Watching others groom may help macaques build alliances

A new publication by SFB members Sofia Pereira, Julia Ostner and Oliver Schülke in Current Biology examines how male Assamese macaques pay attention to social interactions within their group. Males that spent more time watching friendly interactions, such as grooming, formed closer friendships with other males. These friendships helped them rise in the social hierarchy, and higher-ranking males mated about 20% more often. During conflicts, by contrast, males paid similarly close attention regardless of their social standing. The findings suggest that keeping track of who gets along with whom can help primates build alliances that improve their social standing.

Read the full paper here

Chalk Talks return to Forum Wissen for Season 9

The Chalk Talks at Forum Wissen are back for their ninth season, and our SFB is delighted to take part again. On 26 November, Elena C. Altmann from Nivi Mani’s group will start with a presentation in English on “How children learn to love learning”. On 11 December, Julia Ostner will explore how primates form friendships and alliances in “Allianzen und Freundschaft bei Primaten”. On 22 January, Viola Priesemann will ask what goes viral and why in “Fake oder Fakten, Wissen oder Meinung – was geht viral? Und warum?”

PhD Award 2025 of the German Primate Center for Will O'Hearn

Our former PhD student Will O’Hearn (project B05) has been awarded the 2025 Doctoral Prize by the German Primate Center In his PhD, Will examined how Guinea baboons assess the foraging abilities of their conspecifics and adapt their social behavior accordingly. The central question was whether females prefer male baboons who are particularly successful at finding food. To this end, Will conducted observational studies and behavioral experiments at the DPZ Simenti Field Station in Senegal and at the Nuremberg Zoo. The key finding was that female Guinea baboons use social information about a male’s competence to gain access to a food source themselves. When male Guinea baboons were taught to open a food box using a lever, they were courted more intensely by their female counterparts. However, if the box was removed—and the “trained specialist” could therefore no longer provide additional food—he lost his appeal again. The animals thus make their social decisions based on outcomes rather than on the fundamental competence of their social partner. The award was presented to Will at a ceremony at the German Primate Center on Sept 10, 2025.

Read the DPZ press release

February 2027: 18th Conference of the Gesellschaft für Primatologie in Göttingen

From 17–19 February 2027, the German Primate Center in Göttingen will host the 18th Conference of the Gesellschaft für Primatologie (GfP), organised by Julia Ostner, Julia Fischer and Oliver Schülke. Researchers from all areas of primatology are invited to present their work, exchange ideas and connect across disciplinary boundaries. Registration and abstract submission are now open. Submit your abstract and register at the early-bird rate by 15 November 2026. The final registration deadline is 31 December 2026. Please visit the conference website for all details