Robustness mechanisms in primate societies: a perturbation study.

ABSTRACT: Conflict management mechanisms have a direct, critical effect on system robustness because they mitigate conflict intensity and help repair damaged relationships. However, robustness mechanisms can also have indirect effects on system integrity by facilitating interactions among components. We explore the indirect role that conflict management mechanisms play in the maintenance of social system robustness, using a perturbation technique to 'knockout' components responsible for effective conflict management. We explore the effects of knockout on pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) social organization, using a captive group of 84 individuals. This system is ideal in addressing this question because there is heterogeneity in performance of conflict management. Consequently, conflict manager

SUBMITTER: Flack JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1559816 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature