At a Glance
- A study on mountain gorillas showed that social bonds influence health and survival, but these effects vary depending on group size, sex, and social dynamics.
- Female gorillas with strong, stable social ties experienced better health, while males with strong bonds showed higher illness rates, revealing sex-specific effects of social behavior.
- Group size played a crucial role, as strong bonds in small groups improved health but lowered female birth rates, whereas in large groups, the opposite trends emerged.
- The study found that individual behavior alone could not explain health outcomes, highlighting the importance of group-level factors such as size and stability.
- These findings offer valuable insights into how social environments impact health in both gorillas and other species, including humans, emphasizing the need for long-term behavioral research.
A recent study on mountain gorillas offers valuable insights into how social bonds impact health and survival. Researchers found that the strength of social connections in these animals affects their well-being, but the results vary based on group size, sex, and other factors. The study, conducted by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and universities in the UK and Switzerland, explored how the social lives of 164 wild gorillas influence their health and fitness over time. This research contributes to understanding how the social environment can shape an animal’s development, behavior, and survival.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, used long-term data from mountain gorillas living in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Researchers examined individual social bonds and the dynamics within the larger social groups. They found that, for females, strong and stable social bonds generally led to better health outcomes, with fewer illnesses. However, the opposite was true in males—strong bonds were associated with a higher risk of illness. Surprisingly, the health benefits of social bonds also depended on group size: In small groups, strong female bonds led to fewer illnesses and lower birth rates, while in larger groups, the opposite occurred.
The team also discovered that these effects could not be explained solely by the individual gorillas’ social behavior. The broader social group, including its size and stability, played a significant role in determining the health outcomes. For example, in small groups, females with strong bonds had fewer health issues but produced fewer offspring, whereas in larger groups, the reverse was true. This complexity highlights how the environment and social structure influence individual and group health.
Researchers believe that understanding these dynamics is crucial for studying gorillas and broader evolutionary biology. Social behavior in humans and other mammals is strongly linked to health and longevity, and the findings from this study may provide insights into how social structures influence well-being across species. The study also emphasizes the importance of long-term research in revealing the complex relationships between social traits and fitness, which can guide future studies on social behavior and its impact on survival.
References
- University of Exeter. (2025, May 5). Gorilla study reveals complex pros and cons of friendship. Phys.Org; University of Exeter. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-gorilla-reveals-complex-pros-cons.html
- Morrison, R. E., Ellis, S., Martignac, V., Stoinski, T. S., & Eckardt, W. (2025). Group traits moderate the relationship between individual social traits and fitness in gorillas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(20), e2421539122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2421539122
