Coevolution of Facial Expression and Social Tolerance in Macaques

Bibliographic Data

ID19390010
AuthorsSeth D Dobson (Dartmouth College, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume74
Issue3
Pages229-235
Publication date2012-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Primatology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0275-2565 • E-ISSN: 1098-2345
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajp.21991
PMID24006541
OpenAlexW2165167896
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited41

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that social tolerance drives the evolution of facial expression in macaques. Macaque species exhibit a range of social styles that reflect a continuum of social tolerance. Social interactions in more tolerant taxa tend to be less constrained by rank and kinship than in less‐tolerant macaques. I predicted that macaques that are more tolerant would exhibit a wider range of facial displays than less‐tolerant species because interactions that are open to negotiation are characterized by greater uncertainty than interactions that are constrained by rank or kinship. To test this hypothesis, I conducted a phylogenetically informed regression analysis ( N = 11) using previously published data on repertoire size and two quantitative measures of social tolerance (conciliatory tendency and counter‐aggression). As predicted, macaques with more tolerant social styles tended to have larger repertoires than less‐tolerant species. These results support the hypothesis that increased social tolerance favors the elaboration of communication to mitigate uncertainty

Aggression · Biology · Evolutionary biology · Kinship · Macaque · Repertoire · Social relation · Sociology · Zoology · Animal Behavior and Reproduction · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology

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