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De Vittoris S, Caselli M, Demuru E, Gillespie L, Norscia I. Beware! Different methods lead to divergent results on yawn contagion modulation in bonobos. Am J Primatol 2024:e23671. [PMID: 39148223 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Contagious yawning (CY)-linked to physiological synchronization and possibly emotional contagion-occurs when one individual's yawn induces yawning in others. CY was investigated over different time windows (minutes from the triggering stimulus) via naturalistic or experimental studies (using real and video yawns, respectively) with contrasting results, especially in bonobos. We verified whether in bonobos result divergences may derive from different methods. We gathered yawning data on 13 bonobos at Twycross Zoo (UK) via a naturalistic (all-occurrences observations) and experimental approach (by showing yawn/control video stimuli). Based on literature, we used 1- and 3-min windows to detect CY. Due to fission-fusion management, individuals could form permanent or non-permanent associations (more/less familiar subjects under naturalistic setting). Video yawn stimuli may come from group mates/stranger models (more/less familiar subjects under the experimental setting). Stimulus type and time window affected CY modulating factors but not CY detection. Familiarity and age effect on CY showed opposite trends in 3-min trials and 1-min observations. CY was highest in oldest, non-permanently (rather than permanently) associated subjects in the naturalistic setting, but in the youngest subjects and with ingroup (rather than outgroup) models in trials. The age effect differences on CY might be due to decontextualized yawns and immature subject curiosity toward videos. The reversed familiarity effect suggests CY's context-dependent function in promoting social synchronization with socially distant group mates, as failing to coordinate as a group may lead to social disruption. Complementary methods are needed to fully understand motor replication phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Vittoris
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisa Demuru
- Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage, Université de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5596, Lyon, France
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, University of Saint-Etienne, CRNL, CNRS UMR 5292, Inserm UMR_S, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Lisa Gillespie
- Life Sciences Department, Twycross Zoo, Twycross Zoo-East Midland Zoological Society, Atherstone, UK
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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Cordoni G, Ciantia A, Guéry JP, Mulot B, Norscia I. Rapid facial mimicry in Platyrrhini: Play face replication in spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps, Ateles hybridus, and Ateles paniscus). Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23607. [PMID: 38369692 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Rapid facial mimicry (RFM), the rapid and automatic replication of facial expression perceived, is considered a basic form of empathy and was investigated mainly during play. RFM occurs in Catarrhini (Old World primates), but it is not still demonstrated in Platyrrhini (New World primates). For this reason, we collected video data on playful interactions (Nplay_interactions = 149) in three species of spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps-N = 11, Ateles hybridus-N = 14, and Ateles paniscus-N = 6) housed at La Vallée des Singes and the ZooParc de Beauval (France). For the first time, we demonstrated the occurrence of RFM in Platyrrhini (analyzing 175 events). Players' sex, age, species, relationship quality, and kinship did not modulate RFM probably due to the species' complex fission-fusion dynamics and flexible interindividual social relationships. Compared to the absence of any playful expressions or the presence of only not replicated play face, RFM prolonged the session duration and was sequentially associated with more types of more intense offensive playful patterns (patterns aimed at attacking/pursuing the playmate). We proposed that RFM may favor synchronization and context sharing between players, thus decreasing the risk of behavior misinterpretation while simultaneously fostering a more competitive nature of play. In conclusion, this study stimulates additional research on the evolutionary origins of motor mimicry in primates, possibly dating back to before the divergence of New and Old World monkeys. Furthermore, it also points toward the possibility that RFM may not always lead to cooperation but also to competition, depending on the context and species' social and cognitive features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Cordoni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Annalisa Ciantia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Baptiste Mulot
- ZooParc de Beauval & Beauval Nature, Saint Aignan sur Cher, France
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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Clive J, Flintham E, Savolainen V. Same-sex sociosexual behaviour is widespread and heritable in male rhesus macaques. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1287-1301. [PMID: 37429903 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02111-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Numerous reports have documented the occurrence of same-sex sociosexual behaviour (SSB) across animal species. However, the distribution of the behaviour within a species needs to be studied to test hypotheses describing its evolution and maintenance, in particular whether the behaviour is heritable and can therefore evolve by natural selection. Here we collected detailed observations across 3 yr of social and mounting behaviour of 236 male semi-wild rhesus macaques, which we combined with a pedigree dating back to 1938, to show that SSB is both repeatable (19.35%) and heritable (6.4%). Demographic factors (age and group structure) explained SSB variation only marginally. Furthermore, we found a positive genetic correlation between same-sex mounter and mountee activities, indicating a common basis to different forms of SSB. Finally, we found no evidence of fitness costs to SSB, but show instead that the behaviour mediated coalitionary partnerships that have been linked to improved reproductive success. Together, our results demonstrate that SSB is frequent in rhesus macaques, can evolve, and is not costly, indicating that SSB may be a common feature of primate reproductive ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Clive
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Ewan Flintham
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
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Caselli M, Malaman B, Cordoni G, Guéry JP, Kok J, Demuru E, Norscia I. Not lost in translation: Changes in social dynamics in Bonobos after colony relocation and fusion with another group. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM, Roberts AI. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition: neuropsychological mechanisms underpinning the processing of social information. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210295. [PMID: 35934969 PMCID: PMC9358321 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate social bonds are described as being especially complex in their nature, and primates have unusually large brains for their body size compared to other mammals. Communication in primates has attracted considerable attention because of the important role it plays in social bonding. It has been proposed that differentiated social relationships are cognitively complex because primates need to continuously update their knowledge about different types of social bonds. Therefore, primates infer whether an opportunity for social interaction is rewarding (valuable to individual goals) based on their knowledge of the social relationships of the interactants. However, exposure to distraction and stress has detrimental effects on the dopaminergic system, suggesting that understanding social relationships as rewarding is affected in these conditions. This paper proposes that complex communication evolved to augment the capacity to form social relationships during stress through flexibly modifying intentionality in communication (audience checking, response waiting and elaboration). Intentional communication may upregulate dopamine dynamics to allow recognition that an interaction is rewarding during stress. By examining these associations between complexity of communication and stress, we provide new insights into the cognitive skills involved in forming social bonds in primates and the evolution of communication systems in both primates and humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cognition, communication and social bonds in primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam G. B. Roberts
