title: Selective and contagious prosocial resource donation in capuchin monkeys, chimpanzees and humans.
abstract: Prosocial acts benefitting others are widespread amongst humans. By contrast, chimpanzees have failed to demonstrate such a disposition in several studies, leading some authors to conclude that the forms of prosociality studied evolved in humans since our common ancestry. However, similar prosocial behavior has since been documented in other primates, such as capuchin monkeys. Here, applying the same methodology to humans, chimpanzees, and capuchins, we provide evidence that all three species will display prosocial behavior, but only in certain conditions. Fundamental forms of prosociality were age-dependent in children, conditional on self-beneficial resource distributions even at age seven, and conditional on social or resource configurations in chimpanzees and capuchins. We provide the first evidence that experience of conspecific companions' prosocial behavior facilitates prosocial behavior in children and chimpanzees. Prosocial actions were manifested in all three species following rules of contingency that may reflect strategically adaptive responses.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology &Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Claidière
authors.affiliation: Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology &Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whiten
authors.affiliation: Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mareno
authors.affiliation: Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology &Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK.
authors.forename: Emily J E
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Messer
authors.affiliation: 1] Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA [2] Department of Psychology and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, PO Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Brosnan
authors.affiliation: 1] Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA [2] Department of Psychology and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, PO Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010, USA [3] Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study &Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
authors.forename: Lydia M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.affiliation: Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lambeth
authors.affiliation: 1] Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA [2] Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Schapiro
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McGuigan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002428:Cebus; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior