Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster

Testard, Camille; Larson, Sam M.; Watowich, Marina M.; Kaplinsky, Cassandre H.; Bernau, Antonia; Faulder, Matthew; Marshall, Harry H.; Lehmann, Julia; Ruíz-Lambides, Angelina; Higham, James P.; Montague, Michael J.; Snyder‐Mackler, Noah; Platt, Michael L.; Brent, Lauren J. N.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029

Cited by 67 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…This work adds to a growing discussion in the literature regarding the validity of lab findings (38,39). The present research is also unique with respect to the longitudinal nature of our data, which, as noted in a recent call for the integration of such data (40), is largely absent from behavioral research, and particularly rare in the context of major crises (18).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…While our observational datasets do not lend themselves to causal claims, it is reasonable to infer that the presence of threat would increase generosity (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), while reverse causality is highly unlikely. See Discussion for a more detailed explanation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Although both datasets show that the presence of local COVID-19 threat is associated with increased generosity, our observational data does not necessarily lend itself to causal claims. With that in mind, we believe it is reasonable to infer that the presence of threat would influence generosity (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20); it is improbable, however, that the increase in generosity would trigger an increase in local COVID-19 threat. While we cannot rule out the possibility that there could be another variable that influences both factors to produce the observed correlation, our analyses and contemplation do not point to any viable candidates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Indeed, experiencing high (vs. low) stress can increase trust and sharing behaviors (16,17). Threat may also promote the expansion of social connections, as observed in monkeys in response to the environmental instability caused by Hurricane Maria (18). In light of these findings, one might predict that experiencing and bearing witness to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic should promote generosity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increased Generosity Under COVID-19 Threat

Fridman¹

2021

Preprint

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In the face of crises – wars, pandemics, and natural disasters – both increased selfishness and increased generosity may emerge. In this paper, we study the relationship between the presence of COVID-19 threat and generosity using a four-year longitudinal dataset (N = 696,942) capturing real donations made before and during the pandemic, as well as six-months dictator game allocations (N = 1,003 participants) made during the early months of the pandemic. Consistent with the notion of “catastrophe compassion” (Zaki 2020), and contrary to prior research showing a tendency toward self-interested behavior under threat, individuals across both datasets exhibited greater financial generosity when their county experienced COVID-19 threat. While we find that the presence of threat impacted individual giving, behavior was not sensitive to threat level. Our findings have significant societal implications and advance our understanding of economic and psychological theories of social preferences under threat.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increased Generosity Under COVID-19 Threat

Fridman¹

2021

Preprint

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“…As previously reported for other wildlife species, including primates, human activity may not only imply shifts in individual rates of social interactions, but further affect more complex social patterns, such as cohesiveness and connectivity in animal social networks 53 , 54 , 63 . Recently, Testard et al 64 demonstrated that rhesus macaques significantly increased their social network connectedness in the aftermath of a hurricane that caused widespread environmental destruction in their habitat. Here we extend previous findings by revealing how environmental modifications, despite generating a seemingly uniform shift in time spent socializing for entire groups (see above), may differentially affect the network connectedness of individual wild animals depending on their socio-demographic characteristics (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oil palm cultivation critically affects sociality in a threatened Malaysian primate

Holzner

Balasubramaniam

Weiß

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Human-induced habitat alterations globally threaten animal populations, often evoking complex behavioural responses in wildlife. This may be particularly dramatic when negatively affecting social behaviour, which fundamentally determines individual fitness and offspring survival in group-living animals. Here, we provide first evidence for significant behavioural modifications in sociality of southern pig-tailed macaques visiting Malaysian oil palm plantations in search of food despite elevated predation risk. Specifically, we found critical reductions of key positive social interactions but higher rates of aggression in the plantation interior compared to the plantation edge (i.e. plantation areas bordering the forest) and the forest. At the plantation edge, affiliation even increased compared to the forest, while central positions in the macaques' social network structure shifted from high-ranking adult females and immatures to low-ranking individuals. Further, plantations also affected mother–infant relationships, with macaque mothers being more protective in the open plantation environment. We suggest that although primates can temporarily persist in human-altered habitats, their ability to permanently adapt requires the presence of close-by forest and comes with a trade-off in sociality, potentially hampering individual fitness and infant survival. Studies like ours remain critical for understanding species’ adaptability to anthropogenic landscapes, which may ultimately contribute to facilitating their coexistence with humans and preserving biodiversity.

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Coming to the Caribbean: Eighty‐five years of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at Cayo Santiago—A rare nonhuman primate model for the studies of adaptation, diseases, genetics, natural disasters, and resilience

Wang,

Francis

2024

American J Primatol

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The Cayo Santiago rhesus macaque colony represents one of the most important nonhuman primate resources since their introduction to the Caribbean area in 1938. The 85 years of continuing existence along with the comprehensive database of the rhesus colony and the derived skeletal collections have provided and will continue to provide a powerful tool to test hypotheses about adaptive and evolutionary mechanisms in both biology and medicine.

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Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster

Cited by 67 publications

References 80 publications

Increased Generosity Under COVID-19 Threat

Increased Generosity Under COVID-19 Threat

Oil palm cultivation critically affects sociality in a threatened Malaysian primate

Coming to the Caribbean: Eighty‐five years of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at Cayo Santiago—A rare nonhuman primate model for the studies of adaptation, diseases, genetics, natural disasters, and resilience

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