 1, 1974·Behaviour·J Altmann
Mar 1, 1995·Scientific American·F B de Waal
Mar 24, 1999·Molecular Psychiatry·J Veenstra-VanderWeeleE H Cook
Jul 1, 2000·Primates; Journal of Primatology·Hilde VervafckeLinda van Elsacker

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Citations

Jan 24, 2014·PloS One·Emilie GentyKlaus Zuberbühler
Aug 18, 2016·Zoo Biology·Colin M BrandJ Josh Snodgrass
Mar 27, 2018·American Journal of Primatology·Colin M Brand, Linda F Marchant
Dec 19, 2019·Scientific Reports·Jonas VerspeekJeroen M G Stevens
Jun 23, 2018·Primates; Journal of Primatology·Michelle A Rodrigues, Emily R Boeving

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