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Burghardt GM, Pellis SM, Schank JC, Smaldino PE, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Palagi E. Animal play and evolution: Seven timely research issues about enigmatic phenomena. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105617. [PMID: 38458553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The nature of play in animals has been long debated, but progress is being made in characterizing play and its variants, documenting its distribution across vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, describing its mechanisms and development, and proposing testable theories about its origins, evolution, and adaptive functions. To achieve a deeper understanding of the functions and evolution of play, integrative and conceptual advances are needed in neuroscience, computer modeling, phylogenetics, experimental techniques, behavior development, and inter- and intra-specific variation. The special issue contains papers documenting many of these advances. Here, we describe seven timely areas where further research is needed to understand this still enigmatic class of phenomena more fully. Growing empirical and theoretical evidence reveals that play has been crucial in the evolution of behavior and psychology but has been underestimated, if not ignored, in both empirical and theoretical areas of evolutionary biology and neuroscience. Play research has important ramifications for understanding the evolution of cognition, emotion, and culture, and research on animals can be both informative and transformative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Burghardt
- Departments of Psychology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Sergio M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeffrey C Schank
- Department of Psychology and Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Paul E Smaldino
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA, and Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa and Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Bagnato S, Pedruzzi L, Goracci J, Palagi E. The interconnection of hierarchy, affiliative behaviours, and social play shapes social dynamics in Maremmana beef cattle. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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A systematic review of sex differences in rough and tumble play across non-human mammals. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It is widely believed that juvenile male mammals typically engage in higher rates of rough and tumble play (RTP) than do females, in preparation for adult roles involving intense physical competition between males. The consistency of this sex difference across diverse mammalian species has, however, not yet been systematically investigated, limiting our current understanding of its possible adaptive function. This review uses narrative synthesis to (i) evaluate the ubiquity of male-biased RTP across non-human mammals, (ii) identify patterns of variation within and between taxonomic groups, and (iii) propose possible predictors of variation in these differences, including methodological and socio-ecological factors, for investigation by future studies. We find that most species studied do exhibit higher rates or RTP in males than females, while female-biased RTP is rare. Sex differences are smaller and less consistent than expected, with many studies finding similar rates of RTP in males and females. We identify multiple potential socio-ecological predictors of variation in sex differences in RTP, such as intrasexual competition and dietary niche. However, variation is not strongly phylogenetically patterned, suggesting that methodological and environmental factors, such as sample size and play partner availability, are important to consider in future comparative analyses.
Significance statement
Rough and tumble play (RTP) is thought to be vital for developing physical skills necessary for aggressive competition in adulthood, explaining an apparently widespread sex difference in RTP in mammals whereby immature males are more likely to engage in this behaviour than females. However, no prior study has systematically investigated the extent to which a male bias in RTP is consistent across diverse mammalian species. We find that although RTP is commonly male biased, findings were highly variable both within- and between-species, and equal participation in RTP by males and females is more common than widely assumed. Our review suggests several potential predictors of variation in sex differences in RTP, particularly levels of intrasexual competition in both males and females. However, our findings also suggest the importance of considering methodological in addition to socio-ecological factors for future research.
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Yang L, Sun T, Zhou Y, Tang C, Huang C, Fan P, Zhou Q. Pattern of play behavior in infant (age 1 to 12 months) white‐headed langurs in limestone forests, southwest China. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9160. [PMID: 35949525 PMCID: PMC9351325 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Play behavior is a significant trait of immature nonhuman primates (hereafter primates) that plays an important role in sensory, locomotor, socio‐cognitive, and developmental processes. It has been suggested that the function of play is to practice and improve motor skills related to foraging, avoiding predators, attracting mates, raising offspring, and strengthening the skills needed for the formation and maintenance of social bonds. From September 2009 to August 2010, we investigated the play behavior of 1–12 month‐old infant white‐headed langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) a Critically Endangered primate species endemic to China. We carried out this study in the Guangxi Chongzuo White‐headed Langur National Nature Reserve, and recorded 4421 play bouts and 1302 min of play engaged in by seven infants. We found that infants of different ages exhibited different patterns of play behavior. Specifically, nonsocial play behaviors appeared at one month of age, social play behaviors at two months, and an expanded repertoire of social and non‐social play behaviors at three months of age. The frequency and duration of nonsocial play peaked at five months of age and then decreased, while social play gradually increased with age. Nonsocial play did not differ between the sexes, whereas social play showed sex specificity, with a higher frequency and longer duration of social play in male infants compared to female infants. In addition, male and female white‐headed langur infants appeared to prefer individuals of same sex as social playmates, but no obvious choice preference for a specific individual. In conclusion, we provide the first report of play behavior in a population of wild Critically Endangered white‐headed langurs. We suggest that age‐ and sex‐specific differences in play behavior of infants form the bases for age and sex‐based differences in the social interactions of adult langurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liting Yang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
