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Science Alpha male styles in chimps could mean stronger isn't better
Science Alpha male styles in chimps could mean stronger isn't better | Alpha male styles in chimps could mean stronger isn't better |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Wednesday, 14 January 2009 | |
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Science DiscussionsIn the past, scientists knew that grooming by chimpanzees was a way to win over friends and allies in competitions for dominance. However, research had never found if grooming was a way for chimps to become alpha-males, or leaders of the group. Such a finding would help scientists determine whether other mammals also compete for dominance in the pack by other means than just aggression and size. The article “Alpha male chimpanzee grooming patterns: implications for dominance ‘style’,” has been published in the American Journal of Primatology. The research by M.W. Foster, I.C. Gilby, C.M. Murray, A. Johnson, E.E. Wroblewski, and A.E. Pusey was aimed to see if chimpanzees use different tactics before and afterwards to become the alpha male of their group. Thus, this U.S. research shows for the first time that physically smaller male chimpanzees compensate for the lack of physical size by grooming other chimps in order to get them on their side for the eventual time that they take over as alpha male of the group. The research was conducted by researchers from the The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois (Foster, Murray); The Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota (Foster, Murray, Wroblewski, Pusey); Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Gilby); and Department of Statistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Johnson). Page two continues. |
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