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

博士论文研究：探索野生灵长类动物声望的进化起源

• 批准号: 2141766
• 负责人: Melissa Thompson
• 金额: $ 1.52万
• 依托单位: University of New Mexico
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-15 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2141766&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Exploring; evolutionary

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.

与其他动物相比，人类的领导力被认为是独特的，因为它往往植根于威望而不是统治地位，也就是说，有声望的人类领导者不是通过身体恐吓来胁迫他人，而是通过钦佩来吸引追随者。了解人类进化史上向基于声望的领导力的转变是如何发生的。在某些物种中，个体维持着由侵略性定义的等级制度，但也表现出相对广泛的合作，这已被提议作为人类声望的基础。调查野生非人类灵长类动物是否表现出基于声望的领导力的某些特征，同时保留其他动物中常见的基于支配地位的领导力作为该项目的一部分，研究人员为小学提供了一个领导力研讨会，强调合作的价值。领导力和女孩领导力的机会，同时支持科学参与和以学生为中心的 STEM 学习。研究人员将深入的实地研究与来自待研究的野生非人类灵长类动物群落的长期激素和行为数据相结合，进行全面的非侵入性研究探索这些方面的领导力为此，他们开发了一种新的统计方法来评估压力生理学的纵向稳定性是否表明个体的气质差异。接下来，他们研究了区分著名人类领袖的持续适度的压力反应和非反应性气质是否也预示着宽容。最后，他们探讨了行为策略如何促进根植于支配地位与声望的领导路径，特别询问亲社会行为是否通过独立于传统支配地位的社会吸引力而带来好处。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定规定。使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。