How Display Behaviors Help Animals Maintain Group Unity: The Baboon Example

Display behaviors can help animals maintain group unity in two ways.

Firstly, threatening display behaviors can be used to communicate a warning and help animals avoid conflicts. For example, when two Baboons come across a piece of fruit that they both want, the Baboon that saw the fruit first may stare at the other Baboon and make threatening noises. This display behavior communicates the message that it wants the fruit, reducing the likelihood of a physical fight. By using threatening display behaviors, animals can resolve potential conflicts without actually harming each other, thus maintaining the unity of the group.

Secondly, friendly display behaviors can be used to reconcile after conflicts and restore group unity. If the two Baboons do end up getting into a physical fight over the fruit, they need a way to resolve the conflict. After the fight, they approach each other while making friendly noises and may even hug each other. These friendly display behaviors signify that everything is okay now and that they are not angry with each other anymore. Through these gestures, the Baboons can make up and the group can return to normal, maintaining the unity of the group.