| | - Tao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
| | - Yingming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
| | - Chuangbin Tang
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities Chongzuo Guangxi China
| | - Chengming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Penglai Fan
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
| | - Qihai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education Guilin Guangxi China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University Guilin Guangxi China
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Palagi E, Bergman TJ. Bridging Captive and Wild Studies: Behavioral Plasticity and Social Complexity in Theropithecus gelada. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3003. [PMID: 34680022 PMCID: PMC8532610 DOI: 10.3390/ani11103003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive ethology explores the ability of animals to flexibly adapt their behavior to rapid physical and social environment fluctuations. Although there is a historical dichotomy between field and captive studies, recently, a growing interest in questions that sit at the intersection of cognitive and adaptive perspectives has helped bridge this divide. By focusing on Theropithecus gelada, we discuss the three main reasons why this hybrid approach is extremely successful. First, captive and wild studies provide data at different social, spatial, and temporal scales that can be synthesized to give a fuller picture of the behavior. Secondly, apparently conflicting results from captive and wild settings are powerful tools to explore behavioral flexibility and latent behavioral tendencies. Third, the different settings provide ways of validating and exploring behaviors that are noticed in the other setting. Although we were able to bring together our captive and wild research to demonstrate these ideas, we could have obtained a more integrated vision on the proximate and ultimate gelada behavioral and cognitive strategies if we had considered this hybrid approach from the beginning. We hope that this manuscript stimulates scholars in designing their studies by taking into account the incredible potential of a complementary captive-wild research approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci, 56011 Pisa, Italy
| | - Thore J. Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 4054 East Hall 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Nolfo AP, Casetta G, Palagi E. Play fighting in wild spotted hyaenas: like a bridge over the troubled water of a hierarchical society. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Infant handling increases grooming towards mothers in wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Behav Processes 2021; 192:104501. [PMID: 34517089 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Infant handling - involving affiliative behavior from non-mothers to infants - is a phenomenon that is variably present in Old World monkeys and can be granted by mothers to obtain social services, such as grooming. Here we investigated for the first time whether infant handling could influence grooming exchange in wild geladas. We gathered data on the population of Kundi highland (Ethiopia) in 2019/2020. Via sampling on 15 focal mothers from eight different One-Male Units, we video-recorded 55 grooming sessions between focal mothers and non-focal females (mothers or non-mothers). We also recorded the possible occurrence of infant handling performed by non-focal females. We found that grooming sessions were longer between mother and non-mothers and in the presence than in the absence of infant handling. Hence, our results show that infant handling can influence the grooming exchange between wild gelada females. Because grooming is used to establish and reinforce social bonds in primates, infant handling may act as a 'social bridge' in a female bonded society. From an evolutionary perspective, infant handling strategies might represent the stepping stone to more complex forms of infant care, such as allomaternal care and cooperative breeding.
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Caselli M, Zanoli A, Dagradi C, Gallo A, Yazezew D, Tadesse A, Capasso M, Ianniello D, Rinaldi L, Palagi E, Norscia I. Wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in crops-more than in pasture areas-reduce aggression and affiliation. Primates 2021; 62:571-584. [PMID: 34061281 PMCID: PMC8225520 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00916-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Human-primate interfaces are expanding and, despite recent studies on primates from peri-urban environments, little research exists on the impact of agriculture and/or pasture areas on primate social behavior and health. We assessed how crop/pasture areas potentially alter social behavior and health of wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada) frequenting the unprotected area of Kundi (Ethiopia). We predicted that compared to pasture areas, crop areas (i) would be more challenging for geladas (prediction 1) and (ii) would have a greater impact on both aggressive and affiliative behavior, by reducing grooming time and enhancing competition (prediction 2). During January-May 2019 and December 2019-February 2020, we collected data (via scan, focal animal sampling, and video analyses) on direct human disturbance, external signs of pathologies and social behavior of 140 individuals from 14 one-male units and two all-male units. Animals experienced the highest level of human disturbance in crop areas (in line with prediction 1). Individuals from the groups preferentially frequenting crop areas showed the highest prevalence of external signs of pathologies consistent with chemical and biological contamination (alopecia/abnormally swollen parts). We collected 48 fecal samples. Samples from frequent crop users contained the highest rates of parasitic elements/gram (egg/larva/oocyst/cyst) from Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, a parasite common in human settlements of the Amhara region. In crop areas, subjects spent less time grooming but engaged in lower rates of intense aggression (in partial agreement with prediction 2). We speculate that the reduction in social behavior may be a tactic adopted by geladas to minimize the likelihood of detection and maximize food intake while foraging in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Carlo Dagradi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gallo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Dereje Yazezew
- Department of Biology, Debre Behran University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Tadesse
- Department of Biology, Debre Behran University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Michele Capasso
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Ianniello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
- University of Pisa, Natural History Museum, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy.
