1
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Garcia de la Chica A, Corley M, Spence-Aizenberg A, Fernandez-Duque E. The social and defensive function of olfactory behaviors in a pair-living sexually monogamous primate. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23669. [PMID: 39051726 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Olfactory behaviors serve a wide variety of social functions in mammals. Odor may signal information about attributes of individuals important for mating and reproduction. Olfactory behaviors, such as scent-marking, may also function as part of home range or resource defense strategies. We assessed the potential social and home range defense functions of olfactory behavior in a pair-living and sexually monogamous primate, Azara's owl monkey (Aotus azarae), in the Argentinian Chaco. This is the most extensive investigation of owl monkey olfactory behaviors in the wild. Individuals regularly performed olfactory behaviors (group mean + SD = 1.3 + 0.5 per hour). The patterns were generally comparable to those observed in studies of captive owl monkeys, except that urine washing was the most common behavior in the wild, as opposed to scent-marking and genital inspections. Most olfactory behaviors were performed by adults, and there were striking sex differences in genital inspections: almost all consisted of an adult male inspecting the paired adult female. These findings suggest that olfactory behaviors play an important role in signaling and coordinating reproduction among owl monkeys, particularly during periods of female conception and pregnancy. Additionally, our research indicates that these behaviors may also serve as a defense strategy for maintaining the core area of their home ranges. This study offers the first assessment of the role of olfactory behaviors in reproductive contexts and home range defense in pair-living, monogamous platyrrhine primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Garcia de la Chica
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- The Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Margaret Corley
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- The Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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2
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Corley M, Garcia de la Chica A, van der Heide G, Rotundo M, Caccone A, Fernandez-Duque E. Inbreeding avoidance, competition and natal dispersal in a pair-living, genetically monogamous mammal, Azara's owl monkey ( Aotus azarae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240379. [PMID: 39113772 PMCID: PMC11305132 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history stage influencing individual fitness, social dynamics of groups and population structure. Understanding factors influencing dispersal is essential for evaluating explanations for the evolution and maintenance of social organization, including parental care and mating systems. The social and mating systems of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are infrequent among mammals; these primates are pair-living, serially and genetically monogamous and both sexes directly care for offspring. To evaluate the role that competition and inbreeding avoidance play in shaping dispersal patterns, we used 25 years of demographic and genetic data to examine how variation in timing of natal dispersal is related to social (adult replacements, step-parents, births and group size) and ecological factors (seasonal abundance of resources) in a wild population of A. azarae in Formosa, Argentina. We found that all males and females dispersed from their natal groups, but subadults delayed dispersal when a step-parent of the opposite sex joined the group, indicating that they may perceive these step-parents as potential mates. Dispersal was more probable when resource conditions were better, regardless of age. Overall, agonistic conflict over food and potential mates with adults in the natal group, as well as inbreeding avoidance, contribute to regulating dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Corley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Alba Garcia de la Chica
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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3
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Tombak KJ, Hex SBSW, Rubenstein DI. New estimates indicate that males are not larger than females in most mammal species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1872. [PMID: 38472185 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45739-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism has motivated a large body of research on mammalian mating strategies and sexual selection. Despite some contrary evidence, the narrative that larger males are the norm in mammals-upheld since Darwin's Descent of Man-still dominates today, supported by meta-analyses that use coarse measures of dimorphism and taxonomically-biased sampling. With newly-available datasets and primary sources reporting sex-segregated means and variances in adult body mass, we estimate statistically-determined rates of sexual size dimorphism in mammals, sampling taxa by their species richness at the family level. Our analyses of wild, non-provisioned populations representing >400 species indicate that although males tend to be larger than females when dimorphism occurs, males are not larger in most mammal species, suggesting a need to revisit other assumptions in sexual selection research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia J Tombak
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Severine B S W Hex
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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4
