The role of individuals in the history of a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques: Some thoughts on the relevance for human behavioural research

Abstract

Taking the stance that the study of nonhuman primates can be useful in understanding the mechanism of long-term changes in social organisation, this short paper seeks to shed light on the role the individual might play in changes in future human society. This is done by examining the causes of social order change in a group of free-ranging macaque monkeys. The paper suggests that it may be useful to examine the role of genetically transmitted characteristics in human “success” stories, particularly concerning adaptability in times of change, and that the examination of individual life-history data across generations, will be essential for clarifying the mechanism of changes in human social organisation.