MSGID: 1:317/3 6482ab03   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Study finds socially tolerant monkeys have better impulse control    
      
     Date:   
         June 8, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Portsmouth   
     Summary:   
         Socially tolerant species are better at controlling their emotions   
         and behaviors, according to a new study of one of humanity's   
         closest relatives.   
      
      
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   Researchers have tested one of the ideas put forward to explain how   
   humanity evolved to become smarter, on non-human primates.   
      
   The study, led by a team at the University of Portsmouth, found a   
   significant connection between social organisation and cognitive skills   
   in monkeys.   
      
   They assessed three species of macaques with different social tolerance   
   levels, from authoritarian to more relaxed societies, in a series of   
   cognitive touchscreen touchscreen tasks to work out how impulsive and   
   reactive they were.   
      
   Tonkean macaques, which are known to get along with each other the most   
   with more diverse and complex relationships, demonstrated better overall   
   control of distraction, emotions and actions compared to the less-tolerant   
   long-tailed and rhesus species.   
      
   Lead author and PhD researcher, Dr Louise Loyant from the University   
   of Portsmouth's Centre of Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology   
   (CCEP), said: "This relationship between social tolerance and cognitive   
   abilities could explain why Tonkean macaques are better at managing   
   complex relationships with others.   
      
   "This is important, as it improves our understanding of our own social   
   evolution. Macaques live in complex communities, not too dissimilar from   
   our own, and we can learn a lot from them.   
      
   "Existing research on human inhibitory control, or self-control, suggests   
   the better a person is at managing their emotions and reactions,   
   the more successful they're likely to be in life; whether that be   
   in relationships, work, or just generally. Our results support this   
   hypothesis."  The study, published in Animal Cognition, also highlighted   
   the influence of ecological factors on self-control skills. Different   
   risks and environmental pressures faced by each species might have shaped   
   their behaviours, emotions, and impulsivity levels.   
      
   Long-tailed and rhesus macaques living in areas with a greater number   
   of predators, displayed more reactive and cautious behaviours, while   
   Tonkean macaques who face lower predatory risk, exhibited quieter and   
   less reactive behaviours.   
      
   The researchers say that both social and ecological factors may jointly   
   influence self-control skills in primates.   
      
   Senior co-author, Dr Marine Joly from the CCEP, explained: "A macaque   
   living in a more competitive environment would benefit from learning how   
   to contain inappropriate behaviours, like feeding or mating, if they're   
   around others higher up in the social pyramid.   
      
   "But there's also the hypothesis that our closest primate species have   
   evolved over time to have increased brain size and higher cognitive   
   performances, including better self-control.   
      
   "Our findings support both of these potential explanations, as well as   
   suggest that species living in more complex societies might have better   
   socio-cognitive skills too, including perception, attention, memory and   
   action planning."  The team evaluated the performance of 66 macaques   
   from two institutions, the Medical Research Council Centre for Macaques   
   in the UK and the Centre of Primatology of the University of Strasbourg   
   in France.   
      
   While the study provides valuable insights, the researchers acknowledge   
   some limitations, including the sample size and some prior cognitive   
   testing experiences among the species. They recommend further research   
   involving a larger number of macaques, as well as a closer evaluation   
   of an individual's reactions and results.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Monkeys # Animal_Learning_and_Intelligence #   
                   Evolutionary_Biology # Nature # New_Species #   
                   Endangered_Animals # Biology # Behavioral_Science   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Bonefish o Gorilla o Cockroach o Manatee o   
             Cetacean_intelligence o Biological_pest_control o Mouse o   
             Marine_biology   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Portsmouth. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Louise Loyant, Bridget M. Waller, Je'ro^me Micheletta, He'le`ne   
      Meunier,   
         Se'bastien Ballesta, Marine Joly. Tolerant macaque species   
         are less impulsive and reactive. Animal Cognition, 2023; DOI:   
         10.1007/s10071-023- 01789-8   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230608121016.htm   
      
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