Abstract: Grooming behavior is one of the main contents in animal behavior research. According to its objects, the grooming consists of autogrooming and allogrooming. Nowadays, it is believed that it is important social behavior in primates, and related to social parameters (such as sex, age, kinship and reproduction). Meanwhile, it is found that allogrooming serves a number of social functions. In order to study allogrooming behavior deeply, this review expands the classification of grooming, the influencing factors, the functional hypothesis and the cost-benefit analysis of allogrooming behavior.

Key words: Primates; Allogrooming; Influencing factors; Functions; Cost-benefit