The transition to motherhood as the temporal locus of change for social network integration among wild vervet monkeys

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dc.contributor.authorVilette, C.
dc.contributor.authorBonnell, T. R.
dc.contributor.authorDostie, Marcus
dc.contributor.authorHenzi, Peter
dc.contributor.authorBarrett, Louise
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-18T17:26:12Z
dc.date.available2025-07-18T17:26:12Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) applies
dc.description.abstractThe birth of a first offspring represents a major change in a female mammal’s social circumstances. We hypothesize that the transition to motherhood marks a significant shift in the social network dynamics of female vervet monkeys, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, and represents the crucial boundary between juvenile and adult patterns of engagement. To test this, we compare the grooming network structure of primiparous and multiparous females, using both direct and indirect measures of centrality. We found that, following the birth of their first infant, ego-structure of primiparous females converged with that of multiparous females and that primiparous females became more central in their grooming networks around their first birth event, as measured by eigenvector centrality. Examining shifts in the number of new social ties formed across the birth event, we found a very small increase in the formation of new strong ties, but a larger increase in the number of additional weak ties. A simulated ‘knockout’ analysis showed that both types of ties contributed to the observed increase in eigenvector centrality. Overall, our findings support the idea that motherhood serves as a catalyst for juveniles to transition into adult social configurations. Note, however, that although the juvenile–adult boundary marked the temporal locus of change for social integration, there was, nevertheless, a striking consistency in the stability of ego-network structure across both the juvenile period and through the motherhood transition. This structure may enhance individual flexibility in social engagement and accommodate the specific needs of females as they experience changes in status and broader demographic shifts within their groups.
dc.description.peer-reviewYes
dc.identifier.citationVilette, C., Bonnell, T. R., Dostie, M. J., Henzi, S. P., & Barrett, L. (2025). The transition to motherhood as the temporal locus of change for social network integration among wild vervet monkeys. Animal Behaviour, 219. Article 123028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.11.006
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7073
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychology
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geography and Environment
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Lethbridge
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of South Africa
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.publisher.urlhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.11.006
dc.subjectMotherhood transition
dc.subjectMultiparous female
dc.subjectPrimiparous female
dc.subjectSocial integration
dc.subjectSocial network
dc.subjectStrong tie
dc.subjectVervet monkey
dc.subjectWeak tie
dc.subject.lcshVervet monkeys
dc.titleThe transition to motherhood as the temporal locus of change for social network integration among wild vervet monkeys
dc.typeArticle
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