Aggression and Social Controls in Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta) Groups Revealed in Group Formation Studies

Agonistic responses were the primary form of social interaction during five rhesus group formations. Males showed the most extreme forms of aggression initially, but as formative processes progressed, females became more active and aggression less severe. Initial agonistic interactions serve to establish the social order of an emerging group. As a group becomes organized, extreme forms of aggression disappear and aggressive frequencies decline.