The Influence of Nutrition on Primate Sociality

Jul 11, 2012 by Journal of Primatology

Aggressive behavior canbe generated, stimulated, and modulated through both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, e.g. social and nutritional influences, endocrine, and neurophysiological regulatory mechanisms. Most of these factors are interrelated and seemed to play important roles during evolutionary adaptative processes. it is the purpose of this work to make the readership and the research community sensitive to environmental conditions such as food quality in relation to their behavioral and social impact. Besides its nutritional function food seems to represent a main modulator of
behavioral expression rates and plays therefore, an important role in
controlling social interactions among group members. Questions on
the adaptation of individuals to specific ecological niches within a
species as well as between species in relation to nutritional factors a
habitat provides are fairly unconsidered in primatology. Furthermore,
it can be assumed that dietary effects should be concerned as influential
factors in experimental settings and in conservation research as well.
In conclusion, nutritional affects on social cohesion, behavior,
style, and sociality per se represents an underrated research topic in the
field of primatology.