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On the forces that bind us

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2025

Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen Open the ORCID record for Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen [Opens in a new window]  and
Tom S. Roth
Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, the Netherlands e.j.c.vanleeuwen@uu.nl https://www.uu.nl/staff/EJCvanLeeuwen Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany t.s.roth@uu.nl https://www.uu.nl/staff/TSRoth
Tom S. Roth
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, the Netherlands e.j.c.vanleeuwen@uu.nl https://www.uu.nl/staff/EJCvanLeeuwen
*
*Corresponding author.
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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.

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Open Peer Commentary
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Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e186
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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