Cooperation and conflicts in primates.

Abstract

Most primates live in groups. Group living has advantages, such as protection against predation and infanticidal conspecifics, but also has disadvantages, such as competition with group members over limiting resources. These two contrasting forces mould the social relationships within primate groups. Competition can be strong when resources are monopolizable, generating conflicts among group members. Still, these group members aim to remain in the same group. Staying together, despite conflicts, is enabled through post-conflict affiliation.

C.V. Liesbeth Sterck

Dr. Liesbeth Sterck studied Biology at the Utrecht Univeresity. She conducted her PhD research in Indonesia, where she studied the behaviour of long-tailed macaques and thomas langurs in the rainforests of Aceh. She got her degree in 1995 in Utrecht.

She has been connected to the Utrecht University since 1993, first as an assistant professor, later as an associate professor. In addition, she is head of the behaviour research group at the BPRC, Rijswijk. Her research interests concern social behaviour and social cognition and their connection with social organisation in primates. She received several grants for this research, among them a VIDI grant from N.W.O.

References
Sterck, E.H.M., Watts, D.P. & van Schaik, C.P. (1997) The evolution of female social relationships in nonhuman primates. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 41: 291-309.
Koski, S.E., Koops, K. and Sterck E.H.M. (2007) Reconciliation, relationship quality and post-conflict anxiety: Testing the Integrated Hypothesis in captive chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 69: 158-172.