Abstract: Alliances among kin play a major role in a female's acquisition of her mother's dominance rank in many species of cercopithecines. It is noteworthy, however, that kin rarely form coalitions to challenge females from higher-ranking matrilines, and that matrilineal hierarchies are remarkably stable. One possible reason for the rarity of destabilizing coalitions is that members of high-ranking matrilines form alliances against lower ranking ones. In this paper the patterning of aggressive support among non-kin, and its effect on the stability of rank relations are analysed in a captive group of Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, composed of three unrelated matrilines. Analysis of the distribution of non-kin interventions in conflicts between matrilines over a 52-month period revealed a clear pattern of preferential support between the two dominant matrilines against the third-ranking one. This pattern was confirmed experimentally. Any member of the two dominant matrilines was unable, individually, to maintain its rank above the third-ranking matriline, but was able to do so in the presence of the other dominant matriline. Non-kin alliances appear to prevent subordinate females from challenging higher ranking females through revolutionary coalitions (formed among subordinates) or through bridging coalitions (formed among individuals ranking above and below the target). Non-kin support is interpreted in terms of cooperation versus reciprocal altruism.

Abstract: Matrilineal dominance systems, which characterize several species of cercopithecines, are determined largely by the patterning of third-party aggressive interventions in conflicts. Although the role of interventions in structuring rank relations has received much attention, very few studies have dealt specifically with the development of intervention behavior. In other words,most studies have focused on the interventions received and their effect on the recipients rather than on the interventions performed and the goals of the interveners. We analyzed the intervention behavior of 10 juvenile females in a colony of 40 Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)housed at the University of Montreal Laboratory of Behavioral Primatology. The analysis of 749 interventions performed by the juveniles over their first 4 years and 2425 interventions received over the same period reveals that (1) juvenile females intervened selectively against females ranking below their mother, (2) they began to intervene at about the same time that they began to challenge the latter females in dyadic contests, (3) they sided with females as well as with males against these females, (4) juvenile interveners incurred little risks in terms of aggressive retaliation from their targets, (5) they derived immediate benefits in terms of conflicts won over stronger targets, (6) interventions often did not take place when the possible recipients needed support, and (7) interveners did not conform to a pattern of mutually preferential support. These results support the view that interventions by juveniles are selfish (vs altruistic) and constitute a low-cost and effective means to target and to outrank prospectively subordinate females.