individuals showed a preference for a particular partner by selecting him and not the
other male or males present. Distance to the selected individual was not the main cri-
terion, and the selecting individual nearly always moved to the selected partner to groom
him, rather than being approached by him. In cases where a lower status male groomed
one of higher status, he approached and started grooming more quickly than when
the statuses were the other way (i.e. the subordinate was keener to groom than the
dominant).
The grooming relationships found by Newton-Fisher reflected the association
patterns of these males. They positioned themselves nearer some males than others, and
Newton-Fisher called these their ‘proximity partners’. The positioning and the groom-
ing reflected and strengthened the fact that some males were more closely bonded than
others, but this ‘bonding’ was not constant, and kinship may not be the explanation. The
clue was found in the fact that males position themselves closer to higher status males
and further away from lower status males, and this goes for grooming too. ‘Proximity
may therefore reflect social tactics, as close associates are likely to be potential allies, or
important competitors, and higher status males more useful as either allies, or as main-
tainers of social harmony (Harcourt 1989, de Waal 1982)’ (quoted from Newton-Fisher
1997). This opens up a new dimension to grooming which takes it beyond the ‘affiliative’
category and gives us an insight into chimpanzee political relationships, particularly
between males. The grooming patterns observed by Newton-Fisher among the 15 adult
and subadult males he studied are shown in Fig. 6.2.
Subordinate chimpanzee males, in their grooming interactions, adopt careful spatial
positioning near senior males, and are quick to groom higher ranking males once there
is a chance, as against the slowness to respond by the latter.
The Sonso males, who are the stable core of the community, groom more, and groom
each other more, than do females. (By contrast, in female-bonded societies such as
macaques, females do more grooming than males.) An analysis of 3108 grooming
112 Social behaviour and relationships
ZTZFTKAYMUKKVNDNCHBYMGBKJMNJMAFig. 6.2: Patterns of grooming among Sonso males (from Newton-Fisher 2002a).