Rebecca Ferrell
$25,117
Sarah A Kovalaskas
Emory University
Georgia
Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Bio Anthro DDRI
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). <br/><br/>Though humans are remarkable in terms of cooperation, there are other social mammals including some non-human primates that regularly cooperate with non-kin and at the group-level. In some species, individuals are highly collaborative within their group, while relations are hostile between groups, suggesting that competition between groups may shape the social nature of species. This doctoral dissertation research advances knowledge about evolutionary and physiological drivers of cooperation within groups in non-human primates and examines the importance of competition as a potential driver of group cohesion. The project advances knowledge about animal social behavior and provides comparative data for understanding how group membership and intergroup conflict may have shaped patterns of cooperation in humans. The project provides scientific training to students through mentorship and field experience opportunities, and aids in conservation efforts by engaging with conservation organizations and local communities.<br/> <br/>This project involves the non-invasive collection and analysis of behavioral and hormonal data to investigate the theory of parochial altruism in which conflict between groups is crucial for intensifying cooperation within groups. The researchers examine whether intergroup conflict influences within-group sociality in a highly intelligent and cooperative non-human primate species that displays hostile between-group relations. The project examines the evolutionary roots and biological underpinnings of parochial altruism by a) determining whether intergroup conflict impacts within-group socio-positive behaviors, b) investigating whether, as in humans and chimpanzees, oxytocin underpins participation in cooperative group ventures such as territory defense, and c) assessing at the group level whether there is a relationship between measures of social cohesion and success in intergroup interactions.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.