Data from: Early life adversity and adult social relationships have independent effects on survival in a wild primate
Adverse conditions in early life can have profound negative consequences for adult health and survival in humans and other animals. How does early adversity exert its influence on adult outcomes, and what variables mediate this relationship? Adult social environments represent one candidate mediator: early life adversity has repeatedly been linked to social adversity in adulthood, and social adversity in adulthood strongly predicts survival outcomes. However, no study has prospectively linked early life adversity, adult social behavior, and adult survival to measure the extent to which adult social behavior mediates the relationship between early life adversity and adult survival. Here, we do so in a wild baboon population in Amboseli, Kenya, an established animal model of social processes that affect biodemographic outcomes. We show that early adversity and adult social isolation contribute independently to reduced adult survival. Further, strong social bonds and high social status in adulthood can buffer some of the negative effects of early adversity on survival. These results both identify social traits that are subject to natural selection, a concern of evolutionary biology, and highlight possible targets for intervention to improve human health and well-being
