Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell

The episode examines primate social and mating behaviors to understand parallels with humans, drawing on evolutionary psychology, anthropology, and direct observations of species such as mandrills and titi monkeys. Panelists Robin Dunbar, Jo Setchell, and Dave Gorman discuss how ecology, brain size, sensory signals, and cognitive skills shape relationship patterns, while weighing the limits of anthropomorphic interpretations.

Varied mating systems and ecological drivers

Primates display a wide range of relationship durations, from decades-long pair bonds to brief encounters. Titi monkeys form stable, relatively monogamous pairs that sit together and twine their tails, often remaining hidden except for visible tails in forest vines. Setchell explains that the prevalence of monogamy, polygamy, or multi-male arrangements depends on food distribution and the number of females that can coexist in one area. A single female may share her home range with one male and mate only with him, yet larger groups with abundant resources produce more chaotic mating access that no single male can monopolize. These patterns arise because each strategy offers different trade-offs in protection, predation risk, and reproductive opportunity.

Limits on social relationships