This study will investigate affiliated relationships between unrelated adult rhesus monkey females of disparate rank. Individual focal animals will be followed before, during, and after food delivery, together with scans of all animals which are feeding. The purpose is to investigate why some subordinates gain access to preferred fresh food. Of particular interest is whether subordinates selectively join their dominant affiliates in feeding situations. These data, together with data previously collected by the investigators will reveal the stability over time of frequently affiliating pairs. This study will advance our understanding of how subordinate animals survive in a group where they are dominated, and of the social aspects of competitive and noncompetitive feeding. These results will bear on current theories of both group bonding and reciprocal altruism.
