The woolly spider monkey is almost fought not

Known joke that haunts the sleep of the evolutionists: the Zebra is white streaked black, or the contrary Equally, one may wonder if great primates have singé our political character or if it is rather the opposite. In his last book (), ethologist Frans de Waal américano-néerlandais takes a perverse pleasure to compare the behaviour of apes and humans, often close.

We know the great sophistication of social reports of ants, a society where the individual does not exist and that humans are pacifists. In primates, and especially among chimpanzees, "personalities exist and they are beasts of policy," said the ethologist. In the centre of policy, be it human or Simian there always power. For primates, dominate promises to spread its genes at best take advantage of privileges to the more attractive females. In humans, the privileges are multiple, but they also relate to sexuality. History has repeatedly shown the insatiable appetite of Kings and potentates all kinds. Mao to the maharajahs, democratic Presidents to the rich, for harem to the boudoir of the parliaments, the power attracts the elegant.

The different races of hominids share the same strategies to arrogate to itself the power. The most effective of these is the clash. It proved its worth since millions of years, as shown in the natural selection that has favoured the oversized baboons canines or the impressive thickness of gorillas. It will always say that miniature physique of some of our leading politicians scans this thesis. In our Western societies, it does fights more from axe to conquer the thrones or the presidencies of enterprises, but physical confrontation remains topical. At their first meeting, two politicians continue to gauge and to impress strongly debated subject, intersecting the floor or by adopting postures of domination with major actions, assured voice or expressive facial expressions.

Tactics of intimidation

Chimpanzees, presentations are less nuanced, but all also démonstratrices: is angering the hair, loading at will. It is often bullied, but beatings can be deadly. Some species are more than others, the baboons, macaques are the most violent societies, while bonobos spend for the hippies of the primates. Some species don't bite, know very quickly reconcile and tolerate others around their food, said Frans de Waal. The woolly spider monkey is almost fought not.

Other fine strategies are essential as the alliance, the treason and conspiracy. Political assassinations are indeed not yesterday. The history of Luit, a dominant rising from a population of chimpanzees, like many others in humans. Frustrated to see their authority competition, two males estropièrent cruelly shines up to emasculate and kill him. Without alliance, a Chief primate is not long. Some dominant older cede their authority to another while continuing to pull the strings in the behind the scenes. A managed new often takes for right arm that helped him in his battles. Two rival monkeys know also weld a coalition after confrontation. There is a parallel behaviour in human politicians, between the two rivals of the same party. When one of them is appointed official candidate, the other is quick to join him, photogenic smile in support. Other individuals use the division between rival rule instead.

The stress of the dominant

The clarification of the hierarchy is the constant concern of male chimpanzees, but also other species such as the Rhesus Macaque, which take the Palm of the caste society. Among them, provocations are continuing to ensure the submission of each rank.

In our race, this hierarchy is also present, very early in life. Teachers know it: "In the first days of class, it retrieves dominated children and dominant." "It is even more visible in small sections," said Carole Méheut, Professor of the school. Frans de Waal fun to remind that the will power of the human race remains a taboo in our societies into psychology textbooks. Among politicians, in particular, the thirst for power is never mentioned, but is presented in servant of the State, it praises his umpteenth "meaning of the general interest". Primates are far less hypocritical. It is observing that the ethologist did the mourning of the utopia of 1968 that the inequality between individuals was easily being cultural drift. "Its roots are much deeper," he said today.

Dominate is however not a sinecure. In addition to the permanent risk, stress is common among the dominant. Biologists were measured for years in alpha males and their entourage of the stress in the blood hormone and cortisol levels. They realized that this rate depends on the facility to manage social tensions, the rate fluctuating with the skill of the figures.

Power is also a drug. Dominant males do not support steals the show and fiercely oppose young putsch attempts. When a confrontation or a vote, knocks the head in place, the sanction is dramatic for the loser. Frans de Waal cites the case of Yeroen, which left choir a tree after having lost the dominance of the group, interpreted signal as an appeal to be consoled. Subsequently, Yeroen showed all the signs of despair, empty eyes and a distance from social life situation which recalls the ethologist reaction of a mandarin of his University at the frond of his collaborators. Richard Nixon showed such grief after his dismissal in the case of "watergate" that Henry Kissinger the consoled in his arms. The Parallels of Frans de Waal is enable, but they more often belong to the domain of the interpretation of the demonstration. The ethologists do not accept all to go so far in the comparison between animals and men.