Social Behaviour and ‘Agonistic Buffering’ in the Wild Barbary Macaque Macaca sylvana L.

In the Middle Atlas of Morocco Macaca sylvana live in multimale groups of 12 to 30 individuals with extensive home range overlap intergroup encounters are frequent, usually peacefu.

Abstract

In the Middle Atlas of Morocco Macaca sylvana live in multimale groups of 12 to 30 individuals. With extensive home range overlap intergroup encounters are frequent, usually peaceful and variable in nature. The social interactions of babies are described and particular attention is paid to male care of babies and male-male encounters in which one male appears to use a baby to regulate his behaviour with another. This type of interaction is called ‘agonistic buffering’. The terminology used to describe male-baby (or infant) interactions and the possible significance of agonistic buffering, in this and other non-human primates, are discussed.