Doctoral Dissertation Research: Exploring the evolutionary origins of prestige in wild primates

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Human leadership is thought to be unique compared to other animals in that it is often rooted in prestige rather than dominance. That is, instead of coercing others using physical intimidation, prestigious human leaders attract followers through admiration. Our closest living relatives provide crucial comparisons for understanding how the transition to prestige-based leadership happened in human evolutionary history. In some species, individuals maintain hierarchies that are defined by aggression but also show relatively extensive cooperation, which has been proposed to underlie human prestige. This doctoral dissertation research project investigates whether wild nonhuman primates exhibit some features of prestige-based leadership while at the same time keeping the dominance-based leadership seen in other animals. As part of this project, the investigators offer a leadership workshop for primary schools that emphasizes the value of cooperative leadership and opportunities for girls’ leadership while supporting scientific engagement and student-centered STEM learning. The investigators integrate an intensive field study with long-term hormonal and behavioral data from the community of wild nonhuman primates to be studied to conduct a comprehensive non-invasive exploration of leadership in these primates. To do so, they develop a novel statistical method to assess whether longitudinal stability of stress physiology is indicative of individual variation in temperament. Next, they examine whether consistently moderate stress responses and non-reactive temperaments that distinguish prestigious human leaders also predict tolerant, prosocial behavioral strategies in nonhuman primates. Finally, they probe how behavioral strategies contribute to leadership pathways rooted in dominance versus prestige, specifically asking whether prosociality incurs benefits via social attractiveness independently of conventional dominance rank. 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.