When Dr Beki Hooper began to study rhesus macaques, she found less-than-flattering similarities between monkey behaviour and human team structure.

In this fascinating discussion, Dr Beki takes us into the habitat of the rhesus macaque, giving us a first-hand glimpse into a hierarchy based on gender and tenure.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

• Many of us have experience in organisations that feel like they were governed in the same way as groups of macaques.
• As humans, we should be able to break through these patriarchal, seniority-based structures.
• Humans have behaviour equivalent to monkey grooming and preening.
• Some of our relationships are built on who can advance us within our social structure.
• Additionally, the bonds we build through grooming allow us to gain more information which we can use to advance our social standing, and to keep us safe.

Links

• Follow Beki on Google Scholar
• Follow @bekihooper on Twitter
• Melissa Pavez-Fox on Google Scholar
• Social learning in great tits - Lucy Aplin’s research
• Leave us a voice message