Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques

成果类型:
Article
署名作者:
Testard, Camille; Tremblay, Sebastien; Parodi, Felipe; DiTullio, Ron W.; Acevedo-Ithier, Arianna; Gardiner, Kristin L.; Kording, Konrad; Platt, Michael L.
署名单位:
University of Pennsylvania; Harvard University; Laval University; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pennsylvania
刊物名称:
Nature
ISSN/ISSBN:
0028-5943
DOI:
10.1038/s41586-024-07178-6
发表日期:
2024-04-11
关键词:
reciprocity neuroethology selectivity FRAMEWORK DYNAMICS stress energy brain
摘要:
Our understanding of the neurobiology of primate behaviour largely derives from artificial tasks in highly controlled laboratory settings, overlooking most natural behaviours that primate brains evolved to produce1-3. How primates navigate the multidimensional social relationships that structure daily life4 and shape survival and reproductive success5 remains largely unclear at the single-neuron level. Here we combine ethological analysis, computer vision and wireless recording technologies to identify neural signatures of natural behaviour in unrestrained, socially interacting pairs of rhesus macaques. Single-neuron and population activity in the prefrontal and temporal cortex robustly encoded 24 species-typical behaviours, as well as social context. Male-female partners demonstrated near-perfect reciprocity in grooming, a key behavioural mechanism supporting friendships and alliances6, and neural activity maintained a running account of these social investments. Confronted with an aggressive intruder, behavioural and neural population responses reflected empathy and were buffered by the presence of a partner. Our findings reveal a highly distributed neurophysiological ledger of social dynamics, a potential computational foundation supporting communal life in primate societies, including our own. Single-neuron and population activity in the macaque prefrontal and temporal cortex robustly encodes 24 species-typical behaviours, reciprocity in social interactions and social support.