- University of Pisa, Natural History Museum, Pisa, Italy.
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Sex-Specific Variation of Social Play in Wild Immature Tibetan Macaques, Macaca thibetana. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030805. [PMID: 33805653 PMCID: PMC7998643 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Social play among immature individuals has been well-documented across a wide range of mammalian species. It represents a substantial part of the daily behavioral repertoire during immature periods, and it is essential for acquiring an appropriate set of motor, cognitive, and social skills. In this study, we found that infant Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) exhibited similar patterns of social play between males and females, juvenile males engaged more aggressive play than juvenile females, and juvenile females engaged more affiliative play than juvenile males. Our results provided more evidence to understand the functional differences of social play in immature nonhuman primates. Abstract Theories proposed to explain social play have centered on its function in establishing social relationships critical for adulthood, its function in developing motor skills needed to survive, and promoting cognitive development and social learning. In this study, we compared variations in social play among infant and juvenile male and female Macaca thibetana. Given that this species is characterized by female philopatry and male dispersal, we hypothesized that immature females use social play as a mechanism to develop bonds that persist through adulthood whereas immature males use play to develop social skills needed to successfully enter new groups. The results indicated that social play steadily increased during the infant period and peaked at approximately 12 months of age. There were no significant differences in the frequency or types of social play exhibited between infant males and infant females. During the juvenile period, however, social play was found to decrease with age, with males engaging in social play more frequently than juvenile females. Moreover, whereas juvenile males engaged in more aggressive forms of play, juvenile females engaged in more affiliative forms of play. In addition, juvenile females engaged in higher rates of grooming than juvenile males. These results provide evidence of sex-specific differences and imply the functional variation of social play in Tibetan macaques, with immature males using social play to develop skills needed to enter and enhanced their dominance rank in a new social group and immature females using social play to develop long-term same-sex social bonds in their natal group.
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Gallo A, Caselli M, Norscia I, Palagi E. Let's unite in play! Play modality and group membership in wild geladas. Behav Processes 2021; 184:104338. [PMID: 33513433 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Two of the main hypotheses put forth to explain the function of immature social play are the Social Skill Hypothesis and the Motor Training Hypothesis focussing on whether play can improve social competence to develop cooperative social networks or physical abilities to outcompete others, respectively. Here, we tested these hypotheses on a monkey species, the wild gelada (Theropithecus gelada) from the Kundi plateau, Ethiopia. This species is organized in bands divided in One-Male Units (OMUs), united only via social play. Immatures form 'play units' in which individuals from the same and different OMUs interact. We analysed the potential differences between inter- and intra-OMU play to verify which of the two hypotheses (Social Skill or Motor Training Hypothesis) best explains the function of play in geladas. We analysed 527 video-recorded social play sessions and found mixed support for both hypotheses. In agreement with the Social Skill Hypothesis, we found that play in geladas shows scarce social canalization being similarly distributed across age, sex and group membership. In line with the Motor Training Hypothesis, we detected higher levels of competition (shorter and more unbalanced sessions) in inter-OMU compared to intra-OMU play. Hence, in geladas play can be a tool for both the development of social relationships and the improvement of the physical skills necessary to cope with either future mates or competitors. In conclusion, neither hypothesis can be discarded and both hypotheses concur in explaining why immature geladas peculiarly form 'play units' embracing both ingroup and outgroup members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gallo
- University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Caselli
- University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy; Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011, Calci, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011, Calci, Pisa, Italy; Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
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Cangiano M, Palagi E. First evidence of stone handling in geladas: From simple to more complex forms of object play. Behav Processes 2020; 180:104253. [PMID: 32971221 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Stone Handling (SH) is a solitary object play behaviour that can vary from simple exploratory actions to more complex manipulations. So far, among primates, this behaviour has been exclusively reported in macaques. We collected data on 62 geladas (Theropithecus gelada) housed at the NaturZoo (Rheine, Germany). We found that about 70% of subjects belonging to all age- and sex-classes engaged in SH. Due to their exceptional manipulative skills (the highest opposability index among nonhuman primates) and propensity to play, geladas are a good model species to test hypotheses on the function of this form of object play. While the frequency of SH tended to decrease with age of the player, the duration of each session and its complexity tended to increase in juveniles/subadults and adults compared to infants. This age-related variation in terms of frequency, duration and complexity suggests that, in agreement with the motor training hypothesis, SH could have a role in the neural-motor development of immature subjects and a basic function in stimulating neurogenesis and maintaining the psychological well-being of adults. In all age classes, the frequency of SH did not vary across pre-feeding, feeding and non-feeding conditions. Hence, our data do not support the misdirected foraging hypothesis, which predicts that animals engage in SH to anticipate food provisioning. In conclusion, our study reveals, for the first time, the presence of SH outside the genus Macaca and attempts to delineate possible functions of the behaviour in geladas. Since the hypotheses tested cannot be mutually exclusive, long-term studies of SH across individuals' lifetimes in both captive and wild groups of geladas are needed to clarify the proximate and ultimate functions of the behaviour in this species of Papionini. Finally, long-term studies could also provide some important indications about the cultural nature and social transmission of SH in a taxonomic group outside the Macaca genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cangiano
