What observations suggest primate grooming has purposes beyond cleanliness?
Answer & explanation
Grooming time can exceed cleaning needs and relate to social-group size
A hygiene-only account predicts grooming effort should largely track cleaning demand. When effort also tracks the social environment, a relationship-maintenance function becomes plausible; it does not prove conscious strategy.
The elephant in the brain
Chapter 1 · Animal Behavior
Reviewed public question · version 1
