MacaqueNet: Advancing comparative behavioural research through large‐scale collaboration
Authors: De Moor Delphine , Skelton Macaela ,   MacaqueNet, Amici Federica , Arlet Malgorzata E. , Balasubramaniam Krishna N. , Ballesta Sébastien , Berghänel Andreas , Berman Carol M. , Bernstein Sofia K. , Bhattacharjee Debottam , Bliss‐Moreau Eliza , Brotcorne Fany , Butovskaya Marina , Campbell Liz A. D. , Carosi Monica , Chatterjee Mayukh , Cooper Matthew A. , Cowl Veronica B. , De la O Claudio , De Marco Arianna , Dettmer Amanda M. , Dhawale Ashni K. , Erinjery Joseph J. , Evans Cara L. , Fischer Julia , García‐Nisa Iván , Giraud Gwennan , Hammer Roy , Hansen Malene F. , Holzner Anna , Kaburu Stefano , Konečná Martina , Kumara Honnavalli N. , Larrivaz Marine , Leca Jean‐Baptiste , Legrand Mathieu , Lehmann Julia , Li Jin‐Hua , Lezé Anne‐Sophie , MacIntosh Andrew , Majolo Bonaventura , Maréchal Laëtitia , Marty Pascal R. , Massen Jorg J. M. , Maulany Risma Illa , McCowan Brenda , McFarland Richard , Merieau Pierre , Meunier Hélène , Micheletta Jérôme , Mishra Partha S. , Sah Shahrul A. M. , Molesti Sandra , Morrow Kristen S. , Müller‐Klein Nadine , Ngakan Putu Oka , Palagi Elisabetta , Petit Odile , Pflüger Lena S. , di Sorrentino Eugenia Polizzi , Raghaven Roopali , Raimbault Gaël , Ram Sunita , Reichard Ulrich H. , Riley Erin P. , Rincon Alan V. , Ruppert Nadine , Sadoughi Baptiste , Santhosh Kumar , Schino Gabriele , Sheeran Lori K. , Silk Joan B. , Singh Mewa , Sinha Anindya , Sosa Sebastian , Stribos Mathieu S. , Sueur Cédric , Tiddi Barbara , Tkaczynski Patrick J. , Trebouet Florian , Widdig Anja , Whitehouse Jamie , Wooddell Lauren J. , Xia Dong‐Po , von Fersen Lorenzo , Young Christopher , Schülke Oliver , Ostner Julia , Neumann Christof , Duboscq Julie , Brent Lauren J. N. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

There is a vast and ever‐accumulating amount of behavioural data on individually recognised animals, an incredible resource to shed light on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of variation in animal behaviour. Yet, the full potential of such data lies in comparative research across taxa with distinct life histories and ecologies. Substantial challenges impede systematic comparisons, one of which is the lack of persistent, accessible and standardised databases.

Big‐team approaches to building standardised databases offer a solution to facilitating reliable cross‐species comparisons. By sharing both data and expertise among researchers, these approaches ensure that valuable data, which might otherwise go unused, become easier to discover, repurpose and synthesise. Additionally, such large‐scale collaborations promote a culture of sharing within the research community, incentivising researchers to contribute their data by ensuring their interests are considered through clear sharing guidelines. Active communication with the data contributors during the standardisation process also helps avoid misinterpretation of the data, ultimately improving the reliability of comparative databases.

Here, we introduce MacaqueNet, a global collaboration of over 100 researchers (https://macaquenet.github.io/) aimed at unlocking the wealth of cross‐species data for research on macaque social behaviour. The MacaqueNet database encompasses data from 1981 to the present on 61 populations across 14 species and is the first publicly searchable and standardised database on affiliative and agonistic animal social behaviour. We describe the establishment of MacaqueNet, from the steps we took to start a large‐scale collective, to the creation of a cross‐species collaborative database and the implementation of data entry and retrieval protocols.

We share MacaqueNet's component resources: an R package for data standardisation, website code, the relational database structure, a glossary and data sharing terms of use. With all these components openly accessible, MacaqueNet can act as a fully replicable template for future endeavours establishing large‐scale collaborative comparative databases.