Older chimpanzees have more propensities to engage with others

Shifting sociality during primate ageing. Zarin P. Machanda and Alexandra G. Rosati. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. September 21 2020. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0620

Rolf Degen's take: https://twitter.com/DegenRolf/status/1307911120343183360

Abstract: Humans exhibit major age-related shifts in social relationships along with changes in social and emotional psychological processes that underpin these behavioural shifts. Does social ageing in non-human primates follow similar patterns, and if so, what are the ultimate evolutionary consequences of these social shifts? Here we synthesize empirical evidence for shifts in social behaviour and underlying psychological processes across species. Focusing on three elements of social behaviour and cognition that are important for humans—propensities to engage with others, the positive versus negative valence of these interactions, and capabilities to influence others, we find evidence for wide variation in the trajectories of these characteristics across primates. Based on this, we identify potential modulators of the primate social ageing process, including social organization, sex and dominance status. Finally, we discuss how comparative research can contextualize human social ageing.