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Gussone L, García de la Chica A, Fernandez-Duque E. Intergroup encounters in pair-living primates: Comparative analysis and a case study of pair-living and monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) of Argentina. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23572. [PMID: 37919869 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The function of intergroup encounters (IGEs) may differ substantially among species of different group sizes and social organizations. Research in group-living primates has shown that the behavioral responses during IGEs can vary widely from affiliative to neutral or aggressive interactions; still, little is known about IGEs in pair-living taxa. We conducted a systematic literature review to find relevant studies on the functions of IGEs in pair-living nonhuman primates that could inform analyses of IGE data (n = 242 IGEs, 21 groups and 10 solitary individuals, 1997-2020) from wild owl monkeys, a pair-living, monogamous primate with extensive biparental care. We identified 1315 studies published between 1965 and 2021; only 13 of them (n = 10 species) contained raw data on the number of IGEs. Our review of those studies showed that IGEs are common, but highly variable in their nature and characteristics in pair-living primates. To examine the non-mutually exclusive hypotheses of resource-, and mate defense, and infanticide avoidance we analyzed data from the Owl Monkey Project 27-year long database to build first an a priori model set. To incorporate prior knowledge from the literature review, we conducted our analyses as a consecutive series of binomial logistic regressions. All IGEs including all biologically relevant parameters (N = 156) were codified into three different behavioral categories (Reaction, Agonism, and Physical Aggression). The analysis showed that owl monkeys regularly engaged in IGEs, most of which were agonistic. They showed more reaction when infants were present, but reactions were less physically aggressive when infants and pregnant females were involved. Overall, our results lend more support for the infant and mate defense hypotheses than they do for the resource defense one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Gussone
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Bonn University, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alba García de la Chica
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Owl Monkey Project-Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Owl Monkey Project-Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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5
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Sandel AA. Male-male relationships in chimpanzees and the evolution of human pair bonds. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:185-194. [PMID: 37269494 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of monogamy has been a central question in biological anthropology. An important avenue of research has been comparisons across "socially monogamous" mammals, but such comparisons are inappropriate for understanding human behavior because humans are not "pair living" and are only sometimes "monogamous." It is the "pair bond" between reproductive partners that is characteristic of humans and has been considered unique to our lineage. I argue that pair bonds have been overlooked in one of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. These pair bonds are not between mates but between male "friends" who exhibit enduring and emotional social bonds. The presence of such bonds in male-male chimpanzees raises the possibility that pair bonds emerged earlier in our evolutionary history. I suggest pair bonds first arose as "friendships" and only later, in the human lineage, were present between mates. The mechanisms for these bonds were co-opted for male-female bonds in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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6
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Choi A, Yi Y, Mardiastuti A, Choe JC. Intra-group competition and social dynamics regarding dispersal and maturation in wild Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch). Sci Rep 2023; 13:8285. [PMID: 37217595 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34913-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history trait in all animal taxa. In pair-living species, parent-offspring competition derived from the offspring's maturity can motivate the natal dispersal of offspring. However, not much has been known about the dispersal mechanisms of pair-living gibbons. To test food and mate competition as potential reasons for dispersal, we investigated the effect of the offspring age and sex on relationships between parents and offspring in wild Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park, Indonesia. We collected behavioral data for two years between 2016 and 2019. We found that aggression from parents toward offspring increased in both feeding and non-feeding context as the offspring got older. Offspring received more aggression from the parent of the same sex in the general context. While offspring decreased co-feeding and grooming time with parents as they got older, there was no change in the proximity and approach to parents. The results imply the presence of both intra-group food and mate competition which increase with the offspring's age. We highlight that increased competition between maturing offspring and parents changes their social relationships and peripheralizes offspring from the natal group which will eventually motivate offspring to disperse in Javan gibbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahyun Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program of EcoCreative, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjung Yi
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Ani Mardiastuti
- Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
| | - Jae C Choe