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Robin I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Anna I. Roberts
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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Bertini M, Annicchiarico G, Bresciani C, Cordoni G, Palagi E. Playful interactions and facial mimicry in infant bonobos ( Pan paniscus). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Bertini
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci 56011 (Pisa) Italy
| | - Giulia Annicchiarico
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci 56011 (Pisa) Italy
| | - Chiara Bresciani
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci 56011 (Pisa) Italy
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci 56011 (Pisa) Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci 56011 (Pisa) Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Ethology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
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Gilbert JD, Brindle M, Faulkes CG. Anecdotal observation of a sexual encounter between two male naked mole-rats. BEHAVIOUR 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Same-sex sexual behaviours (SSBs) are widespread across the animal kingdom, yet little consensus exists regarding their potential adaptive functions or evolutionary history. To fully address questions such as why or how a trait has evolved, it is important to first understand its natural history. Here, we present evidence of SSBs in two male naked mole-rats for the first time. Due to extreme natal philopatry, most naked mole-rats never disperse, making encounters with potential mates valuable in fitness terms. However, in captive colonies of naked mole-rats, a rare disperser morph has been described. We speculate that such dispersing individuals may be indiscriminatory in their mating strategy, copulating with conspecifics regardless of sex, to counter the risk of missed reproductive opportunities. This behavioural strategy would contrast with the common characterisation of naked mole-rats, which describes them as fiercely xenophobic and hostile to unfamiliar individuals. Further, the observation of an indiscriminate mating strategy in a species with limited opportunities for dispersal provides interesting context for the study of the evolution of SSBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Gilbert
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Matilda Brindle
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Christopher G. Faulkes
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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Bresciani C, Cordoni G, Palagi E. Playing together, laughing together: rapid facial mimicry and social sensitivity in lowland gorillas. Curr Zool 2021; 68:560-569. [PMID: 36324534 PMCID: PMC9616060 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In nonhuman animals, the phenomenon of rapid facial mimicry (RFM)—the automatic, involuntary, and rapid (<1 s) replication of others’ facial expressions—has been mainly investigated in the playful domain. In immature lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla both play face (PF) and full PF (FPF) are rapidly mimicked between the players. This makes the species suitable to test hypotheses on the factors influencing RFM during play. The observations on 3 captive groups of lowland gorillas (N = 27) revealed that contrary to expectations, the closeness of social bond negatively influenced the occurrence of RFM but it did not affect either RFM latency or its overlapping index (OVERLAP). RFM was affected by the degree of symmetry of play fighting: the more balanced the session, the higher the occurrence of RFM. Players of the same sex class responded faster than players of different sex. These findings suggest that RFM may help synchronizing behaviors of playmates matching in size (same-sex) and promote symmetric playful interactions. “Laughing together” (measured by the RFM OVERLAP) lasted longer when the responder perfectly mirrored the partner expression (PF→PF; FPF→FPF). If PF and FPF convey information on the different play roughness degree, through “laughing together” the players could coordinate their actions and share positive moods and playful intensity. If the perfect congruency in the motor resonance, also known as social sensitivity, can foster a possible emotional dialogue between gorillas remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bresciani
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (Pisa) 56011, Italia
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (Pisa) 56011, Italia
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (Pisa) 56011, Italia
- Department of Biology, Unit of Ethology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italia
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Sex and grooming as exchange commodities in female bonobos' daily biological market. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19344. [PMID: 34588572 PMCID: PMC8481276 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98894-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Biological Market Theory (BMT) posits that cooperation between non-human animals can be seen as a mutually beneficial exchange of commodities similarly to what observed in human economic markets. Positive social interactions are commodities in non-human animals, and mutual exchanges fulfilling the criteria of the BMT have been shown in several species. However, the study of biological markets suffers from methodological limitations that are mainly linked to the difficulty of clearly identifying the currencies and their exchanges in the short-term. Here, we test whether bonobo females are more attractive during their maximum swelling phase, whether they exchange grooming and Genito-Genital Rubbing (GGR) on a daily level of analysis, and whether these daily exchanges fulfil the BMT criteria. Females engaged more in GGR when their sexual swelling was in the maximum phase. Moreover, they exchanged grooming and sex according to the daily "market fluctuations" associated with swelling status. Females in the minimum phase (low-value) increased their probability to engage in GGR with females in the maximum phase (high-value) by grooming them preferentially. In line with the supply/demand law, the female grooming strategy varied depending on the daily number of swollen females present: the higher the number of swollen females, the lower the individual grooming preference. As a whole, our study confirms BMT as a valid model to explain daily commodity exchanges as a function of the temporary value of traders, and underlines the importance of a day-by-day approach to unveil the presence of a biological market when the value of traders frequently changes.
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