Monkeys exhibit many traits that are similar to our own.
Experts have been studying animal life to reveal some remarkable truths about the wildlife that populates our planet. And what one researcher has found about monkeys paints a picture of a complex social and risk-taking hierarchy, very much the same as our own.
How can some monkeys be open to taking more risks than others?
How studying animal life has revealed a few truths about ourselves
By studying the animals that populate our planet, we have dismantled the myth of human exceptionalism.
We are much the same as our animal kin in a variety of ways. Dogs and some primates have displayed forgiveness and even reconciliation after a conflict, revealing a complex thinking pattern and empathy for others.
Empathy is rife among several species of animals around the planet.
From huge elephants to the tiniest rodents, many animals regularly react to the distress of others. So the next time your dog or cat comes closer to you in a moment of sadness, you can know that their empathy is real.
The Earth is filled with wonder and mystical puzzles yet to be solved
We have only found a small percentage of the animal life on Earth.
Scientists have identified 1.2 to 1.5 million species, but recent estimates state that we have potentially as many as 7 million species yet to be found. And the number goes even higher if you count microbes.
Some animals have been hiding for decades, such as a few species of catfish in the Amazon River.
We used to believe that humans were the only species that had unique dialects, but new findings have proven that sperm whales communicate in a variety of “languages” depending on where they come from.
We have also learnt that elephants are extremely sensitive and capable of complex thinking.
Especially when it comes to protecting their young. A grandmother elephant will keep a close eye on the baby of the group, regularly placing herself in harm’s way to prevent the young one from danger, much like our own paternal instincts.
We have learnt that monkey behavior mimics that of our own in a variety of ways.
A recent study, “Social hierarchy influences monkeys’ risky decisions,” published in Nature, has explained a unique set of traits in monkeys that prove they are far more capable of complex thought than we ever knew.
Some primates regularly display their own monkey business
The aforementioned study has detailed how the macaque, a small monkey species native to certain parts of Asia, has a complex social hierarchy.
And that’s just the start of the monkey business.
We now understand that macaques have deep-rooted risk-taking capacity. But not all of them are as wild and ready to take a gamble on life. It heavily depends on where they fall on the social ladder.
We have documented how our lineage has evolved from primate-like species over time, but these monkeys have displayed eerily similar behavior to our own.
How social hierarchy influences a monkey’s thought pattern and risk-taking
The study has found that monkeys in the middle ranks of the social ladder are prone to taking more risks than others.
The study, which was led by Naomi Chaix-Eichel and a few of her colleagues, has detailed how risk-taking among monkeys is determined by shifting social position among their group and not, in fact, a definite personality trait that they were born with.
As breakthroughs in human science reveal what makes our species tick, we now know that social hierarchy plays a significant part in some monkeys.
How will this influence animal science over the coming years as researchers continue with their efforts?