- Division of EcoScience, Department of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Ziegler TE, Tecot SR, Fernandez-Duque E, Savage A, Snowdon CT. Nonhuman Primate Paternal Care: Species and Individual Differences in Behavior and Mechanisms. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:213-238. [PMID: 36169817 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Direct care of offspring by the father (sire) is relatively rare in primates. Besides humans, there are a number of species where the male is essential for the survival of offspring: marmosets, tamarins, titis and owl monkeys, some lemurs, and siamangs. All these species show reduced sexual dimorphism, territoriality, and biparental care. However, timing and levels of direct care may vary among these species. Here, relying on both lab and field data, we address the variability found in father's involvement with his infants, the behavioral, neuroendocrine and sensory systems that are a cause and consequence of paternal care, and social bonds between the breeding pair. We integrate studies of laboratory animals (where detailed observations and experimentation are possible) with field studies (which illuminate the ecological and evolutionary functions of paternal care) and discuss the future directions for examining the proximate and ultimate mechanisms of paternal care in nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Stacey R Tecot
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Charles T Snowdon
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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8
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Braga Goncalves I, Morris-Drake A, Kennedy P, Radford AN. Fitness consequences of outgroup conflict. eLife 2022; 11:e74550. [PMID: 35833830 PMCID: PMC9282852 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In social species across the animal kingdom, conspecific outsiders threaten the valuable resources of groups and their members. This outgroup conflict is recognised as a powerful selection pressure, but we argue that studies explicitly quantifying the fitness consequences need to be broader in scope: more attention should be paid to delayed, cumulative, and third-party fitness consequences, not just those arising immediately to group members involved in physical contests. In the first part of this review, we begin by documenting how single contests can have survival and reproductive consequences either immediately or with a delay. Then, we step beyond contests to describe fitness consequences that can also result from interactions with cues of rival presence and the general landscape of outgroup threat, and beyond single interactions to describe cumulative effects of territorial pressure and elevated outgroup-induced stress. Using examples from a range of taxa, we discuss which individuals are affected negatively and positively, considering both interaction participants and third-party group members of the same or the next generation. In the second part of the review, we provide suggestions about how to move forward. We highlight the importance of considering how different types of outgroup conflict can generate different selection pressures and of investigating variation in fitness consequences within and between species. We finish by discussing the value of theoretical modelling and long-term studies of natural populations, experimental manipulations, and meta-analyses to develop further our understanding of this crucial aspect of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Morris-Drake
- School of Biological Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Patrick Kennedy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew N Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
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9
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Earl AD, Kimmitt AA, Yorzinski JL. Circulating hormones and dominance status predict female behavior during courtship in a lekking species. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:9-20. [PMID: 35467712 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Female competitive behaviors during courtship can have substantial fitness consequences yet we know little about the physiological and social mechanisms underlying these behaviors - particularly for females of polygynous lek mating species. We explored the hormonal and social drivers of female intersexual and intrasexual behavior during courtship by males in a captive population of Indian peafowl. We investigated whether (1) female non-stress induced circulating estradiol (E2) and corticosterone (CORT) levels or (2) female dominance status in a dyad predict female solicitation behavior. We also tested whether female circulating E2 and CORT predict dominant females' aggressive behaviors toward subordinate females in the courtship context. Our findings demonstrate that females with higher levels of circulating E2 as well as higher levels of circulating CORT solicit more courtships from males. Dominant females also solicit more courtships from males than subordinate females. Female intrasexual aggressive behaviors during courtship, however, were not associated with circulating levels of E2 or CORT. Overall, we conclude that circulating steroid hormones in conjunction with social dominance might play a role in mediating female behaviors associated with competition for mates. Experimental manipulation and measures of hormonal flexibility throughout the breeding season in relation to competitive and sexual behaviors will be necessary to further examine the link between hormonal mechanisms and female behavior in polygynous lekking systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis D Earl
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Abigail A Kimmitt
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Jessica L Yorzinski
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
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10
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Rosenbaum S, Silk JB. Pathways to paternal care in primates. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:245-262. [PMID: 35289027 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection will favor male care when males have limited alternative mating opportunities, can invest in their own offspring, and when care enhances males' fitness. These conditions are easiest to fulfill in pair-bonded species, but neither male care nor stable "breeding bonds" that facilitate it are limited to pair-bonded species. We review evidence of paternal care and extended breeding bonds in owl monkeys, baboons, Assamese macaques, mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees. The data, which span social/mating systems and ecologies, suggest that there are multiple pathways by which conditions conducive to male care can arise. This diversity highlights the difficulty of making inferences about the emergence of male care in early hominins based on single traits visible in the fossil record. We discuss what types of data are most needed and the questions yet to be answered about the evolution of male care and extended breeding bonds in the primate order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Joan B Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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11
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Perea-Rodríguez JP, Corley MK, de la Iglesia H, Fernandez-Duque E. Thermoenergetic challenges and daytime behavioural patterns of a wild cathemeral mammal. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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12
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Heymann EW. New sniffing at New World primates: recent advances in the study of platyrrhine olfactory communication. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eckhard W. Heymann
- Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany(E-mail: )
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13
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Canine sexual dimorphism in Ardipithecus ramidus was nearly human-like. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2116630118. [PMID: 34853174 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116630118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Body and canine size dimorphism in fossils inform sociobehavioral hypotheses on human evolution and have been of interest since Darwin's famous reflections on the subject. Here, we assemble a large dataset of fossil canines of the human clade, including all available Ardipithecus ramidus fossils recovered from the Middle Awash and Gona research areas in Ethiopia, and systematically examine canine dimorphism through evolutionary time. In particular, we apply a Bayesian probabilistic method that reduces bias when estimating weak and moderate levels of dimorphism. Our results show that Ar. ramidus canine dimorphism was significantly weaker than in the bonobo, the least dimorphic and behaviorally least aggressive among extant great apes. Average male-to-female size ratios of the canine in Ar. ramidus are estimated as 1.06 and 1.13 in the upper and lower canines, respectively, within modern human population ranges of variation. The slightly greater magnitude of canine size dimorphism in the lower than in the upper canines of Ar. ramidus appears to be shared with early Australopithecus, suggesting that male canine reduction was initially more advanced in the behaviorally important upper canine. The available fossil evidence suggests a drastic size reduction of the male canine prior to Ar. ramidus and the earliest known members of the human clade, with little change in canine dimorphism levels thereafter. This evolutionary pattern indicates a profound behavioral shift associated with comparatively weak levels of male aggression early in human evolution, a pattern that was subsequently shared by Australopithecus and Homo.
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14
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Garcia de la Chica A, Wood DB, Rotundo M, Fernandez‐Duque E. Responses of a pair‐living, sexually monogamous primate to the simulated presence of solitary individuals: A field playback experiment. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Bechtel Wood
- Owl Monkey Project‐ Fundación ECO Formosa Argentina
- Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | | | - Eduardo Fernandez‐Duque
- Owl Monkey Project‐ Fundación ECO Formosa Argentina
- Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Universidad de Formosa Formosa Argentina
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15
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Van Belle S, Di Fiore A. Dispersal patterns in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra): Integrating multiyear demographic and molecular data. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:391-406. [PMID: 34661321 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a fundamental process in the functioning of animal societies as it regulates the degree to which closely related individuals are spatially concentrated. A species' dispersal pattern can be complex as it emerges from individuals' decisions shaped by the cost-benefit tradeoffs associated with either remaining in the natal group or dispersing. Given the potential complexity, combining long-term demographic information with molecular data can provide important insights into dispersal patterns of a species. Based on a 15-year study that integrates multiyear demographic data on six groups with longitudinal and cross-sectional genetic sampling of 20 groups (N = 169 individuals, N = 21 polymorphic microsatellite loci), we describe the various dispersal strategies of male and female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) inhabiting Palenque National Park, Mexico. Genetically confirmed dispersal events (N = 21 of 59 males; N = 6 of 65 females) together with spatial autocorrelation analyses revealed that the dispersal pattern of black howlers is bisexual with strong sex-biases in both dispersal rate (males disperse more often than females) and dispersal distance (females disperse farther than males). Observational and genetic data confirm that both males and females can successfully immigrate into established groups, as well as form new groups with other dispersing individuals. Additionally, both males and females may disperse singly, as well as in pairs, and both may also disperse secondarily. Overall, our findings suggest multiple dispersal trajectories for black howler males and females, and longer multiyear studies are needed to unravel which demographic, ecological and social factors underlie individuals' decisions about whether to disperse and which dispersal options to take.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Tiputini Biodiversity Station, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Cumbayá, Ecuador
