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Primate societies are highly variable. Groups may differ in the level of stratification, in the degree of cooperation between related and possibly also unrelated individuals or in the way group members deal with conflicts. Variation may occur across different taxa, across populations or between the sexes. Based on evolutionary theory this variation in cooperation and competition evident across primate societies including our own can be explained by differential fitness payoffs. Linking the variation in social behavior to ecological and phylogenetic factors, investigating the different strategies for either sex, and determining the adaptive value of social behavior are research aims in the junior research group on social evolution in primates. Research in the group combines field studies on primates (mainly macaques) in their natural habitat with experimental approaches in captivity. We use molecular techniques to monitor reproductive status, physiological dispositions for cooperation and competition and genetic relatedness. Using comparative methods and agent based modeling we work on identifying evolutionary patterns and generating clearly directed predictions.

The department for Behavioral Ecology is linked via a bridging professorship with the Research Group Social Evolution in Primates at the German Primate Center. Our research focus is on the evolution of social behavior in terms of its adaptive value, hormonal regulation, and underlying cognitive mechanisms. We run a long-term study on Assamese macaques in the Phu Khieo National Park in Thailand and also conduct research on Barbary macaques at the Affenberg Salem.