17 Nov
2025
17 Nov
'25
8 a.m.
Dear BERGers,
This Wednesday (4pm) we have a seminar with Dr Eleonore Rolland (CNRS, Bron, France)
giving a talk entitled "Evidence of organized but not disorganized attachment in wild
Western chimpanzee offspring (Pan troglodytes verus)" (abstract below). The meeting
will be held online (link below).
Abstract:
Human attachment theory outlines three organized types: secure, insecure-avoidant and
insecure-resistant, all considered adaptive responses to maternal care for offspring
survival. In contrast, disorganized attachment is hypothesized to be maladaptive and
therefore uncommon in wild mammals, though this remains untested. We assessed attachment
types in 50 wild chimpanzees (ages 0–10 years) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Using
3,795 h of mother and offspring focal observations, we found no behaviours indicative of
disorganized attachment. To explore organized attachment, we analysed a subset of 18
immature chimpanzees and their behavioural responses to 309 natural threatening events.
Their responses showed organized attachment patterns: some sought maternal closeness
(secure-like), while others displayed independence (insecure-avoidant-like). Our study
supports the hypothesis that organized attachment types are adaptive and have a long
evolutionary history.
Link to the meeting:
BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft
Teams<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2F…
BERG seminar schedule (Fall 2025)
Date
Speaker
Affiliation
Title
Chair
Format
19-Nov-25
Eleonore Rolland
Eleonore Rolland
tbc: mother-infant attachment in wild chimpanzees
Pawel
Online
26-Nov-25
TBC - Offered to Roxanne Hawkins
Clare
03-Dec-25
Floriane Fournier
Université Jean Monnet
"tbc: The role of nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in
bonobos "
Pawel
Online
10-Dec-25
Faye Whiley
The Missing Lynx Project
tbc: Social science in stakeholder engagement for lynx co-existence
Clare
Online
Best wishes,
Pawel
-------------------------------
Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his)
Lecturer in Psychology
Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG)
Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences
University of Stirling
Stirling, FK9 4LA
Scotland, UK
@pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social>
@berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social>
Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG
page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/research-groups/behaviour-and-evolution-research-group/>
I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday).
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