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16
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Bowen M, Miles C, Hegseth R, Anderson CM, Brandon CS, Langford ML, Wolovich CK. The potential interplay between the glandular microbiome and scent marking behavior in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23324. [PMID: 34492124 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, scent marking behavior is a pervasive form of chemical communication that regulates social interactions within and between groups. Glandular microbiota consist of bacterial communities capable of producing chemical cues used in olfactory communication. Despite countless studies on scent marking in primates, few have examined the microbiota associated with glandular secretions. Nancy Ma's owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) are nocturnal, socially monogamous primates that frequently scent mark using their subcaudal glands. Previous analyses revealed that unique chemical signatures of Aotus may convey information about sex and age. We used positive reinforcement to sample the subcaudal glands of 23 captive owl monkeys to describe their glandular microbiomes and examine how patterns in these bacterial communities vary with age, sex, rearing environment and/or social group (pair identity). We coupled these analyses with behavioral observations to examine patterns in their scent marking behavior. We isolated 31 bacterial species from Phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, consistent with the dermal and glandular microbiomes of other primates. Several bacterial taxa we identified produce volatile organic compounds, which may contribute to olfactory communication. These bacterial communities are best predicted by an interaction between sex, rearing environment and pair identity rather than any of these variables alone. Within mated pairs of A. nancymaae, males and females scent mark their nest boxes at similar frequencies. In some pairs, rates of scent marking by males and females fluctuated over time in a similar manner. Pairs that had been together longer tended to exhibit the greatest similarities in their rates of scent marking. Together, these findings suggest that scent marking behavior and close social interactions with pair mates in Aotus may influence bacterial transmission and their glandular microbiomes. Chemical communication, including coordinated scent marking, may play a role in strengthening pair bonds, signaling pair status and/or in mate guarding in this socially monogamous primate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malique Bowen
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, USA
| | - Carly Miles
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, USA
| | - Ryan Hegseth
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, USA
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17
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Corley M, Perea-Rodriguez JP, Valeggia C, Fernandez-Duque E. Associations between fecal cortisol and biparental care in a pair-living primate. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:295-307. [PMID: 34272723 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We quantified variation in fecal cortisol across reproductive periods in Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) to examine physiological mechanisms that may facilitate biparental care. Specifically, we evaluated evidence for the explanation that owl monkeys have hormonal mechanisms to mobilize energy during periods when each sex is investing heavily in reproduction, that is, the gestation period for females and the infant care period for males. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2011 and 2015, we monitored 10 groups of Azara's owl monkeys from a wild population in Formosa, Argentina and collected fecal samples from 26 adults (13 males, 13 females). Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, we quantified fecal cortisol as a proxy for evaluating stress responses, including energetic demands, on both sexes during periods of reproduction and parental care. RESULTS Male cortisol was lowest during periods when they were caring for young infants (<3 months) compared with periods with older infants or no infant. Female cortisol was elevated during gestation compared with other periods. Mean fecal cortisol in both males and females was lower when an infant was present compared with when females were gestating. DISCUSSION Our results do not support the hypothesis that owl monkey males have elevated fecal cortisol during periods when they need to mobilize energy to provide intensive infant care. Our findings are also inconsistent with the Maternal Relief hypothesis. However, results from studies measuring fecal cortisol must be interpreted with care and alternative explanations, such as seasonal fluctuations in diet and thermoenergic demands, should be considered when drawing conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Corley
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Perea-Rodriguez
- Project Conservémonos, Limon, Costa Rica.,WELL-PRIM Project, Eco-Anthropologie Lab (UMR 7602), Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France
