Possible Roles of Consolation in Captive Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Datos Bibliográficos

ID8315464
AutoresElisabetta Palagi (0000-0002-2038-4596, University of Pisa, autor de correspondencia), Giada Cordoni (0000-0001-7093-0025, University of Pisa), Silvana Borgognini Tarli (University of Pisa)
Año2006
Volumen129
Número1
Páginas105-111
Fecha de publicación2006-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.20242
PMID16229027
OpenAlexW2056153022
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas21
Referencias citadas29

Empathy is a necessary prerequisite for the occurrence of consolation. The term "consolation" contains a hypothesis about function, which is distress alleviation. The present study aims to confirm the occurrence of consolation in captive chimpanzees via the post-conflict/matched-control method (PC-MC) and to suggest its possible roles. We collected 273 PC-MC pairs in the group of Pan troglodytes housed in the ZooParc de Beauval (France). We confirmed the presence of consolatory contacts (mean level of consolation, 49.5% +/- 22.3% SEM) in the colony. Consolation rates were significantly higher than reconciliation levels (mean level of reconciliation, 28.9% +/- 16.8% SEM). The level of consolation was greater in the absence of reconciliation than in the presence of it, suggesting that consolation might be an alternative behavior. As friendship and relatedness did not influence the occurrence of consolation, they did not seem to be the best prerequisites for this behavioral mechanism, at least in this chimpanzee colony. Affinitive contacts with third parties were significantly more frequent when the victim called attention to itself during severe aggressions by screaming. These high-pitched sounds seem to be useful in eliciting aid from conspecifics, as occurs in young humans. The occurrence of consolation reduced the likelihood of further attacks among group-members. From this perspective, both victims and consolers most likely gain potential advantages by interacting with each other when aggression is particularly severe, reconciliation is not immediate, and consequently social stress reaches high levels

Biology · Consolation · Friendship · Olduvai Gorge · Theology · Troglodytes · Zoology · Child and Animal Learning Development · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Paleontology · Philosophy · Primate Behavior and Ecology · Psychology · Social Psychology