Abstract
In contrast to a wealth of human studies, little is known about the ontogeny and consistency of empathy-related capacities in other species. Consolation—post-conflict affiliation from uninvolved bystanders to distressed others—is a suggested marker of empathetic concern in non-human animals. Using longitudinal data comprising nearly a decade of observations on over 3000 conflict interactions in 44 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), we provide evidence for relatively stable individual differences in consolation behaviour. Across development, individuals consistently differ from one another in this trait, with higher consolatory tendencies predicting better social integration, a sign of social competence. Further, similar to recent results in other ape species, but in contrast to many human self-reported findings, older chimpanzees are less likely to console than are younger individuals. Overall, given the link between consolation and empathy, these findings help elucidate the development of individual socio-cognitive and -emotional abilities in one of our closest relatives.
Highlights
Behavioural observations were conducted on 44 sociallyhoused chimpanzees at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (YNPRC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The YNPRC is accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, and all methods were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Emory University
We used generalized linear multilevel models (GLMMs) to estimate the effect of bystander identity on the probability of offering consolation to a recipient in a given time period controlling for the number of opportunities the bystander had to console the recipient
Summary
Behavioural observations were conducted on 44 sociallyhoused chimpanzees at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (YNPRC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Two separate groups (FS1 and FS2) lived in large outdoor compounds (750 and 520 m2, respectively) with access to heated indoor quarters. The compounds were equipped with a variety of climbing structures and enrichment items, with water and primate chow available ad libitum. The number of individuals per group varied slightly throughout the study period due to births, deaths or veterinary/management procedures, but at any time, both groups consisted of at least one adult male and several adult females. Subjects comprised all age-classes, including 15 infants at the onset of the observation period (Supplementary Table 1 for a detailed description of the study subjects). The YNPRC is accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, and all methods were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Emory University
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