| | - Claudia Valeggia
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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18
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Rosenbaum S, Eckardt W, Stoinski TS, Umuhoza R, Kuzawa CW, Santymire RM. Group structure, but not dominance rank, predicts fecal androgen metabolite concentrations of wild male mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23295. [PMID: 34223661 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Androgens are important mediators of male-male competition in many primate species. Male gorillas' morphology is consistent with a reproductive strategy that relies heavily on androgen-dependent traits (e.g., extreme size and muscle mass). Despite possessing characteristics typical of species with an exclusively single-male group structure, multimale groups with strong dominance hierarchies are common in mountain gorillas. Theory predicts that androgens should mediate their dominance hierarchies, and potentially vary with the type of group males live in. We validated the use of a testosterone enzyme immunoassay (T-EIA R156/7, CJ Munro, UC-Davis) for use with mountain gorilla fecal material by (1) examining individual-level androgen responses to competitive events, and (2) isolating assay-specific hormone metabolites via high-performance liquid chromatography. Males had large (2.6- and 6.5-fold), temporary increases in fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) after competitive events, and most captured metabolites were testosterone or 5α-dihydrotestosterone-like androgens. We then examined the relationship between males' dominance ranks, group type, and FAM concentrations. Males in single-male groups had higher FAM concentrations than males in multimale groups, and a small pool of samples from solitary males suggested they may have lower FAM than group-living peers. However, data from two different time periods (n = 1610 samples) indicated there was no clear relationship between rank and FAM concentrations, confirming results from the larger of two prior studies that measured urinary androgens. These findings highlight the need for additional research to clarify the surprising lack of a dominance hierarchy/androgen relationship in mountain gorillas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Winnie Eckardt
- Karisoke Research Center, Musanze, Rwanda.,The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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19
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Dolotovskaya S, Roos C, Heymann EW. Genetic monogamy and mate choice in a pair-living primate. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20328. [PMID: 33230212 PMCID: PMC7683532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77132-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In pair-living mammals, genetic monogamy is extremely rare. One possible reason is that in socially monogamous animals, mate choice can be severely constrained, increasing the risk of inbreeding or pairing with an incompatible or low-quality partner. To escape these constraints, individuals might engage in extra-pair copulations. Alternatively, inbreeding can be avoided by dispersal. However, little is known about the interactions between mating system, mate choice, and dispersal in pair-living mammals. Here we genotyped 41 wild individuals from 14 groups of coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) in Peruvian Amazon using 18 microsatellite loci. Parentage analyses of 18 young revealed no cases of extra-pair paternity, indicating that the study population is mostly genetically monogamous. We did not find evidence for relatedness- or heterozygosity-based mate choice. Despite the lack of evidence for active inbreeding avoidance via mate choice, mating partners were on average not related. We further found that dispersal was not sex-biased, with both sexes dispersing opportunistically over varying distances. Our findings suggest that even opportunistic dispersal, as long as it is not constrained, can generate sufficient genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding. This, in turn, can render active inbreeding avoidance via mate choice and extra-pair copulations less necessary, helping to maintain genetic monogamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofya Dolotovskaya
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany. .,Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Gene Bank of Primates, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
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20
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Port M, Hildenbrandt H, Pen I, Schülke O, Ostner J, Weissing FJ. The evolution of social philopatry in female primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:397-410. [PMID: 32779763 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The transition from solitary life to sociality is considered one of the major transitions in evolution. In primates, this transition is currently not well understood. Traditional verbal models appear insufficient to unravel the complex interplay of environmental and demographic factors involved in the evolution of primate sociality, and recent phylogenetic reconstructions have produced conflicting results. We therefore analyze a theoretical model for the evolution of female social philopatry that sheds new light on the question why most primates live in groups. In individual-based simulations, we study the evolution of dispersal strategies of both resident females and their offspring. The model reveals that social philopatry can evolve through kin selection, even if retention of offspring is costly in terms of within-group resource competition and provides no direct benefits. Our model supports the role of predator avoidance as a selective pressure for group-living in primates, but it also suggests that a second benefit of group-living, communal resource defense, might be required to trigger the evolution of sizable groups. Lastly, our model reveals that seemingly small differences in demographic parameters can have profound effects on primate social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Port
