Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are more likely to groom or play with each other if they see others do it first

2024-11-20

(Press-News.org) Chimpanzees are more likely to engage in play or groom each other if they see others performing these social behaviors first, Georgia Sandars and colleagues at Durham University, U.K. report in a study publishing November 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Whether it’s yawning or keeping watch for predators, many animals — including primates and ravens — find certain behaviors contagious: after seeing another member of their group performing one of these behaviors, they will instinctively perform it too. This ‘behavioral contagion’ is thought to help animal groups reinforce their social bonds and stay in sync. Chimpanzees’ behavior and emotions can be influenced by those around them, but whether they experience contagion of friendly social behaviors, such as grooming and play, has not previously been investigated.

To address this knowledge gap, researchers observed the behavior of 41 chimpanzees living in a sanctuary in Zambia. They found that chimpanzees of all ages, ranks and sexes displayed contagion of grooming and playful behaviors. Chimpanzees were more likely to find grooming behavior contagious when they observed it in another individual that they had a close relationship with. In contrast, play behavior was more contagious in younger chimpanzees, but this contagion was unaffected by the strength of the social bond.

Behavioral contagion of friendly behaviors like grooming and play may help to strengthen social bonds, the authors say. Play is an important part of social and behavioral development for young chimpanzees, whereas adults tend to build and repair social relationships by grooming each other, which may explain the differences in contagion between the two behaviors. There are several possible explanations for why adult chimpanzees find the behavior of individuals they have a close social relationship with more contagious: they may pay more attention to or be more strongly influenced by their close friends, or seeing a close friend grooming someone else may cause jealousy.

The authors add: “Chimpanzees 'catch' social behavior from each other; they are more likely to start grooming and playing after having just seen others groom and play.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0312467

Citation: Sandars G, Brooker JS, Clay Z (2024) ChimpanSEE, ChimpanDO: Grooming and play contagion in chimpanzees. PLoS ONE 19(11): e0312467. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312467

Author Countries: U.K.

Funding: This work was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation (grant number 0309 to Z.C., http://www.templetonworldcharity.org). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees 2

Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Who is most vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation?

2024-11-20

Educational achievement, mental health diagnoses, childhood abuse, number of arrests and number of children all play a complex role in shaping a person’s vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation, how long they are exploited for and how difficult it is to get out. That is one conclusion of a new study published November 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Courtney Furlong and Ben Hinnant of Auburn University, U.S. Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) occurs when anything of value is given in exchange for a sex act. When CSE involves force, fraud, or coercion, it is termed ...

Florida manatees flourish and flounder alongside human neighbors

2024-11-20

Florida manatees are threatened by human activity, but they’re also doing better than ever, according to a study examining manatee populations since 12,000 BC, published November 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Thomas J. Pluckhahn of the University of South Florida and David K. Thulman of George Washington University, Washington DC, U.S. Florida manatees are an iconic species and also a conservation concern, threatened by environmental change and watercraft collisions. Historical manatee populations are poorly understood, and therefore little is known about the state of manatees before modern human influence, making it difficult for conservationists ...

Manatees might be relatively recent arrivals to Florida, USF study finds

2024-11-20

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2024) – New research suggests that while manatees are an indelible part of Florida’s seascape, they might also be relatively new residents in the Sunshine State. The findings are detailed in a study co-authored by University of South Florida anthropologist Thomas Pluckhahn and David Thulman, an archaeology professor at George Washington University, and scheduled to publish in PLOS ONE on Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. The embargo will lift at that time. The paper, “Historical ...

New Durham University study shows friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees

2024-11-20

-With images and videos- Researchers from Durham University have uncovered new insights into social contagion in chimpanzees, revealing that these primates are capable of catching friendly behaviours, which may strengthen social bonds and increase group harmony. The study, conducted at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia, observed two affiliative behaviours—grooming and play—and found that these behaviours can spread among group members in a way that promotes group cohesion. This groundbreaking study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE, which expands our understanding ...

Megapixel fluorescence microscopy through scattering layers made simple

2024-11-20

A team from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has introduced a new method for megapixel-scale fluorescence microscopy through complex scattering media. This approach resolves high-resolution images from several tens of widefield fluorescence-microscope frames without requiring specialized equipment such as spatial-light modulators or intensive computational processing. By efficiently correcting distortions caused by light scattering, the technique allows for clear imaging of dense and challenging targets. Its compatibility with conventional microscopy setups, coupled with the use of established matrix-based techniques, makes it practical for widespread use. A recent ...

Over 4 million US adults with chronic liver disease can be grouped into unique risk groups based on barriers to care

2024-11-20

People with chronic liver disease can be categorized into four distinct risk groups based on the different barriers they face in obtaining outpatient care, barriers that increase their odds of requiring hospitalization, a new UCLA study finds. The findings, to be published November 20 in the peer-reviewed PLOS ONE, point to the need for interventions aimed at reducing possibly avoidable hospitalizations among the highest-risk people with chronic liver disease (CLD). Previous research has found that people with CLD on average need more hospital-based care than those with other chronic diseases. About ...

Robot flies like a bird

2024-11-20

Have you ever wondered why an airplane has a vertical tailfin? The plane needs it to stabilize its flight. Since flying without a vertical tail is much more energy-efficient, the aviation industry has worked hard to accomplish this – so far without much success. However, birds don’t need a vertical fin, which raises the question: how do they do it? David Lentink, Professor of Biomimetics at the University of Groningen, has developed a robotic bird model with real pigeon feathers to show how they do it. In previous work, he found that birds continuously ...

Won’t you be mine? Neighborly networking may motivate local climate action

2024-11-20

Individual motivation to act against climate change outweighs the impact of hyperlocal collective intentions, though both approaches are worth strengthening, according to a survey of nine European neighborhoods published Nov. 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Christian A. Klöckner from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and colleagues. Western society contests the individual versus collective responsibility to combat climate change. But do people feel more motivated to act individually (e.g., making waste-free purchasing choices) or in tandem with others (e.g., protesting or completing ...

Mental health issues are "prevalent and troubling" among forcibly displaced children and young people, per scoping review which finds PTSD, anxiety and depression to be most common conditions

2024-11-20

Mental health issues are "prevalent and troubling" among forcibly displaced children and young people, per scoping review which finds PTSD, anxiety and depression to be most common conditions. +++++ Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000076 Article Title: Mental health issues of children and young people displaced by conflict: A scoping review Author Countries: Nigeria, United States Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

How nerve stimulation could ease inflammatory bowel disease

2024-11-20

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have found that tapping into the nervous system could help reduce the gut inflammation that drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A new study led by Luis Ulloa, PhD, and Wei Yang, PhD, reveals how electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve—a major nerve connecting the brain and gut—may combat the stress-related inflammation that worsens IBD symptoms. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the study showed that vagus nerve stimulation in stressed mice with colitis, a form of IBD, reduced inflammation, improved symptoms, ...

AI-generated voices which sound like you are perceived as more trustworthy and likeable, with implications for deep-fakes and manipulation

The cacao tree species (Theobroma cacao L.), from which we get chocolate, is likely about 7.5 million years old, with chloroplast genomes indicating that the current known diversity diversified during

Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: