[Dataset] The expression of father-daughter bond behaviors influences adult partner attachment in titi monkeys

[Dataset] Strong social bonds can buffer us from stress. Coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) are socially monogamous monkeys that display strong pair bonds similar to human romantic attachments, preceded by infant attachment to their fathers. To understand how father-daughter bonds impact adult relationship dynamics, we established a novel method for quantifying expression of female (n=9) bond-related behaviors. To identify behavioral and neural mechanisms driving female attachment, we conducted a preference test between females’ current and former attachment figures and a neuroimaging study. While all females shifted to preferring partner proximity six-months post-pairing, higher expression of father-daughter bond-related behaviors established a stronger foundation for adult pair bonds. We found evidence females can maintain a relationship with their father at least six-months post-pairing, as evidenced by higher-than-expected proximity maintenance with the father, if they exhibited higher expression of father-daughter bond-related behaviors as juveniles. Neural activity pre- and post-pairing showed high overlap between circuitry driving filial and adult attachment, despite overall activity being lower post-pairing. Higher expression of bond-related behaviors further reduced activity within social bonding brain regions, suggesting a potential stress buffering benefit. These findings advance current knowledge of the foundational neurobiological mechanisms underlying attachment and how early relationships shape adult bonds.