Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster

Camille Testard; Sam M. Larson; Marina M. Watowich; Cassandre H. Kaplinsky; Antonia Bernau; Matthew Faulder; Harry H. Marshall; Julia Lehmann; Angelina Ruiz-Lambides; James P. Higham; Michael J. Montague; Noah Snyder-Mackler; Michael L. Platt; Lauren J.N. Brent

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029

Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster

Camille Testard, Sam M. Larson, Marina M. Watowich, Cassandre H. Kaplinsky, Antonia Bernau, Matthew Faulder, Harry H. Marshall, Julia Lehmann, Angelina Ruiz-Lambides, James P. Higham, Michael J. Montague, Noah Snyder-Mackler, Michael L. Platt, Lauren J.N. Brent

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and droughts. Understanding resilience and vulnerability to these intense stressors and their aftermath could reveal adaptations to extreme environmental change. In 2017, Puerto Rico suffered its worst natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, which left 3,000 dead and provoked a mental health crisis. Cayo Santiago island, home to a population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), was devastated by the same storm. We compared social networks of two groups of macaques before and after the hurricane and found an increase in affiliative social connections, driven largely by monkeys most socially isolated before Hurricane Maria. Further analysis revealed monkeys invested in building new relationships rather than strengthening existing ones. Social adaptations to environmental instability might predispose rhesus macaques to success in rapidly changing anthropogenic environments.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2299-2309.e7
Journal	Current Biology
Volume	31
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029
State	Published - Jun 7 2021

Keywords

Cayo Santiago
Hurricane Maria
Macaca mulatta
Puerto Rico
Rhesus macaques
natural disaster
social network
social support

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029

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Testard, C., Larson, S. M., Watowich, M. M., Kaplinsky, C. H., Bernau, A., Faulder, M., Marshall, H. H., Lehmann, J., Ruiz-Lambides, A., Higham, J. P., Montague, M. J., Snyder-Mackler, N., Platt, M. L., & Brent, L. J. N. (2021). Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster. Current Biology, 31(11), 2299-2309.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029

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Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster

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