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Neuroethology of primate social behavior.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Chang, SWC; Brent, LJN; Adams, GK; Klein, JT; Pearson, JM; Watson, KK; Platt, ML
Published in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
June 18, 2013

A neuroethological approach to human and nonhuman primate behavior and cognition predicts biological specializations for social life. Evidence reviewed here indicates that ancestral mechanisms are often duplicated, repurposed, and differentially regulated to support social behavior. Focusing on recent research from nonhuman primates, we describe how the primate brain might implement social functions by coopting and extending preexisting mechanisms that previously supported nonsocial functions. This approach reveals that highly specialized mechanisms have evolved to decipher the immediate social context, and parallel circuits have evolved to translate social perceptual signals and nonsocial perceptual signals into partially integrated social and nonsocial motivational signals, which together inform general-purpose mechanisms that command behavior. Differences in social behavior between species, as well as between individuals within a species, result in part from neuromodulatory regulation of these neural circuits, which itself appears to be under partial genetic control. Ultimately, intraspecific variation in social behavior has differential fitness consequences, providing fundamental building blocks of natural selection. Our review suggests that the neuroethological approach to primate behavior may provide unique insights into human psychopathology.

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Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

June 18, 2013

Volume

110 Suppl 2

Issue

Suppl 2

Start / End Page

10387 / 10394

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Primates
  • Nerve Net
  • Models, Biological
  • Humans
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • Animal Communication
 

Citation

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MLA
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Chang, S. W. C., Brent, L. J. N., Adams, G. K., Klein, J. T., Pearson, J. M., Watson, K. K., & Platt, M. L. (2013). Neuroethology of primate social behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 10387–10394. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1301213110
Chang, Steve W. C., Lauren J. N. Brent, Geoffrey K. Adams, Jeffrey T. Klein, John M. Pearson, Karli K. Watson, and Michael L. Platt. “Neuroethology of primate social behavior.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110 Suppl 2, no. Suppl 2 (June 18, 2013): 10387–94. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1301213110.
Chang SWC, Brent LJN, Adams GK, Klein JT, Pearson JM, Watson KK, et al. Neuroethology of primate social behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 18;110 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):10387–94.
Chang, Steve W. C., et al. “Neuroethology of primate social behavior.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 110 Suppl 2, no. Suppl 2, June 2013, pp. 10387–94. Pubmed, doi:10.1073/pnas.1301213110.
Chang SWC, Brent LJN, Adams GK, Klein JT, Pearson JM, Watson KK, Platt ML. Neuroethology of primate social behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 18;110 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):10387–10394.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

Publication Date

June 18, 2013

Volume

110 Suppl 2

Issue

Suppl 2

Start / End Page

10387 / 10394

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Primates
  • Nerve Net
  • Models, Biological
  • Humans
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • Animal Communication