Updates On 15th Jun 2015

COMMUNICATION BY FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IN MACAQUES

Macaques use gestures to mediate both competitive and cooperative interactions with other group members. Communication by facial expressions and body postures plays an important role in the social dynamics of macaques. Gestures convey information on the emotional state of the sender, and can also be used to inhibit the behaviour of another individual or to request its participation in specific activities such as grooming, agonistic support, mating or play.

Macaques spend a large amount of time strengthening their family ties, and one gesture often seen is lip-smacking. Lip-smacking and teeth-chattering involve tongue protrusion and are referred to as lip-grin or clonic-jaw movement. Lip-smacking is a social behaviour that usually results in friendly interactions. A macaque will often lip-smack to a more dominant macaque as a sign of submission. You might also see macaques lip-smacking to one another after having a disagreement, as a way of apologising and making sure all is forgiven. It can also be a sign of affection or contentment.

While in humans lip-smacking usually just means bad table manners, in macaques it can mean many different things. In fact, researchers are constantly finding new meanings in the communication gestures of monkeys. Lip-smacking represents a possible pathway in the evolution of speech. In addition, lip-smacking may also serve as a purely social function, just like human conversations. It is a multifaceted subject, and one we may never completely understand, but what we do know is that lip-smacking is a very important part of macaque communication.

So, the next time you visit the nature reserve, take time to observe how macaques communicate to one another and remember to share the knowledge around. Knowledge can save lives!

#ACRES #SaveSgMonkeys

Source: https://www.facebook.com/ACRESasia/photos/a.223077136522.136..

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ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society) is a pioneering Singapore-based charity and Institution of Public Character, founded by Singaporeans in 2001 with the aim of promoting animal welfare.

ACRES has six focus areas: Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Wildlife Crime Investigation, Zoo Animal Welfare, Humane Education, Community Outreach and Promoting Cruelty-Free Living.

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