Doctoral Dissertation Research: The effect of intergroup competition on affiliation, oxytocin, and group cohesion

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。尽管人类在合作方面非常出色，但也有其他社会性哺乳动物，包括一些非人类灵长类动物，它们经常在群体层面上与非亲属合作。在一些物种中，个体在群体内是高度合作的，而群体之间的关系是敌对的，这表明群体之间的竞争可能塑造了物种的社会性质。本博士论文研究推进了关于非人类灵长类动物群体内合作的进化和生理驱动因素的知识，并研究了竞争作为群体凝聚力潜在驱动因素的重要性。该项目推进了对动物社会行为的认识，并为理解群体成员和群体间冲突如何影响人类合作模式提供了比较数据。该项目通过指导和实地体验的机会为学生提供科学培训，并通过与保护组织和当地社区合作来帮助保护工作。该项目包括对行为和激素数据的非侵入性收集和分析，以研究群体之间的冲突对加强群体内部合作至关重要的狭隘利他主义理论。研究人员研究了在一种高度智能和合作的非人类灵长类动物中，群体间冲突是否会影响群体内的社会关系，这种动物在群体间表现出敌意。该项目考察了区域利他主义的进化根源和生物学基础：a)确定群体间冲突是否会影响群体内的社会积极行为；b)调查人类和黑猩猩中催产素是否会支持合作群体冒险（如领土防御）的参与；c)在群体层面评估社会凝聚力的衡量标准与群体间互动的成功之间是否存在关系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Though humans are remarkable in terms of cooperation, there are other social mammals including some non-human primates that regularly cooperate with non-kin and at the group-level. In some species, individuals are highly collaborative within their group, while relations are hostile between groups, suggesting that competition between groups may shape the social nature of species. This doctoral dissertation research advances knowledge about evolutionary and physiological drivers of cooperation within groups in non-human primates and examines the importance of competition as a potential driver of group cohesion. The project advances knowledge about animal social behavior and provides comparative data for understanding how group membership and intergroup conflict may have shaped patterns of cooperation in humans. The project provides scientific training to students through mentorship and field experience opportunities, and aids in conservation efforts by engaging with conservation organizations and local communities. This project involves the non-invasive collection and analysis of behavioral and hormonal data to investigate the theory of parochial altruism in which conflict between groups is crucial for intensifying cooperation within groups. The researchers examine whether intergroup conflict influences within-group sociality in a highly intelligent and cooperative non-human primate species that displays hostile between-group relations. The project examines the evolutionary roots and biological underpinnings of parochial altruism by a) determining whether intergroup conflict impacts within-group socio-positive behaviors, b) investigating whether, as in humans and chimpanzees, oxytocin underpins participation in cooperative group ventures such as territory defense, and c) assessing at the group level whether there is a relationship between measures of social cohesion and success in intergroup interactions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.