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Sorry ladies -- according to new research, a night out on the town with his mates is probably exactly what your beau needs.
A new study has revealed that when male primates spend time kicking back with other males, their stress levels drop.
Scientists from the University of Gottingen in Germany conducted an experiment with a group of Babary macaques, a species of monkey chosen because of their human-like behaviour.
The study, which is bound to be brought up by men eager for a boys night out, found that males suffer less anxiety when they're around one another. When observing the monkeys the scientists noticed that the stress levels of male macaques dropped significantly when they were around other male macaques.
But when males were around their partners or other family members – their stress levels soared. While these monkeys weren’t exactly going out to have a few beers they would generally unwind together by sitting and picking insects out of each other’s fur.
Interestingly researchers also discovered that stress-related illnesses among macaques occurred only in females and males that were part of a couple.
According to Christopher Young of the university's research team, "If male primates live in multimale groups they usually fight fiercely over access to females, but males can develop friendly relationships with a few group mates."
In a way very similar to the manner in which men look out for one another Young explains that, “Male macaques form social bonds - that buffer them against day-to-day stressors.”
Sources: telegraph.co.uk, metro.co.uk
