Play partner preferences in wild vervet monkeys

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dc.contributor.authorFunk, Kyla Reanne
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorBarrett, Louise
dc.date.accessioned2022-07-22T20:09:50Z
dc.date.available2022-07-22T20:09:50Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractAlthough play appears to be ubiquitous, its evolutionary function(s) are still largely unknown, and many proposed hypotheses remain controversial as they generally lack empirical evidence. I investigated four relevant contemporary hypotheses to make predictions on how primates should optimally choose play partners based on demographic variables. I studied wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythus) in the Samara private game reserve, South Africa, and collected focal sample data relating to play, as well as general scan samples and information on demographic variables. Using these data, I constructed multi-level Bayesian models which allowed me to incorporate many variables that we know structure primate social relationships—such as age, sex, kinship, and rank—simultaneously into the model in order to judge their relative effects. My data most strongly support the dominance hierarchy hypothesis, indicating that the play behaviour in these wild vervets may have benefits related to testing or establishing dominance rank relationships.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Animal Behavior Societyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/6272
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.proquest.subject0384en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Psychologyen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectsocial play behaviouren_US
dc.subjecttraining for the unexpected hypothesisen_US
dc.subjectsocial skills hypothesisen_US
dc.subjectself-assessment hypothesisen_US
dc.subjectdominance hierarchy hypothesisen_US
dc.subjectPlay behavior in animals--Researchen_US
dc.subjectCercopithecus aethiops--Behavior--Research--South Africaen_US
dc.subjectCercopithecus aethiops--Development--Research--South Africaen_US
dc.subjectCercopithecus aethiops--Infancy--Research--South Africaen_US
dc.subjectCercopithecus aethiops--Fieldwork--South Africaen_US
dc.subjectSocial hierarchy in animalsen_US
dc.subjectSocial behavior in animalsen_US
dc.subjectDissertations, Academicen_US
dc.titlePlay partner preferences in wild vervet monkeysen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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