Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38480888/)

These scientists wanted to understand how the brains of monkeys work when they are interacting with each other in their natural environment. They realized that most studies on monkey brains were done in labs with artificial tasks, so they decided to study monkeys in their natural social settings.

To do this, they used special technology to watch the monkeys and record their brain activity wirelessly while they were interacting with each other. They found that certain parts of the monkeys' brains were very active when the monkeys were doing specific behaviors, like grooming each other or dealing with an intruder. They also noticed that male and female monkeys who were friends showed similar brain activity patterns when they were grooming each other.

When a new monkey tried to join the group and was aggressive, the scientists saw that the monkeys' brains showed signs of empathy and that having a friend nearby helped calm them down.

Overall, the scientists discovered that the monkeys' brains keep track of their social relationships and behaviors, much like a ledger or a record book. This information helps us understand how monkeys and even humans interact with each other in social groups.

Testard C., Tremblay S., Parodi F., DiTullio RW., Acevedo-Ithier A., Gardiner KL., Kording K., Platt ML. Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques. Nature. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07178-6.