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Do boundaries matter so much for societies?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2025

Colin A. Chapman Open the ORCID record for Colin A. Chapman [Opens in a new window]
Colin A. Chapman*
Affiliation:
Biology Department, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada Colin.Chapman.Research@gmail.com ChapmanColin.com School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Moffett's definition of society is broadly applicable to all group-living animals from insects to nation states. Presenting examples from primates, I illustrate difficulties in defining boundaries between societies and even what societies defend to demonstrate the complexity of using an understanding of the processes effecting primate societies to understand those effecting human societies. However, finding similarities and differences in processes shaping societies is intriguing and Moffett's definition provides an excellent starting point.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e60
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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