New research says males have a better chance of bonding with each other when carrying an infant, as a baby’s presence immediately breaks down barriers.

The study, carried out among Barbary macaque monkeys, is among the first to show that infants serve as social tools and could explain why human fathers proudly brandish new babies to everyone they meet.

According to the study, male macaques who carry babies around with them also tend to rise up the social ladder, becoming more popular among their peers.