Climate change is altering monkey "friendships", study shows

Climate change may be transforming the way social animals interact and organize their groups. A study published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution showed that extreme weather events alter the balance between cooperation and competition among white-faced capuchin monkeys, even affecting what researchers describe as the "friendships" and social dynamics of these animals.

Conducted by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the University of Konstanz and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the research followed 12 neighboring groups of wild capuchin monkeys in a dry tropical forest in Costa Rica for 33 years.

To understand how climate interferes with the social lives of animals, scientists combined field observations with satellite images that monitored changes in vegetation and forest cover over the decades. In total, behavioral data from 335 individuals were analyzed.

Under conditions considered normal, larger groups showed more internal competition for food, especially fruit. To compensate for this cost, the monkeys expanded their circulation areas and occupied territories previously used by smaller groups, guaranteeing access to more resources.

But this balance changed during periods of climate stress. In the dry season, intensified by events such as El Niño and La Niña, resources such as water, food and shade began to be concentrated in smaller areas. As a result, groups began to meet more frequently and defend territories more intensely, increasing disputes between neighbors.

According to researchers, in extreme scenarios the traditional benefit of living in large groups begins to diminish. Competition for food increases and the numerical advantage no longer compensates for the energy costs. In prolonged situations, individuals may abandon their groups and entire social structures may fragment.

The authors highlight that El Niño and La Niña are natural cycles and not a direct consequence of climate change. However, projections indicate that global warming could make these extremes more frequent and intense, which, according to the study, could permanently alter the social organization of animal populations in the future.

With information from AAAS and EurekAlert!*

Source: CNN