Dunbar, R.I.M. and MacCarron, Pádraig and Shultz, Susanne
(2018)
Primate Social Group Sizes Exhibit a Regular Scaling Pattern with Natural Attractors.
Biology Letters of the Royal Society of London, 14.
ISSN 1744-9561
Abstract
Primate groups vary considerably in size across species. Nonetheless, the
distribution of mean species group size has a regular scaling pattern with
preferred sizes approximating 2.5, 5, 15, 30 and 50 individuals (although
strepsirrhines lack the latter two), with a scaling ratio of approximately 2.5
similar to that observed in human social networks. These clusters appear
to form distinct social grades that are associated with rapid evolutionary
change, presumably in response to intense environmental selection pressures. These findings may have wider implications for other highly social
mammal taxa.
Repository Staff Only(login required)
![View Item View Item](/style/images/action_view.png) |
Item control page |
Downloads per month over past year
Origin of downloads