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, Pisa, Italy; Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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Pacheco XP. How consistently do personality attributes relate to an individual’s position within a social network: a comparison across groups of captive meerkats. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02880-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Forcina G, Vallet D, Le Gouar PJ, Bernardo-Madrid R, Illera G, Molina-Vacas G, Dréano S, Revilla E, Rodríguez-Teijeiro JD, Ménard N, Bermejo M, Vilà C. From groups to communities in western lowland gorillas. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182019. [PMID: 30963928 PMCID: PMC6408619 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social networks are the result of interactions between individuals at different temporal scales. Thus, sporadic intergroup encounters and individual forays play a central role in defining the dynamics of populations in social species. We assessed the rate of intergroup encounters for three western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla) groups with daily observations over 5 years, and non-invasively genotyped a larger population over four months. Both approaches revealed a social system much more dynamic than anticipated, with non-aggressive intergroup encounters that involved social play by immature individuals, exchanges of members between groups likely modulated by kinship, and absence of infanticide evidenced by infants not fathered by the silverback of the group where they were found. This resulted in a community composed of groups that interacted frequently and not-aggressively, contrasting with the more fragmented and aggressive mountain gorilla ( G. beringei beringei) societies. Such extended sociality can promote the sharing of behavioural and cultural traits, but might also increase the susceptibility of western lowland gorillas to infectious diseases that have decimated their populations in recent times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Forcina
- Departments of Integrative Ecology and Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Dominique Vallet
- UMR 6553 - EcoBio (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution), CNRS, Univ Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Pascaline J. Le Gouar
- UMR 6553 - EcoBio (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution), CNRS, Univ Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Rubén Bernardo-Madrid
- Departments of Integrative Ecology and Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Germán Illera
- Odzala-Lossi Conservation/Research Program, SPAC Foundation gGmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guillem Molina-Vacas
- Odzala-Lossi Conservation/Research Program, SPAC Foundation gGmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stéphane Dréano
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes) - UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Eloy Revilla
- Departments of Integrative Ecology and Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Nelly Ménard
- UMR 6553 - EcoBio (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution), CNRS, Univ Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Magdalena Bermejo
- Odzala-Lossi Conservation/Research Program, SPAC Foundation gGmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Vilà
- Departments of Integrative Ecology and Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
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Wright KR, Mayhew JA, Sheeran LK, Funkhouser JA, Wagner RS, Sun LX, Li JH. Playing it cool: Characterizing social play, bout termination, and candidate play signals of juvenile and infant Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). Zool Res 2018; 39:272-283. [PMID: 29766979 PMCID: PMC5968856 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2018.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Play behaviors and signals during playful interactions with juvenile conspecifics are important for both the social and cognitive development of young animals. The social organization of a species can also influence juvenile social play. We examined the relationships among play behaviors, candidate play signals, and play bout termination in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) during juvenile and infant social play to characterize the species play style. As Tibetan macaques are despotic and live in groups with strict linear dominance hierarchies and infrequent reconciliation, we predicted that play would be at risk of misinterpretation by both the individuals engaged in the play bout and by those watching, possibly leading to injury of the players. Animals living in such societies might need to frequently and clearly signal playful intent to play partners and other group members to avoid aggressive outcomes. We gathered video data on 21 individually-identified juvenile and infant macaques (one month to five years of age) from the Valley of the Wild Monkeys, Mt. Huangshan, China. We used all-occurrence sampling to record play behaviors and candidate play signals based on an ethogram. We predicted that play groups would use multiple candidate play signals in a variety of contexts and in association with the number of audience members in proximity to the players and play bout length. In the 283 playful interactions we scored, juvenile and infant macaques used multiple body and facial candidate play signals. Our data showed that juvenile and infant Tibetan macaques use a versatile repertoire of play behaviors and signals to sustain play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R Wright
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Jessica A Mayhew
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Lori K Sheeran
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Jake A Funkhouser
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Ronald S Wagner
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Li-Xing Sun
- Primate Behavior and Ecology Program, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Central Washington University, WA 98926, USA
| | - Jin-Hua Li
- School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University Hefei Anhui 230601, China; E-mail:
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15
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Abstract
Visual signals convey emotions and intentions between individuals. Darwin underlined that human facial expressions represent a shared heritage between our species and many other social mammals. Social play is a fertile field to examine the role and the potential communicative function of facial expressions. The relaxed open-mouth (or play face) is a context-specific playful expression, which is widespread in human and non-human mammals. Here, we focus on playful communication by applying Tinbergen's four areas of inquiry: proximate causation, ontogeny, function, and evolution. First of all we explore mimicry by focusing on its neural substrates and factors of modulation within playful and non-playful context (proximate causation). Play face is one of the earliest facial expressions to appear and be mimicked in neonates. The motor resonance between infants and their caregivers is essential later in life when individuals begin to engage in increasingly complex social interactions, including play (ontogeny). The success of a playful session can be evaluated by its duration in time. Mirroring facial expressions prolongs the session by favoring individuals to fine-tune their own motor sequences accordingly (function). Finally, through a comparative approach we also demonstrate that the elements constituting play communication and mimicry are sensitive to the quality of interindividual relationships of a species, thus reflecting the nature of its social network and style (evolution). In conclusion, our goal is to integrate Tinbergen's four areas of ethological inquiry to provide a broader framework regarding the importance of communication and mimicry in the play domain of humans and other social mammals.
