Data and Code for: Food distribution, but not market forces, predict behavioral social tolerance in rhesus macaques

Social inequality in primates is marked by dominance-based resource
monopolization. Yet, high-ranking individuals sometimes yield to
lower-ranking individuals to promote group stability, indicative of
behavioral social tolerance. Social tolerance is dynamic and is shaped by
resource availability, group structure, hierarchy steepness, and kinship.
Increasing social tolerance around resource access may promote group
stability and improve individual well-being. The multifaceted nature of
behavioral social tolerance means we still lack a full understanding of
its temporal, individual, and social drivers and whether modifications in
resource distribution promote or hinder tolerant behavior in unequal
societies. We tested whether decentralizing food resources improved
behavioral social tolerance via two measures: reduced aggression and
increased co-feeding through the study of a large group of outdoor-housed
rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a macaque species typified by low social
tolerance. We assessed whether reduced resource competition and time of
day influenced co-feeding behavior, and whether investment in grooming
afforded future social tolerance. We found that, relative to a baseline
and follow-up period with centralized food resources, distributed
resources promoted social tolerance, but this was modulated by dominance
rank. High-ranking individuals may exhibit greater behavioral flexibility
while low-ranking individuals are afforded increased access to resources
through reduced competition. We found temporal variation in co-feeding
behavior with more co-feeding occurring in the afternoon. Lastly, we found
limited evidence to suggest individuals groomed to afford future
co-feeding tolerance. Combined, these results suggest that increased
resource distribution in captive populations could provide a social
benefit and contribute positively to health and well-being.