Grooming interventions in female rhesus macaques as social niche construction

摘要: Social animals invest time and resources into adapting their social environment, which emerges not only from own but also the decisions of other group members. Thus, individuals have to monitor interactions between others potentially decide when how interfere prevent damage investment. These interventions can be subtle, as in case affiliative such grooming, they inform us about structure world influence Here, we used grooming bouts female rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, determine who intervened bouts, what determined intervention outcomes, based on kinship, dominance rank relationships groomers (potential) interveners. We show that high reduced risk intervention. Bystanders, particularly ranking, kin, close affiliates close-ranked competitors. Interveners gained access for subsequent grooming. Reduced aggression facilitated involving three individuals, was more common a strong relationship existed interveners were lower than groomers. this species involved monitoring interactions, decision making several individual dyadic characteristics, allowed broaden partners, protect niche.