Magnanimous monkeys

The evolutionary theory that underpins Whitehouse’s interest in stressMost of the time, stress causes a lot of internal physiological changes that help us get ready for a challenge.

For instance, a racing heart aids in the delivery of oxygen to the body and brain, allowing us to respond more quickly.

It’s clear why these modifications are adaptive.However, when stressed, many primates exhibit characteristic “displacement” behaviors like nervous skin scratching that don’t seem to help them deal with the discomfort they are experiencing.Then why would they change?