Social Relationships Impact Collective Decision-Making in Tibetan Macaques

In a group of animals, interests and needs among group members can be very different. To benefit from group-living, individuals must therefore coordinate each other’s activities when they perform collective actions. Collective decision-making is a key mechanism during coordination, and it allows all members of a social group to reach a consensus. In this chapter, we first provide a mini-review about decision-making processes during collective movements across primate species. We then summarize recent developments in the study of decision-making processes in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Huangshan, China, and place them in the context of the primate literature related to collective movement. These developments include the following key issues in collective movement in Tibetan macaques: leadership type, associated social factors, joining rules used, and the role of social relationships among group members in collective decision-making.