Gestural Communication in Macaques: Usage and Meaning of Nonvocal Signals

Communication by facial expressions and body postures plays an important role in the social dynamics of macaques. Macaques use gestures to mediate both competitive and cooperative interactions with other group members. Gestures convey information on the emotional state of the sender and its impending behavior but can also be used to inhibit the behavior of another individual or to request its participation in specific activities such as grooming, agonistic support, mating or play. Although most gestures are used to mediate simple approach and avoidance interactions, the size of the gestural repertoire and the subtleties of gestural communication in macaques are unparalleled in other nonprimate animals.