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Cafazzo S, Marshall-Pescini S, Essler JL, Virányi Z, Kotrschal K, Range F. In wolves, play behaviour reflects the partners' affiliative and dominance relationship. Anim Behav 2018; 141:137-150. [PMID: 30057422 PMCID: PMC6058079 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Puppy packs (consisting of only puppies) and mixed-age packs (composed of puppies and adults) were observed to test whether social play can be used for assessing and establishing social relations in wolves, Canis lupus. Differently from previous studies, we looked at play behaviours in detail, allowing us to categorize play interactions as either competitive or relaxed, and predicted that different types of play would be associated with different relationships between individuals. We found that the more time dyads spent in relaxed play, the more affiliative interactions they exchanged outside of play. In the mixed-age packs, dyads that spent more time in both relaxed and competitive play showed fewer exchanges of aggressive behaviours. Conversely, in puppy packs, the more time dyads spent in competitive play, the more aggressive interactions were exchanged outside of play. Since clear dominance relationships emerged in the mixed-age packs, but not in puppy packs, we suggest that play can help to reduce the frequency of aggressive interactions only when a clear hierarchy exists between pack members. Furthermore, we found that in both puppy and mixed-age packs, dominance relationships were reflected and rarely reversed during play. Finally, dyads with a less clear dominance relationship spent more time playing in a competitive way. Overall, our results support the social assessment hypothesis suggesting that social relationships outside of play are reflected during playful interactions. Moreover, we revealed how different types of play, that is, playing in a competitive or relaxed way, may be related to different social relationships. This distinction between play types has not been acknowledged before but could help researchers better understand the functions of play in different species. Wolves may use play to establish and assess social relationships. Play behaviour is correlated with both affiliative and dominance relationships. Play may reduce the rate of aggressions when a clear hierarchy exists in the pack. Different types of play may be related to different social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Cafazzo
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jennifer L Essler
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Not just for fun! Social play
as a springboard for adult social competence in human and non-human
primates. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2506-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cenni
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB); University of Exeter; Exeter UK
- Department of Psychology; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge AB Canada
| | - Tim W. Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB); University of Exeter; Exeter UK
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Cordoni G, Norscia I, Bobbio M, Palagi E. Differences in play can illuminate differences in affiliation: A comparative study on chimpanzees and gorillas. PLoS One 2018. [PMID: 29513696 PMCID: PMC5841745 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Play behaviour reinforces social affiliation in several primate species, including humans. Via a comparative approach, we tested the hypothesis that play dynamics in a group of lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are different from those in a group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as a reflection of their difference in social affiliation and agonistic support. We selected one group of lowland gorillas and one of chimpanzees, hosted at the ZooParc de Beauval (France), managed in a similar way and living in similar enclosures. The same observers video-collected and analysed data on play behaviour in both groups, by applying identical methodological procedures. Data showed that adult play was less frequent in the group of gorillas compare to chimpanzees. Polyadic play, which involves more than two players and is characterised by the most uncertain outcome, was also less frequent in gorillas than chimpanzees. Play sessions were more unbalanced (more unidirectional patterns by one of the player towards the other) in chimpanzees than in gorillas but in the latter play escalated more frequently into serious aggression. Play asymmetry in the gorilla group increased as the number of players increased, which explains why gorillas limited their polyadic playful interactions. In conclusion, our findings on the study groups of apes can be a valuable starting point to expand the study of social play in the great apes to evaluate if inter-individual affiliative relationships really account for the differences in play distribution and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Cordoni
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci (Pisa), Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci (Pisa), Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Maria Bobbio
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci (Pisa), Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci (Pisa), Italy
- * E-mail:
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20
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Does behavioral flexibility contribute to successful play among juvenile rhesus macaques? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2377-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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21
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Grueter CC, Robbins MM, Abavandimwe D, Ortmann S, Mudakikwa A, Ndagijimana F, Vecellio V, Stoinski TS. Elevated activity in adult mountain gorillas is related to consumption of bamboo shoots. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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22
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Abstract
The synthesis provided by Kline in the target article is noteworthy, but ignores the inseparable role of play in the evolution of learning and teaching in both humans and other animals. Play is distinguished and advantaged by its positive feedback reinforcement through pleasure. Play, especially between adults and infants, is probably the platform from which human learning and teaching evolved.
