Intragroup Coalitions/Alliances

Coalitions and alliances function to maintain social order by influencing dominance hierarchies. While both humans and great apes form coalitions and alliances with one another, there are differences in the level of complexity and the scale at which these are formed. Humans form alliances at all levels, from two individuals, all the way up to the state and country level.  In contrast, apes form alliances at the individual or local group level only. To date, there are no reported inter-group alliances among wild apes. Also, while almost all humans form alliances with conspecifics, not all great apes have been observed to form coalitions. Alliances are most commonly seen among male chimpanzees and female bonobos.