Primate Personality Net is a research network dedicated to
the scientific investigation of 'personality differences' and social
relationships in primate species. Individual-specific behaviours - that
is 'personality' differences - can be found in a wide range of species
including apes and monkeys. From an evolutionary perspective,
individual-specificity is assumed to reduce the pressure of competition
between members of a species and to represent a variability reservoir for
the species' successful adaptation to future ecological changes.
What kinds of individual-specific behaviours emerge in different
primate species? What particular approaches and methods are therefore
needed? Why do some individuals get along with each other, while others do
not? Are there any differences between different primate species and if so
how could these be explained?
Answering these questions can contribute to our understanding of how
and why individual-specific patterns in behaviour emerge in different
species and how they may influence social relationships. This could also
help solving current problems in animal welfare, zoo management and
captive breeding, especially in highly endangered species, such as great
apes.
We gratefully acknowledge funding from the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (German Science Foundation; grant
nr. UH249/1-1) when hosted at
Free University Berlin, Germany during 2010-2013.
|