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23
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Pallante V, Stanyon R, Palagi E. Agonistic support towards victims buffers aggression in geladas (Theropithecus gelada). BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Agonistic support occurs when a bystander intervenes in an ongoing conflict. The consequences of agonistic support may differ when provided to victims or aggressors. Supporting victims may not only protect them, but also limit the escalation of aggression among group members. Our results on Theropithecus gelada showed that support was preferentially directed towards victims and high-ranking individuals provided the highest levels of support. Whereas the support towards the aggressor had no effect in reducing its renewed aggression, it increased the frequency of subsequent conflicts among fellows. The support towards victims significantly reduced subsequent aggression both towards the victim and among other group members. The support was biased towards victims who were unrelated and shared weak bonds with the aggressors. In conclusion, victim support may be a social tool, which intervenes when other mechanisms are less likely to occur such as the case when the opponents are not kin or friends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Pallante
- aAnthropology Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Roscoe Stanyon
- aAnthropology Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- bNatural History Museum, University of Pisa, via Roma 79, 56011 Calci (PI), Italy
- cInstitute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, Via Aldrovandi 2, 00197 Rome, Italy
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24
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Loseth GE, Ellingsen DM, Leknes S. State-dependent μ-opioid modulation of social motivation. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:430. [PMID: 25565999 PMCID: PMC4264475 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Social mammals engage in affiliative interactions both when seeking relief from negative affect and when searching for pleasure and joy. These two motivational states are both modulated by μ-opioid transmission. The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) system in the brain mediates pain relief and reward behaviors, and is implicated in social reward processing and affiliative bonding across mammalian species. However, pharmacological manipulation of the μ-opioid system has yielded opposite effects on rodents and primates: in rodents, social motivation is generally increased by MOR agonists and reduced by antagonists, whereas the opposite pattern has been shown in primates. Here, we address this paradox by taking into account differences in motivational state. We first review evidence for μ-opioid mediation of reward processing, emotion regulation, and affiliation in humans, non-human primates, rodents and other species. Based on the consistent cross-species similarities in opioid functioning, we propose a unified, state-dependent model for μ-opioid modulation of affiliation across the mammalian species. Finally, we show that this state-dependent model is supported by evidence from both rodent and primate studies, when species and age differences in social separation response are taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guro E. Loseth
- Department of Psychology, University of OsloOslo, Norway
| | | | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of OsloOslo, Norway
- The Intervention Centre, Oslo University HospitalOslo, Norway
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25
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Filipčík R, Máchal L, Baholet D, Chládek G, Hošek M, Paldusová M. The Daily Pattern of Main Activities in the Gelada Baboon (Theropithecus gelada). ACTA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE ET SILVICULTURAE MENDELIANAE BRUNENSIS 2014. [DOI: 10.11118/actaun201462050891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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26
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Nunes S, Weidenbach JN, Lafler MR, Dever JA. Sibling relatedness and social play in juvenile ground squirrels. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1848-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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27
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Leone A, Ferrari PF, Palagi E. Different yawns, different functions? Testing social hypotheses on spontaneous yawning in Theropithecus gelada. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4010. [PMID: 24500137 PMCID: PMC5379258 DOI: 10.1038/srep04010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we tested hypotheses about the potential functions of yawning based on its intensity and social contexts. Due to their spectrum intensity of yawns (covered teeth/YW1; uncovered teeth/YW2; uncovered gums/YW3), geladas are a good model species for this purpose. We suggest that yawns of different intensity can bear different information according to the performer, the context and the behavioural pattern temporally associated to the yawn event. YW3, mainly performed by high ranking males during periods of high social tension, was frequently associated with an auditory component and often accompanied by scratching (a measure of anxiety). YW1 and YW2, preferentially performed by females, were frequently associated to lip smacking, an affiliative display. In conclusion, even though a clear-cut functional distinction of geladas' yawn intensity is difficult, YW1 and YW2 seem to be more linked to affiliative social interactions; whereas, YW3 seems to be more linked to agonistic and tension situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Leone
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
- Centro Ateneo Museo di Storia Naturale, Calci, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Centro Ateneo Museo di Storia Naturale, Calci, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
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28
