Primates are social animals.
Social relationships begin with mom and other adults during the long dependency period of youngsters. This dependency period may have evolutionary advantages in that it allows infants and young the time to observe and learn the complex behaviors needed for survival while still being nurtured and protected by mature adults.
Primates deprived of this social relationship do not appear to develop appropriate patterns of social interaction. Studies have been done that show that monkeys deprived of maternal care, faced with neglect and isolation are unable to lead normal social lives as adults. They often developed aberrant sexual activities and may even become juvenile delinquents. Mating well-adjusted males with socially deprived females resulted in mothers who often rejected their babies entirely – showing that mothering is more than instinctive.
In many primate social groups the mothers are not the only caregiver for the young. Often caring for all the young becomes the main activity of females of a primate group.
Play is an important ingredient of normal development for primates. It is essential for learning and practice of physical skills necessary in adulthood. It also encourages development of social skills, appropriate interaction and communication with the other group members. Some dominance relationships seem to be established early through the wrestling and other rough games of the juvenile members of the group where winning depends on size, strength and agility. Skills like these, or lack of them, may establish status for an individual in the group structure – although in some primate groups an individual’s status seems to be related to the mother’s position in the group.
Primates Learn from Others
Primates learn in social groups. Human children imitate others, adults deliberately teach the young. Imitation provides instruction for most primates, there is some evidence that chimpanzees learn to use tools by imitation – “fishing” for termites, using leaves as a sponge for gathering water, wiping with leaves–there is even some evidence that chimpanzees may learn to use different plants and herbs for medicinal purposes (to settle an upset stomach)….young primates learn about their social world, gain survival skills through skills they acquire from adults, peers. Most primate behavior is learned, and very little of primate behavior is instinctive.
How much can we extrapolate about early human behavior from what we see in living primates?