PREVIEW

Hurricane Devastates Island But Turns Warring Monkeys Into Shade-Sharing Friends. A devastating hurricane that hit Puerto Rico in 2017 had an odd effect on a monkey society - making them more friendly towards each other. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, killing more than 3,000 people. It also destroyed 63% of vegetation on Cayo Santiago (also known as Monkey Island), which is home to a population of rhesus macaques. Seven years on, tree cover remains far below pre-hurricane levels - making shade from the Sun precious, this close to the equator. The new study, led by the universities of Pennsylvania and Exeter and published in the journal Science, shows the storm damage altered the habits of the monkeys. Tolerant macaques who accepted pals who could share their shade had a survival advantage over those who fought over territory. “Macaques aren’t the best at sharing resources – be they food or shade. They are well known to live in an aggressive, highly competitive society,” said Professor Lauren Brent, from the University of Exeter. “But in the heat caused by ecological changes, often around 40C, the macaques had to share space or die.” Their friendlier behaviour did not stop at shade-sharing too, as the monkeys were generally friendlier towards each other. “To access shade, they need to tolerate – and be tolerated by – others, and we found that this tolerance spills over into other daily interactions,” Dr. Brent added.