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Hanuláková Š, Máchal L, Hloucalová P, Horský R, Chládek G. Social relationships existing among gelada (Theropithecus gelada) males in the Zoo Zlín. ACTA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE ET SILVICULTURAE MENDELIANAE BRUNENSIS 2013. [DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361061653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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29
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Mancini G, Ferrari PF, Palagi E. In play we trust. Rapid facial mimicry predicts the duration of playful interactions in geladas. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66481. [PMID: 23785501 PMCID: PMC3681958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The primate play-face is homologous to the human facial display accompanying laughter. Through facial mimicry, the play-face evokes in the perceiver a similar positive emotional state. This sensorimotor and emotional sharing can be adaptive, as it allows individuals to fine-tune their own motor sequences accordingly thus increasing cooperation in play. It has been recently demonstrated that, not only humans and apes, but also geladas are able to mimic others' facial expressions. Here, we describe two forms of facial mimicry in Theropithecus gelada: rapid (RFM, within 1.0 s) and delayed (DFM, within 5.0 s). Play interactions characterized by the presence of RFM were longer than those with DFM thus suggesting that RFM is a good indicator of the quality of communicative exchanges and behavioral coordination. These findings agree with the proposal of a mirror mechanism operating during perception and imitation of facial expressions. In an evolutionary perspective, our findings suggest that RFM not only was already present in the common ancestor of cercopitecoids and hominoids, but also that there is a relationship between RFM and length and quality of playful interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Mancini
- Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Calci, Pisa, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma, Italy
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30
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Blumstein DT, Chung LK, Smith JE. Early play may predict later dominance relationships in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130485. [PMID: 23536602 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Play has been defined as apparently functionless behaviour, yet since play is costly, models of adaptive evolution predict that it should have some beneficial function (or functions) that outweigh its costs. We provide strong evidence for a long-standing, but poorly supported hypothesis: that early social play is practice for later dominance relationships. We calculated the relative dominance rank by observing the directional outcome of playful interactions in juvenile and yearling yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) and found that these rank relationships were correlated with later dominance ranks calculated from agonistic interactions, however, the strength of this relationship attenuated over time. While play may have multiple functions, one of them may be to establish later dominance relationships in a minimally costly way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.
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31
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Mancini G, Ferrari PF, Palagi E. Rapid facial mimicry in geladas. Sci Rep 2013; 3:1527. [PMID: 23538990 PMCID: PMC3610402 DOI: 10.1038/srep01527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid facial mimicry (RFM) is an automatic response, in which individuals mimic others' expressions. RFM, only demonstrated in humans and apes, is grounded in the automatic perception-action coupling of sensorimotor information occurring in the mirror neuron system. In humans, RFM seems to reflect the capacity of individuals to empathize with others. Here, we demonstrated that, during play, RFM is also present in a cercopithecoid species (Theropithecus gelada). Mother-infant play sessions were not only characterized by the highest levels of RFM, but also by the fastest responses. Our findings suggest that RFM in humans have homologous not only in apes, but also in cercopitecoids. Moreover, data point to similarities in the modality in which mother-infant synchronous behaviours are expressed among primates, suggesting a common evolutionary root in the basic elements of mother-infant affective exchanges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Mancini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma, via Volturno 39, 43125, Parma
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, via Roma 79, 56011, Calci, Pisa
| | | | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, via Roma 79, 56011, Calci, Pisa
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione – CNR - via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 16/b - 00197, Roma
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33
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Matsuda I, Zhang P, Swedell L, Mori U, Tuuga A, Bernard H, Sueur C. Comparisons of Intraunit Relationships in Nonhuman Primates Living in Multilevel Social Systems. INT J PRIMATOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-012-9616-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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34
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Cordoni G, Palagi E. Ontogenetic trajectories of chimpanzee social play: similarities with humans. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27344. [PMID: 22110630 PMCID: PMC3217932 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 10/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social play, a widespread phenomenon in mammals, is a multifunctional behavior, which can have many different roles according to species, sex, age, relationship quality between playmates, group membership, context, and habitat. Play joins and cuts across a variety of disciplines leading directly to inquiries relating to individual developmental changes and species adaptation, thus the importance of comparative studies appears evident. Here, we aim at proposing a possible ontogenetic pathway of chimpanzee play (Pan troglodytes) and contrast our data with those of human play. Chimpanzee play shows a number of changes from infancy to juvenility. Particularly, solitary and social play follows different developmental trajectories. While solitary play peaks in infancy, social play does not show any quantitative variation between infancy and juvenility but shows a strong qualitative variation in complexity, asymmetry, and playmate choice. Like laughter in humans, the playful expressions in chimpanzees (at the different age phases) seem to have a role in advertising cooperative dispositions and intentions thus increasing the likelihood of engaging in solid social relationships. In conclusion, in chimpanzees, as in humans, both play behavior and the signals that accompany play serve multiple functions according to the different age phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Cordoni
