Vn-Z.vn November 21, 2023, Scientists discovered for the first time that a group of black monkeys living in the Republic of Ivory Coast can use military tactics common in human warfare to collect information about enemy monkey groups.
Black monkeys, which are closely related to humans, are not only intelligent but also have a complex social structure. This species of monkey usually lives in groups of several dozen individuals. Black monkeys can live in a territory of several tens of square kilometers. The territorial borders of black monkey groups are not fixed, so they often have to patrol the border to prevent the intrusion of other groups. These patrols sometimes escalate to "attack" levels, penetrating deep into the territory of neighboring herds.
Conflicts between groups of black monkeys can be brutal, even fatal. They will organize organized attacks, hide, chase and catch enemies, sometimes even killing each other. The violent behavior of black monkeys can be influenced by many factors such as food abundance, sex ratio, size and power balance in the group.
Predict the ability of black monkeys to advance or retreat from their opponents' positions, depending on altitude, power imbalance, and distance between communities.
Seated black monkey figures: those gathering information (illustrated by drawing "ears"); standing black monkey form: rival black monkeys; The black arc depicts the range of sound detection that can be heard farther from higher altitudes; The gray circles depict possible risks posed by adversaries (low, medium, high); red arrow: ability to move towards the opponent; purple arrow: ability to retreat from opponents; thickness of the arrow: the degree of that possibility. (source journals.plos.org)
To better understand conflicts between groups of black monkeys, a group of scientists observed and monitored two adjacent groups of black monkeys living in Taï National Park in the Ivory Coast region over a long period of time. They and local assistants tracked black monkeys from 2013 to 2016 for about 8-12 hours a day and collected their GPS and behavioral data. They discovered that black monkeys use the highlands to monitor opponents, an action similar to performing military positioning reconnaissance tactical missions.
Specifically, scientists discovered that, when black monkeys move towards the border of their territory, they tend to climb high hills. On these high hills, they will rest quietly, without doing activities that affect their hearing ability.
Scientists also found that, when opponents are far away, black monkeys are more likely to enter disputed territory from the highlands, suggesting that they use information gathered when observing from the highlands. resources to avoid conflicts. However, they can also use this information to find opportunities to attack.
When members of two groups of black monkeys meet, the difference in numbers is the deciding factor in whether the conflict will become violent or not. Black monkeys appear to be able to assess the situation and stakes of conflict, and information from the plateau helps them do this.
Using the plateau to assess the situation is one of the classic human military tactics. This study shows that black monkeys also use reconnaissance tactics similar to humans, this is also the first time scientists have recorded this behavior in non-human animals. Scientists believe that this tactic may have been chosen by nature, helping black monkeys expand their territory and search for resources.
In addition, this study also shows that black monkeys can not only pay attention to surrounding dangers but can also work on their own to find useful information to guide their actions. This shows that black monkeys have the ability to self-awareness (metacognition), that is, the ability to reflect on the information they know and thereby search for new information.
Readers can refer to more information here
journals.plos.org
Black monkeys, which are closely related to humans, are not only intelligent but also have a complex social structure. This species of monkey usually lives in groups of several dozen individuals. Black monkeys can live in a territory of several tens of square kilometers. The territorial borders of black monkey groups are not fixed, so they often have to patrol the border to prevent the intrusion of other groups. These patrols sometimes escalate to "attack" levels, penetrating deep into the territory of neighboring herds.
Conflicts between groups of black monkeys can be brutal, even fatal. They will organize organized attacks, hide, chase and catch enemies, sometimes even killing each other. The violent behavior of black monkeys can be influenced by many factors such as food abundance, sex ratio, size and power balance in the group.
Predict the ability of black monkeys to advance or retreat from their opponents' positions, depending on altitude, power imbalance, and distance between communities.
Seated black monkey figures: those gathering information (illustrated by drawing "ears"); standing black monkey form: rival black monkeys; The black arc depicts the range of sound detection that can be heard farther from higher altitudes; The gray circles depict possible risks posed by adversaries (low, medium, high); red arrow: ability to move towards the opponent; purple arrow: ability to retreat from opponents; thickness of the arrow: the degree of that possibility. (source journals.plos.org)
Specifically, scientists discovered that, when black monkeys move towards the border of their territory, they tend to climb high hills. On these high hills, they will rest quietly, without doing activities that affect their hearing ability.
Scientists also found that, when opponents are far away, black monkeys are more likely to enter disputed territory from the highlands, suggesting that they use information gathered when observing from the highlands. resources to avoid conflicts. However, they can also use this information to find opportunities to attack.
When members of two groups of black monkeys meet, the difference in numbers is the deciding factor in whether the conflict will become violent or not. Black monkeys appear to be able to assess the situation and stakes of conflict, and information from the plateau helps them do this.
Using the plateau to assess the situation is one of the classic human military tactics. This study shows that black monkeys also use reconnaissance tactics similar to humans, this is also the first time scientists have recorded this behavior in non-human animals. Scientists believe that this tactic may have been chosen by nature, helping black monkeys expand their territory and search for resources.
In addition, this study also shows that black monkeys can not only pay attention to surrounding dangers but can also work on their own to find useful information to guide their actions. This shows that black monkeys have the ability to self-awareness (metacognition), that is, the ability to reflect on the information they know and thereby search for new information.
Readers can refer to more information here
Chimpanzees make tactical use of high elevation in territorial contexts
Use of high elevation in warfare requires high cognitive skills but is not uniquely human. This study shows that wild chimpanzees can detect their enemies from afar by exploiting hilltops in their topographic landscape, allowing them to assess the risk and adjust their movements accordingly.
journals.plos.org