Original scientific paper

Social Behavior in Aged Rhesus Macaques

Judith Corr

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between chronological age and social behavior
in 42 adult male and female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in three specific areas:
social interactions, social roles, and social networks. While both old males and old
females share behavioral differences associated with senescence, this study reports that
old females and old males are distinct in their social behaviors, both from each other
and from other adults. Many of these differences appear progressive across age classes,
e.g., declining across age classes in females and increasing across age classes in males.
Old females are less social and have smaller social networks than other females, while
the opposite was found to be true of old males. An explanation for the sex-based differences
in aged social behavior and social networks reported in this study may originate
in rhesus matrifocal social structure.

Keywords

non-human primates; aging; behavior; social networks

Hrčak ID:

28071

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/28071

Publication date:

16.6.2003.

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