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Vademecos, Biology Professional Association, Viareggio, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Roma, Italy
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35
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Antonacci D, Norscia I, Palagi E. Stranger to familiar: wild strepsirhines manage xenophobia by playing. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13218. [PMID: 20949052 PMCID: PMC2951354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 09/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The power of play in limiting xenophobia is a well-known phenomenon in humans. Yet, the evidence in social animals remains meager. Here, we aim to determine whether play promotes social tolerance toward strangers in one of the most basal group of primates, the strepsirhines. We observed two groups of wild lemurs (Propithecus verreauxi, Verreaux's sifaka) during the mating season. Data were also collected on nine visiting, outgroup males. We compared the distribution of play, grooming, and aggressive interactions across three conditions: OUT (resident/outgroup interactions), IN (resident/resident interactions in presence of outgroups) and BL-IN (baseline of resident/resident interactions in absence of outgroups). Play frequency between males was higher in OUT than in IN and BL-IN conditions; whereas, grooming was more frequent in IN than in OUT and BL-IN conditions. Aggression rates between resident and outgroup males were significantly higher than those between residents. However, aggressions between resident and outgroup males significantly decreased after the first play session and became comparable with resident-resident aggression levels. The presence of strangers in a well-established group implies the onset of novel social circumstances, which sifaka males cope with by two different tactics: grooming with ingroup males and playing with outgroup ones. The grooming peak, concurrently with the visit of outgroups, probably represents a social shield adopted by resident males to make their pre-existing affiliation more evident to the stranger “audience”. Being mostly restricted to unfamiliar males, adult play in sifaka appears to have a role in managing new social situations more than in maintaining old relationships. In particular, our results indicate not only that play is the interface between strangers but also that it has a specific function in reducing xenophobia. In conclusion, play appears to be an ice-breaker mechanism in the critical process that “upgrades” an individual from stranger to familiar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Antonacci
- Centro Interdipartimentale Museo di Storia Naturale e del Territorio, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Centro Interdipartimentale Museo di Storia Naturale e del Territorio, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Centro Interdipartimentale Museo di Storia Naturale e del Territorio, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, The National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Leone A, Mignini M, Mancini G, Palagi E. Aggression does not increase friendly contacts among bystanders in geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Primates 2010; 51:299-305. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-010-0204-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2010] [Accepted: 05/27/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Reconciling conflicts in a one-male society: the case of geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Primates 2010; 51:203-12. [PMID: 20091206 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-010-0188-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 01/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Animals derive benefits from living in social groups but sociality also has its costs in that animals must compete with others for resources and mating opportunities. To cope with the conflict aftermath and social damage caused by competitive aggression, several group-living species use a variety of peace-keeping strategies. The affinitive post-conflict reunion of former opponents, defined as reconciliation, is the primary peace-keeping mechanism. In this study, we provide evidence for the occurrence of reconciliation and test some hypotheses on this post-conflict mechanism in geladas (Theropithecus gelada), a species often neglected in the study of post-conflict dynamics. The conciliatory contacts were uniformly distributed across the different sex-class combinations. Different from baboons, geladas did not show any particular kind of affinitive reconciliation behaviour. Notwithstanding the presence of a linear hierarchy, the dominance relationships did not affect the reconciliation dynamics. According to the valuable relationship hypothesis, coalitionary support seems to be a good predictor for a high level of conciliatory contacts. Finally, at an immediate level reconciliation plays a role in reducing renewed attacks by aggressors, which sought conciliatory contact more frequently than victims. In conclusion, even though the study of post-conflict behaviour in geladas needs to be continued, the patchy nature of their social network is a good model for testing some of the theoretical assumptions about primate conflict resolution.
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