Rhesus Play

Shows and analyzes aggressive play - playfighting and playchasing - among free-ranging rhesus monkeys of La Cueva Island, Puerto Rico. Illustrates that the fundamental objective of play fighting is to bite without getting bitten, a goal attained in part by climbing atop or getting behind the play partner. These tactical intricacies are illustrated in a sequence that is first shown at normal speed, then broken down by stop motion into its components, and finally shown again in slow motion. Two examples of play turning into aggression are shown, and one is described in terms of the kinship of the participants.