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Abstract

Primates usually live in groups and interact with other group members, sometimes forming preferential long-term relationships. Sociality provides primates with benefits like support and learning opportunities that ultimately increase their fitness. Sociality also poses challenges in terms of competition and coordination, though, which primates face with the use of different behavioural and cognitive strategies. Moreover, primates show important variation in sociality, both between species, between groups, across individuals and through developmental stages. Overall, observational studies are a powerful tool to understand the richness in primate sociality, and the factors that explain the emergence and maintenance of specific forms of sociality and behavioural traits.