Data and Code for: Food distribution, but not market forces, predict behavioral social tolerance in rhesus macaques
Data files
Nov 25, 2025 version files 813.56 KB
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fall_mod1.csv
9.69 KB
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fall_mod2.csv
269.76 KB
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README.md
2.93 KB
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social_tolerance.Rmd
44.94 KB
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spring_mod1.csv
13.50 KB
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spring_mod2.csv
472.74 KB
Abstract
Social inequality in primates is marked by dominance-based resource monopolization. Yet, high-ranking individuals sometimes yield to lower-ranking individuals to promote group stability, indicative of behavioral social tolerance. Social tolerance is dynamic and is shaped by resource availability, group structure, hierarchy steepness, and kinship. Increasing social tolerance around resource access may promote group stability and improve individual well-being. The multifaceted nature of behavioral social tolerance means we still lack a full understanding of its temporal, individual, and social drivers and whether modifications in resource distribution promote or hinder tolerant behavior in unequal societies. We tested whether decentralizing food resources improved behavioral social tolerance via two measures: reduced aggression and increased co-feeding through the study of a large group of outdoor-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a macaque species typified by low social tolerance. We assessed whether reduced resource competition and time of day influenced co-feeding behavior, and whether investment in grooming afforded future social tolerance. We found that, relative to a baseline and follow-up period with centralized food resources, distributed resources promoted social tolerance, but this was modulated by dominance rank. High-ranking individuals may exhibit greater behavioral flexibility while low-ranking individuals are afforded increased access to resources through reduced competition. We found temporal variation in co-feeding behavior with more co-feeding occurring in the afternoon. Lastly, we found limited evidence to suggest individuals groomed to afford future co-feeding tolerance. Combined, these results suggest that increased resource distribution in captive populations could provide a social benefit and contribute positively to health and well-being.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rjdfn2zr1
Description of the data and file structure
Four data files and an R Notebook used in the publication are included. Each of the two model sets has two data files: one for the Fall iteration of the study and one for the Spring iteration of the study.
Files and variables
File: fall_mod1.csv
Description:
Data file used for Model Set 1: Temporal variation and rank effects in co-feeding and aggression dynamics
Study Iteration = Fall
Variables
- ID: Individual ID
- Period: Study period (Baseline, Experimental, Followup)
- Iteration: Replicate (Fall or Spring)
- AM_PM: Time of day (AM or PM)
- conf_deg: Aggression degree centrality
- coF_deg: Co-feeding degree centrality
- Rank: Dominance rank
- Sex: Sex (M or F)
- Age: Age (Years)
- Obs_days: Count of individual-level observation days
File: fall_mod2.csv
Description:
Data file used for Model Set 2: Social mitigation of feeding competition
Study Iteration = Fall
Variables
- Initiator: Initiator ID
- Recipient: Recipient ID
- Period: Study period
- beh_cat: Behavioral category (asocial, groom & co-feed, groom only, co-feed only)
- rank_difference.abs: Absolute rank difference
- rank_difference.abs.s: Absolute rank difference (scaled)
- kinship: Kin or not kin
File: spring_mod1.csv
Description:
Data file used for Model Set 1: Temporal variation and rank effects in co-feeding and aggression dynamics
Study Iteration = Spring
Variables
- ID: Individual ID
- Period: Study period (Baseline, Treatment_A, Treatment_B)
- Iteration: Replicate (Fall or Spring)
- AM_PM: Time of day (AM or PM)
- conf_deg: Aggression degree centrality
- coF_deg: Co-feeding degree centrality
- Rank: Ordinal dominance rank
- Sex: Sex (M or F)
- Age: Age (Years)
- Obs_days: Count of individual-level observation days
File: spring_mod2.csv
Description:
Data file used for Model Set 2: Social mitigation of feeding competition
Study Iteration = Spring
Variables
- Initiator: Initiator ID
- Recipient: Recipient ID
- Period: Study period
- beh_cat: Behavioral category (asocial, groom & co-feed, groom only, co-feed only)
- rank_difference.abs: Absolute rank difference
- rank_difference.abs.s: Absolute rank difference (scaled)
- kinship: Kin or not kin
File: social_tolerance.Rmd
Description:
R Notebook containing all R code needed to replicate the statistical analyses presented in the publication. Analyses were run using R version 4.4.1 (R Core Team, 2024). When loading data files, ensure file paths are included in the "read.csv" parentheses or that data files are stored alongside the R Notebook and the working directory is set to "source file location".