Scientists Susanne Shultz, Christopher Opie and Quentin Atkinson from Oxford University have found that social behavior and role can be inherited. Their hypothesis for the study was that Primate species tended to have the same social structure as their close relatives, regardless of how and where they live. This theory goes against the previous one that related species living in different environments should display a variety of social structures. They did this by looking at a primate family tree of 217 primate species whose social organization was known. They found their hypothesis true. For example many of the Old World monkeys such as baboons and macaques lived in several different places around the world and eat different foods. They all generally have the same social systems which suggests that their common ancestry and the inherited genes that shape behavior are a stronger influence than ecology on their social structure.
Findings of the Scientists at Oxford
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v479/n7372/full/nature10601.html
This is a pretty fascinating article to read! It goes with the whole nature vs. nurture, and its cool to know that primates stuck to their nature side!
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