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The development of infant play in a captive group of lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla )
Author(s) -
Hoff Michael P.,
Nadler Ronald D.,
Maple Terry L.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.1350010108
Subject(s) - gorilla , primate , psychology , developmental psychology , infant development , demography , sociology , anthropology , neuroscience
Abstract Three infant gorillas born at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center of Emory University were studied during their first year and one‐half of life for various aspects of behavior, including solitary and social play, using both focal animal and one‐zero sampling. The appearance of play in these infants followed a developmental trend, beginning with mother‐infant play, and followed by solitary play, and then social play among peers. Mothers were initially very vigilant, repeatedly interrupting infant peer play bouts, this relaxing toward the end of the first year. Evidence for a possible sex difference in active social play is presented.