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hanno Hildenbrandt
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ido Pen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franz J Weissing
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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21
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Montilla SO, Rios-Soto JA, Mantilla-Castaño JC, Patiño-Siro D, Bustamante-Manrique S, Botero-Henao N, Ruiz S, Arias-Monsalve HF, Link A, Ramírez-Chaves HE. Eventos de electrocución de Aotus lemurinus (Primates: Aotidae) en los Andes Centrales de Colombia. MAMMALOGY NOTES 2020. [DOI: 10.47603/mano.v6n2.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Los primates que habitan en los ecosistemas de montaña de la cordillera de Los Andes en Colombia están expuestos a fuertes amenazas como consecuencia del desarrollo de la infraestructura y la transformación del uso del suelo en lo que corresponde a la región más densamente poblada de Colombia. Para el género Aotus cuyos hábitos son principalmente nocturnos las amenazas sobre sus poblaciones no han sido bien documentadas hasta la fecha, aunque especies como el mono nocturno andino (Aotus lemurinus) ha sido catalogado como Vulnerable a nivel nacional y global. En este estudio, compilamos registros recientes de individuos de Aotus lemurinus muertos por electrocución accidental en cuatro departamentos de los Andes Centrales de Colombia. Estos registros contribuyen al conocimiento previo sobre esta problemática a nivel nacional y resaltan la necesidad de formular e implementar estrategias de mitigación del riesgo de electrocución para esta y otras especies.
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22
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Rothwell ES, Carp SB, Savidge LE, Mendoza SP, Bales KL. Relationship tenure differentially influences pair-bond behavior in male and female socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23181. [PMID: 32748458 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Pair-bonded primates have uniquely enduring relationships and partners engage in a suite of behaviors to maintain these close bonds. In titi monkeys, pair bond formation has been extensively studied, but changes across relationship tenure remain unstudied. We evaluated differences in behavioral indicators of pair bonding in newly formed (~6 months paired, n = 9) compared to well-established pairs (average 3 years paired, n = 8) of titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) as well as sex differences within the pairs. We hypothesized that overall males would contribute more to maintenance than females, but that the pattern of maintenance behaviors would differ between newly formed and well-established pairs. Each titi monkey (N = 34) participated in a partner preference test (PPT), where the subject was placed in a middle test cage with grated windows separating the subject from the partner on one side and an opposite-sex stranger on the other side. During this 150-min behavioral test, we quantified four key behaviors: time in proximity to the partner or stranger as well as aggressive displays toward the partner or stranger. Overall, we found different behavioral profiles representing newly formed and well-established pair-bond relationships in titi monkeys and male-biased relationship maintenance. Males spent ∼40% of their time in the PPT maintaining proximity to the female partner, regardless of relationship tenure. Males from well-established bonds spent less time (14%) near the female stranger compared to males from newly formed bonds (21%) at the trend level. In contrast, females from well-established bonds spent less (23%) time near the male partner in the PPT compared to females from newly formed bonds (47%). Aggressive displays were more frequent in newly formed bonds compared to well-established bonds, especially for females. Scan sampling for homecage affiliation showed that newly formed pairs were more likely to be found tail twining than well-established pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Rothwell
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sarah B Carp
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
| | - Logan E Savidge
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sally P Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
| | - Karen L Bales
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California-Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
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23
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Smith MG, Riehl C. Intermittent breeding is associated with breeding group turnover in a cooperatively breeding bird. Oecologia 2020; 192:953-963. [PMID: 32285196 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04635-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intermittent breeding, in which an adult skips a breeding opportunity, can represent a non-adaptive constraint or an adaptive response to the tradeoff between current and future reproduction. In group-living animals, the social group may also affect the frequency of reproduction, but this possibility has received little attention. Here we use an 11-year data set to investigate intermittent breeding in the greater ani (Crotophaga major), a tropical bird that nests in stable breeding groups containing several unrelated co-breeding females. Population-wide, an average of 62% of females laid eggs in a given year (range 35-84%), and the average female failed to lay eggs once every 3.2 years. We found little support for the hypothesis that intermittent breeding reflects a tradeoff between current and future reproduction: breeding in year t did not affect a female's likelihood of breeding in year t + 1, and clutch size in year t did not affect clutch size in year t + 1. Increases in clutch size were associated with decreases in egg mass for eggs laid at the end of that clutch, but this did not affect subsequent nesting attempts. However, reproductive skipping was associated with changes in group membership. Females whose groups changed in composition after year t were significantly less likely to breed in year t + 1 than females whose groups remained stable. These results indicate that breeding group stability influences the frequency of reproduction, suggesting that transitions between groups may be costly to females and their mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Smith
