Reconciliation and post-conflict behaviour in ringtailed lemurs, Lemur catta and redfronted lemurs, Eulemur fulvus rufus

Abstract

Abstract. The post-conflict behaviour of two species of prosimian primates was recorded to examine the effects of agonistic interactions on the subsequent behaviour of former opponents. A total of 125 dyadic agonistic interactions between adults of both species were randomly selected during observations of two social groups of each species. During the 10 min following each agonistic interaction (post-conflict), all social interactions of one of the opponents with all group members, including the former opponent, were recorded and compared with baseline rates established by matched-control observations. In ringtailed lemurs, L. catta, the probability of affinitive interactions between former opponents was not affected by a preceding conflict. In redfronted lemurs, E. fulvus rufus, rates of affinitive interactions between former opponents were significantly above baseline levels in the first 2 min following a conflict, and former opponents were selectively attracted to each other. These post-conflict reunions may function as reconciliations. Significantly larger proportions of undecided conflicts, low-intensity conflicts and conflicts between related redfronted lemurs were reconciled, and victims of aggression were significantly more likely to initiate reconciliation. Neither species showed evidence of consolation, i.e. significantly increased affinitive contact between victims of aggression and third parties during the post-conflict period. Ringtailed lemurs, which have a clear dominance hierarchy and within-group kinship structure, showed a trend toward an increased probability of renewed conflict with former opponents, but not with other group members, during the post-conflict period. They provide the first documented example of a highly social species that appears to lack behavioural mechanisms to cope with the dispersive effects of intra-group aggression. These results demonstrate that reconciliation is not limited to the relatively large-brained anthropoid primates, that reconciliation is not a necessary consequence of group life, and that the occurrence of reconciliation is not limited to species with formalized dominance relations.