How animals have ‘friendships’ similar to humans – 08/16/2023 – Science

When you think of friendship, what comes to mind? A late-night phone conversation? Watch a movie and share a pizza? Have a few laughs over a beer?

Friendship is a central part of the human experience. Our stories, our songs and our conversations are woven with threads of friendship.

In scientific terms, two people are considered friends if they consistently prefer each other over other individuals. However, humans aren’t the only ones who make friends.

Perhaps it’s not so surprising that our closest relatives like chimpanzees and bonobos also have friends.

But species across the animal kingdom, from birds and fish to horses and dolphins, have friends too. And it’s surprising how similar these friendships are to human ones.

similarities

When we think of our own friends, we realize that they are the same in many ways.

Maybe you grew up in the same city and went to school together, share hobbies, or have similar jobs.

This propensity for similarity, or what scientists call “homophilia,” is not unique to humans. This preference for similarity is believed to increase predictability and trust in a friend.

Monkeys, zebras, marmots, elephants and whales show a preference for interacting with individuals close to their age group.

Chimpanzees and Assam macaques like to be around others who have similar personalities (yes, animals have personalities too) and dolphins prefer other dolphins who find their food in a similar way.

One of the most established homophilic tendencies is the affinity for others who share the same genes, that is, for the family.

Across the animal kingdom, species show a predilection for interacting with kin.

So despite stubborn sibling rivalries, your family members can be among your best friends.

physical connection

When we consider the importance of touch in relationships, we often think of romantic partnerships. But physical connection can be important in any type of relationship.

Animals prove this to us. Some of the behaviors they adopt to form and maintain friendships are quite practical.

Jackdaws clean their friends gently with their beaks, while monkeys use their hands. These behaviors aren’t all that different from the way we humans hug our friends.

However, in the case of some animals, friendship rituals can seem savage. White-faced capuchin monkeys greet their best friends by sticking their fingers in their eye sockets. Male Guinea baboons test their bonds by fondling each other’s genitals.

While we don’t recommend eye poking, a hug the next time you say hello to your best friend might be a good idea.

Distance is not an impediment

But of course, not all friendships require closeness.

Friendships can even form between individuals of species that actively avoid each other.

American red squirrels are territorial, meaning they each defend their own home and rarely come into contact beyond mating.

But research shows that squirrels who live together for a long time develop friendships that help them live longer and have more babies. The longer these squirrels live near the same neighbor, the more they relax and spend less time and energy defending their territory.

While friendships once depended on physical presence, international travel, social media and video calling have changed the way we connect today.

Human friendship is getting more and more different, especially since the Covid pandemic, but our animal colleagues have shown us that good friendships can be cultivated even from a distance.

Dolphins, for example, maintain proximity by communicating with other dolphins through long-distance calls. The emitted sounds can travel up to 740 meters to help preserve long-distance relationships.

Many primates, including lemurs, macaques, bonobos, and chimpanzees, also use vocalizations to maintain social bonds.

Longer and healthier lives

Friendship evolved over the years because it brought benefits to both humans and animals.

Animals (including humans) that have allies live longer, healthier lives, helping their companions cope with challenges.

Friends can offer support in times of conflict and provide protection from threats such as predators and food shortages.

This alliance can help prevent injury and death. For example, socially integrated orcas and wolves are more likely to survive when food is scarce than those who live on the fringes of their groups.

This is because your friends share food and social information about where to find them.

We still have a lot to learn about animal friendship, and some scientists are working to deepen our understanding of animals’ social bonds.

Modern human life tends to be away from hazards like being hunted by bears or wolves, but the end result of friendship remains true.

Humans make friends because there are mutual benefits. Those perks could be a shoulder to cry on, a babysitter to take care of our kids, or a notice about job openings.

As whales, birds and primates demonstrate, friends help us. Without them, we are less likely to survive and thrive.

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Beki Hooper, Delphine De Moor and Erin Siracusa are postdoctoral researchers in animal behavior at the University of Exeter, UK.

This article was originally published on The Conversation and is reprinted here under a Creative Commons license. Click here to read the original English version.