Bonobos share with strangers.
Humans are thought to possess a unique proclivity to share with others--including strangers. This puzzling phenomenon has led many to suggest that sharing with strangers originates from human-unique language, social norms, warfare and/or cooperative breeding. However, bonobos, our closest living rel...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3534679?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818988992625901568 |
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| author | Jingzhi Tan Brian Hare |
| author_facet | Jingzhi Tan Brian Hare |
| author_sort | Jingzhi Tan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Humans are thought to possess a unique proclivity to share with others--including strangers. This puzzling phenomenon has led many to suggest that sharing with strangers originates from human-unique language, social norms, warfare and/or cooperative breeding. However, bonobos, our closest living relative, are highly tolerant and, in the wild, are capable of having affiliative interactions with strangers. In four experiments, we therefore examined whether bonobos will voluntarily donate food to strangers. We show that bonobos will forego their own food for the benefit of interacting with a stranger. Their prosociality is in part driven by unselfish motivation, because bonobos will even help strangers acquire out-of-reach food when no desirable social interaction is possible. However, this prosociality has its limitations because bonobos will not donate food in their possession when a social interaction is not possible. These results indicate that other-regarding preferences toward strangers are not uniquely human. Moreover, language, social norms, warfare and cooperative breeding are unnecessary for the evolution of xenophilic sharing. Instead, we propose that prosociality toward strangers initially evolves due to selection for social tolerance, allowing the expansion of individual social networks. Human social norms and language may subsequently extend this ape-like social preference to the most costly contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:31:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09da7c5aa18a418cae1f4f6489221523 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:31:24Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-09da7c5aa18a418cae1f4f64892215232022-12-21T19:28:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0181e5192210.1371/journal.pone.0051922Bonobos share with strangers.Jingzhi TanBrian HareHumans are thought to possess a unique proclivity to share with others--including strangers. This puzzling phenomenon has led many to suggest that sharing with strangers originates from human-unique language, social norms, warfare and/or cooperative breeding. However, bonobos, our closest living relative, are highly tolerant and, in the wild, are capable of having affiliative interactions with strangers. In four experiments, we therefore examined whether bonobos will voluntarily donate food to strangers. We show that bonobos will forego their own food for the benefit of interacting with a stranger. Their prosociality is in part driven by unselfish motivation, because bonobos will even help strangers acquire out-of-reach food when no desirable social interaction is possible. However, this prosociality has its limitations because bonobos will not donate food in their possession when a social interaction is not possible. These results indicate that other-regarding preferences toward strangers are not uniquely human. Moreover, language, social norms, warfare and cooperative breeding are unnecessary for the evolution of xenophilic sharing. Instead, we propose that prosociality toward strangers initially evolves due to selection for social tolerance, allowing the expansion of individual social networks. Human social norms and language may subsequently extend this ape-like social preference to the most costly contexts.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3534679?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jingzhi Tan Brian Hare Bonobos share with strangers. PLoS ONE |
| title | Bonobos share with strangers. |
| title_full | Bonobos share with strangers. |
| title_fullStr | Bonobos share with strangers. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bonobos share with strangers. |
| title_short | Bonobos share with strangers. |
| title_sort | bonobos share with strangers |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3534679?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jingzhitan bonobossharewithstrangers AT brianhare bonobossharewithstrangers |