The ability to optimize social behavior to varying socioecological circumstances has been termed “social competence” and relies on behavioral plasticity. Behavioral syndromes, i.e. consistent individual differences in intraindividual correlations among behavioral traits, appear to be a constraint on social competence, yet studies exploring this have largely been limited to experimental laboratory settings. Here, we tested the...

Maternal cannibalism has been reported in several animal taxa, prompting speculations that the behavior may be part of an evolved strategy. In chimpanzees, however, maternal cannibalism has been conspicuously absent, despite high levels of infant mortality and reports of non-maternal cannibalism. The typical response of chimpanzee mothers is to abandon their deceased infant, sometimes after prolonged periods of carrying and gr...