Social Behavior

Social behavior is in its broadest sense behavior taking place between members of the same species. It can therefore include territorial, parental, and sexual behavior as well. However, individuals living in groups have a special need to communicate because they have to share resources, coordinate activities such as hunting or foraging, defend the territory against intruders, and protect the group against predators. Social species such as humans, monkeys, and rats have therefore developed communication systems and internal organizational structures that allow them to live in proximity without having to engage in frequent fights over resources. Fighting may cause injury and can jeopardize the...