On the forces that bind us

Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen; Tom S. Roth

doi:10.1017/S0140525X25101477

On the forces that bind us

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Dunbar proposes strategies to solve the fragmentation problem experienced by group-living animals. We highlight that bondedness not only mitigates stress but also provides structural scaffolding for group stability. Furthermore, we posit tolerance as a complementary mechanism smoothing social interactions and argue that variation in cohesion-promoting traits reflects context-dependent socio-ecological pressures, challenging static models linking sociality to cognition. Finally, we propose two further mechanisms—cultural transmission and dominance dynamics—that can enhance social cohesion by aligning behaviour and reducing uncertainty.

Original language	English
Article number	e186
Journal	Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume	48
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X25101477
Publication status	Published - 27 Nov 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Funding

EJCvL was funded by the European Union under ERC Starting Grant no. 101042961 – CULT_ORIGINS, and by NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) Vidi grant Vidi.231G.071 “The cultured primate: probing the evolutionary foundations of human culture.”

Funders	Funder number
European Commission
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
European Research Council	101042961 – CULT_ORIGINS

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10.1017/S0140525X25101477

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AU - Roth, Tom S.

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AB - Dunbar proposes strategies to solve the fragmentation problem experienced by group-living animals. We highlight that bondedness not only mitigates stress but also provides structural scaffolding for group stability. Furthermore, we posit tolerance as a complementary mechanism smoothing social interactions and argue that variation in cohesion-promoting traits reflects context-dependent socio-ecological pressures, challenging static models linking sociality to cognition. Finally, we propose two further mechanisms—cultural transmission and dominance dynamics—that can enhance social cohesion by aligning behaviour and reducing uncertainty.

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DO - 10.1017/S0140525X25101477

M3 - Review article

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VL - 48

JO - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

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M1 - e186

ER -

On the forces that bind us

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

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