Social Conflict Management in Primates: Is There a Case For Dolphins?
Gregarious animals face unavoidable conflicts of interest and thus therefore are likely to evolve behavioral mechanisms that allow them to manage conflict and thus maintain their social bonds. Multiple forms of conflict management characterize primates, b
- PDF / 107,494 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 439.37 x 666.14 pts Page_size
- 4 Downloads / 167 Views
Social Conflict Management in Primates: Is There a Case For Dolphins? Marina Cords and Janet Mann
A male and female juvenile dolphin pet each other. Petting is analogous to primate grooming and is often seen after conflicts. (Photograph credit: Courtesy of Ewa Krzyszscyk, Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project) M. Cords (*) Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA e-mail: [email protected] J. Mann Departments of Biology and Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA J. Yamagiwa and L. Karczmarski (eds.), Primates and Cetaceans: Field Research and Conservation of Complex Mammalian Societies, Primatology Monographs, DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-54523-1_10, © Springer Japan 2014
207
208
M. Cords and J. Mann
Abstract Gregarious animals face unavoidable conflicts of interest and thus therefore are likely to evolve behavioral mechanisms that allow them to manage conflict and thus maintain their social bonds. Multiple forms of conflict management characterize primates, but far less research has focused on dolphins, especially under natural conditions. Captive studies of dolphins have confirmed post-conflict reconciliation, a well-studied form of conflict management in primates. The fission– fusion nature of dolphin social systems, along with the vast home ranges of individuals, pose particular difficulties for the study of conflict management. Conflicts among male allies are likely to be a fruitful area for further research on conflict management, both because allies are valuable social partners and because they interact frequently over extended periods. Keywords Aggression • Alliance • Conflict • Conflict management • Reconciliation • Social organization
10.1 Introduction Conflicts of interest characterize members of any animal population but are especially acute for those living in social groups. Disputes over resources, mates, relationships, movement patterns, or other activities can compromise group integrity. Further, in species in which group living is based on individualized cooperative relationships, escalated aggressive conflicts have the potential to disrupt those relationships and thus to threaten both the benefits and the mechanisms of group living. Gregarious animals are therefore expected to have evolved a capacity to manage conflict (Aureli et al. 2002).
10.2
Conflict Management in Primates and Dolphins
Conflict management includes behavior that prevents aggressive escalation of conflicts and which mitigates or repairs the damage caused by such escalation (Cords and Killen 1998; Aureli and de Waal 2000, Appendix B). Studies of nonhuman primates provide various examples of conflict management behavior in multiple species. For example, ritualized dominance relationships, the development of routines and social conventions (such as respect for possession), and displays of reassurance that precede situations in which conflict is likely to erupt are types of behavior that reduce the likelihood of escalated aggression in nonhuman prim
Data Loading...
