1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Possession and its development among Japanese monkeys
| Project/Area Number |
09640839
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
人類学(含生理人類学)
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| Research Institution | Kobe Gakuin University |
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Principal Investigator |
HAYAKI Hiroshige Kobe Gakuin University, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (60228559)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ITANI Jun'ichiro Kobe Gakuin University, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Professor emeritus, 名誉教授 (10025257)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1999
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| Keywords | Japanese monkey / social behavior / social inhibition / possession / food sharing |
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| Research Abstract |
This study aims at reconsidering the origin of human property or ownership, analyzing social situations in relation to 'possession' among Japanese monkeys. Social interactions concerning possession appeared clearly in feeding places. In feeding, dominance relationship affected possession : the dominant individual took a priority to access food resources and often showed aggression to the subordinate individuals. However, even the dominant did not take food in force, when it was kept in one's hand. Social inhibition such as this enables possession that may be the original form of human property. Exceptionally, mother or elder sisters sometimes snatched food from the infants' hand or mouth. In such situations, however, aggression never took place. In play situations, young individuals sometimes kept a piece of glass or an empty can in their hand. They did not scrambled for it. Before young females took care of an infant, they sometimes groom its mother, who may be regarded as the possessor of the infant.
In conclusion, the mutual tolerance system based on social inhibition may be required for stable possession. The concept of possession is related to social recognition and communication. We can find the prototype of human property in the chimpanzee society, in which food sharing occurs. In chimpanzees, food sharing has a direct social significance.
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