Peer Interaction in Infant Chimpanzees

Tomasello, Michael; Gust, Deborah A.; Evans, Andrea E.

doi:10.1159/000156495

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Even though studies of children's social play rarely focused on the effects of age on partner choice, it seems that human and non-human primates show selectivity for peers, especially in terms of strength/size matching (Prediction 2 supported, see Table 3) [3], [31]. In humans, for example, this is true also for 9-month-old babies, who show peer preference when they watch movies of same-age infants [64].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Peek-a-boo, a typical mother-child game, also occurs in the great apes as do other locomotor activities that involve bouncing, throwing, and swinging infants [4]. Interactions with their mothers represent for infants a good starting-point to learn how to manage play sessions (fine-tuning) that will later be transferred and fully developed in peer-peer interactions [4], [30], [31]. The quality and quantity of mother-infant play seem to predict the quality and frequency of infants' play with peers [2], [32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ontogenetic Trajectories of Chimpanzee Social Play: Similarities with Humans

Cordoni

Palagi

2011

PLoS ONE

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic Trajectories of Chimpanzee Social Play: Similarities with Humans

Cordoni

Palagi

2011

PLoS ONE

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“…When the infants appeared to acclimate to the presence of an adult female, other individuals were then added to the group. Hand-rearing gorillas in peer groups has also proved to be an important factor in introductions, providing an opportunity for tactile contact and the development of normal social behavior [Fossey, 1979;Miller, 1982;Codner and Nadler, 1984;Hamburger, 1988: orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus); Tomasello et al, 1990: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes); Jendry, 1996]. Additionally, introducing infants with other peers provided a means of protection and security among the infants [Schildkraut, 1985].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in nearest‐neighbor associations in a captive group of western lowland gorillas after the introduction of five hand‐reared infants

McCann

Rothman

1999

Zoo Biol.

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The successful management of a captive gorilla population often necessitates the hand-rearing of infants and their subsequent re-integration into social groups of conspecifics. In the present study we quantified the changes in nearest-neighbor associations in a group consisting of a silverback male, three adult females, and two sub-adult females after the introduction of five hand-reared infants. Additionally, we examined the associations among kin and non-kin group members to determine whether genetic relatedness was a factor influencing the integration of the infants into the group and the subsequent patterns of association among infants and adults. Results showed that after the introduction, the silverback male spent >60% of his time in close proximity to an infant and 10% of his time within a "cluster" of infants. There was a significant change in a female's nearest-neighbor associations; however, the change did not include an infant. The most significant finding among infants was a strong bias by each to associate with another infant. When the infants associated with an adult, three of the five associated most with the silverback male (P < 0.001), whereas the other two infants distributed their time among all the adults. The most significant change in behavior patterns was exhibited by one of the sub-adult females who displayed parental behaviors 18% of the time compared to <1% for all other females. Adults and one sub-adult female associated significantly more often with related infants compared to unrelated infants (P < 0.025), and the infants showed a bias to associate with another related infant (P < 0.0001). Results of an infant's association with an adult showed that three of the five infants preferred to associate with a related adult (P < 0.0001). An individual's age, sex, and behavioral profile may have also influenced association patterns among group members. These findings lend strong support to the importance of peer groups and the presence of a silverback male for facilitating the integration of hand-reared infants into established adult groups.

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“…Although I2 was closer in age to I1, I4, and I5, she associated more frequently with I3, the youngest of the five infants. Data on peer interactions in chimpanzees suggest that individuals prefer to associate with the youngest individual in the group [Tomasello et al, 1990]. Female I2 was the only infant who displayed this association.…”

Section: Influence Of Age and Sex On Association Patternsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…When the infants appeared to acclimate to the presence of an adult female, other individuals were then added to the group. Hand-rearing gorillas in peer groups has also proved to be an important factor in introductions, providing an opportunity for tactile contact and the development of normal social behavior [Fossey, 1979;Miller, 1982;Codner and Nadler, 1984;Hamburger, 1988: orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus); Tomasello et al, 1990: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) ;Jendry, 1996]. Additionally, introducing infants with other peers provided a means of protection and security among the infants [Schildkraut, 1985].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in nearest-neighbor associations in a captive group of western lowland gorillas after the introduction of five hand-reared infants

McCann

Rothman

1999

Zoo Biol.

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The successful management of a captive gorilla population often necessitates the hand‐rearing of infants and their subsequent re‐integration into social groups of conspecifics. In the present study we quantified the changes in nearest‐neighbor associations in a group consisting of a silverback male, three adult females, and two sub‐adult females after the introduction of five hand‐reared infants. Additionally, we examined the associations among kin and non‐kin group members to determine whether genetic relatedness was a factor influencing the integration of the infants into the group and the subsequent patterns of association among infants and adults. Results showed that after the introduction, the silverback male spent >60% of his time in close proximity to an infant and 10% of his time within a “cluster” of infants. There was a significant change in a female's nearest‐neighbor associations; however, the change did not include an infant. The most significant finding among infants was a strong bias by each to associate with another infant. When the infants associated with an adult, three of the five associated most with the silverback male (P < 0.001), whereas the other two infants distributed their time among all the adults. The most significant change in behavior patterns was exhibited by one of the sub‐adult females who displayed parental behaviors 18% of the time compared to <1% for all other females. Adults and one sub‐adult female associated significantly more often with related infants compared to unrelated infants (P < 0.025), and the infants showed a bias to associate with another related infant (P < 0.0001). Results of an infant's association with an adult showed that three of the five infants preferred to associate with a related adult (P < 0.0001). An individual's age, sex, and behavioral profile may have also influenced association patterns among group members. These findings lend strong support to the importance of peer groups and the presence of a silverback male for facilitating the integration of hand‐reared infants into established adult groups. Zoo Biol 18:261–278, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Peer Interaction in Infant Chimpanzees

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

Ontogenetic Trajectories of Chimpanzee Social Play: Similarities with Humans

Ontogenetic Trajectories of Chimpanzee Social Play: Similarities with Humans

Changes in nearest‐neighbor associations in a captive group of western lowland gorillas after the introduction of five hand‐reared infants

Changes in nearest-neighbor associations in a captive group of western lowland gorillas after the introduction of five hand-reared infants

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