Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques.
Nature
; 628(8007): 381-390, 2024 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38480888
ABSTRACT
Our understanding of the neurobiology of primate behaviour largely derives from artificial tasks in highly controlled laboratory settings, overlooking most natural behaviours that primate brains evolved to produce1-3. How primates navigate the multidimensional social relationships that structure daily life4 and shape survival and reproductive success5 remains largely unclear at the single-neuron level. Here we combine ethological analysis, computer vision and wireless recording technologies to identify neural signatures of natural behaviour in unrestrained, socially interacting pairs of rhesus macaques. Single-neuron and population activity in the prefrontal and temporal cortex robustly encoded 24 species-typical behaviours, as well as social context. Male-female partners demonstrated near-perfect reciprocity in grooming, a key behavioural mechanism supporting friendships and alliances6, and neural activity maintained a running account of these social investments. Confronted with an aggressive intruder, behavioural and neural population responses reflected empathy and were buffered by the presence of a partner. Our findings reveal a highly distributed neurophysiological ledger of social dynamics, a potential computational foundation supporting communal life in primate societies, including our own.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Social Behavior
/
Brain
/
Macaca mulatta
/
Neurons
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Nature
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Country of publication: