theme 3

Social Organization

Structure of group living (solitary, pairs, groups).

Solitary Living

Individuals mostly alone; males and females meet to mate. → Orangutans.

Pair Living (Monogamy)

Male and female live together and raise offspring. → Gibbons.

One-Male Multi-Female Group

Single male monopolizes females. → Gorillas.

Multi-Male Multi-Female Group

Several males/females with dominance hierarchies. → Baboons, chimps.

Fission-Fusion Society

Groups split and rejoin flexibly. → Chimps, humans.

Dominance Hierarchy

Rank system determining access to food/mates. → Alpha males/females in baboons.

Coalition

Alliance between individuals to gain status or defense.

Grooming

Social behavior reinforcing bonds and reducing stress.

Female Distribution Rule

Female spacing follows food; males follow females.

Infanticide

Males kill unrelated infants to bring females into estrus.

Altruism (Kin based)

Helping relatives even at personal cost.

Social Learning

Learning behavior from observation rather than instinct. → Tool use in chimps.

Culture (Non-Human Primates)

Socially transmitted behavior like termite fishing or grooming styles.

Communication

Vocal, facial, and gestural signals conveying info or emotion.

Territoriality

Defense of area against outsiders; varies by species.