Sociality, social networks and strategies of conflict management in hominoid primates

Sociality is a widespread behavioural strategy that has been selected for in many animal species, including humans and other hominoid primates. Although sociality is a widespread phenomenon, the specific mechanisms and processes that may give rise to and maintain the structuring and cohesion of social groups remain poorly understood. The primate order, that includes humans, is made of reputedly social species. However, although they tend to live in social groups, the characteristics of their grouping units can be very variable both within and across species. This means that the very same outcome (group life) may arise through a variety of processes that may be activated by different mechanisms. In several studies in which this issue has been addressed, researchers have found that regardless of a group’s size, individuals tend to cultivate relationships with just a few of their members, those that belong to the same network. This implies that social time is really a serious constraint on the chances that individuals have of maintaining membership in large networks. It appears that individuals have a quota for social time and that the way they deal with this constraint can greatly vary from one individual to another and can also vary as a function of environmental factors..