Evidence of organized but not disorganized attachment in wild Western chimpanzee offspring (Pan troglodytes verus)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4655495 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eléonore Rolland (0000-0002-3241-9442, Lyon 1 Université, corresponding author), Oscar Nodé-Langlois (Lyon 1 Université), Patrick J Tkaczynski, Patrick Tkaczynski (0000-0003-3207-2132, Liverpool John Moores University), Cédric Girard-Buttoz (0000-0003-1742-4400, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Holly Rayson (0000-0002-7995-6907, Lyon 1 Université), C Crockford (0000-0001-6597-5106, Lyon 1 Université), Roman M Wittig (0000-0001-6490-4031, Lyon 1 Université, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 1571-1582 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Nature Human Behaviour (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2397-3374 • E-ISSN: 2397-3374 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41562-025-02176-8 |
| PMID | 40355671 |
| OpenAlex | W4410302155 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 58 |
Human attachment theory outlines three organized types: secure, insecure avoidant and insecure resistant, all considered adaptive responses to maternal care for offspring survival. In contrast, disorganized attachment is hypothesized to be maladaptive and therefore uncommon in wild mammals, though this remains untested. We assessed attachment types in 50 wild chimpanzees (ages 0-10 years) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. Using 3,795 h of mother and offspring focal observations, we found no behaviours indicative of disorganized attachment. To explore organized attachment, we analysed a subset of 18 immature chimpanzees and their behavioural responses to 309 natural threatening events. Their responses showed organized attachment patterns: some sought maternal closeness (secure-like), while others displayed independence (insecure avoidant-like). Our study supports the hypothesis that organized attachment types are adaptive and have a long evolutionary history
Attachment theory · Biology · Closeness · Developmental psychology · Insecure attachment · Offspring · Paternal care · Pregnancy · Troglodytes · Zoology · Demography · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |