It is a means by which animals who live in proximity may form bond , forming new relationships, strengthening family relationships and help enforce the groups overall social structure.
In some species, grooming such as this can be used to settle conflicts or allow two individuals to reconcile.
In other animals, like some macaques, males that have groomed a female have a greater chance of mating with them than a male who has not!
As kevin explains very well it does. It is also a stress reliever, and you’ll see that after there has been a big fight everybody is grooming each other in order to calm down again.
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