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Christina Riehl
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
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24
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Fernandez-Duque E, Huck M, Van Belle S, Di Fiore A. The evolution of pair-living, sexual monogamy, and cooperative infant care: Insights from research on wild owl monkeys, titis, sakis, and tamarins. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171 Suppl 70:118-173. [PMID: 32191356 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
"Monogamy" and pair bonding have long been of interest to anthropologists and primatologists. Their study contributes to our knowledge of human evolutionary biology and social evolution without the cultural trappings associated with studying human societies directly. Here, we first provide an overview of theoretical considerations, followed by an evaluation of recent comparative studies of the evolution of "social monogamy"; we are left with serious doubts about the conclusions of these studies that stem from the often poor quality of the data used and an overreliance on secondary sources without vetting the data therein. We then describe our field research program on four "monogamous" platyrrhines (owl monkeys, titis, sakis, and tamarins), evaluate how well our data support various hypotheses proposed to explain "monogamy," and compare our data to those reported on the same genera in comparative studies. Overall, we found a distressing lack of agreement between the data used in comparative studies and data from the literature for the taxa that we work with. In the final section, we propose areas of research that deserve more attention. We stress the need for more high-quality natural history data, and we urge researchers to be cautious about the uncritical use of variables of uncertain internal validity. Overall, it is imperative that biological anthropologists establish and follow clear criteria for comparing and combining results from published studies and that researchers, reviewers, and editors alike comply with these standards to improve the transparency, reproducibility, and interpretability of causal inferences made in comparative studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina.,College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Maren Huck
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.,Primate Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.,Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.,Primate Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
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25
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Huck M, Di Fiore A, Fernandez-Duque E. Of Apples and Oranges? The Evolution of “Monogamy” in Non-human Primates. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
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26
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Sexual dimorphism in the loud calls of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae): evidence of sexual selection? Primates 2019; 61:309-319. [PMID: 31729621 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00773-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Primates use different types of vocalizations in a variety of contexts. Some of the most studied types have been the long distance or loud calls. These vocalizations have been associated with mate defense, mate attraction, and resource defense, and it is plausible that sexual selection has played an important role in their evolution. Focusing on identified individuals of known sex and age, we evaluated the sexual dimorphism in a type of loud calls (hoots) in a population of wild owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) in Argentina. We found evidence of sexual dimorphism in call structure, with females and males only emitting one type of call, each differing in dominant frequency and Shannon entropy. In addition, both age-related and sex-specific differences in call usage were also apparent in response to the removal of one group member. Future acoustic data will allow us to assess if there are individual characteristics and if the structure of hoot calls presents differences in relation to the social condition of owl monkeys or specific sex responses to variants of hoot calls' traits. This will provide deeper insights into the evolution of vocal mechanisms regulating pair bonding and mate choice strategies in this and other primate species.
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27
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Emery Thompson M. How can non-human primates inform evolutionary perspectives on female-biased kinship in humans? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180074. [PMID: 31303156 PMCID: PMC6664131 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rarity of female-biased kinship organization in human societies raises questions about ancestral hominin family structures. Such questions require grounding in the form and function of kin relationships in our close phylogenetic relatives, the non-human primates. Common features of primate societies, such as low paternity certainty and lack of material wealth, are consistent with features that promote matriliny in humans. In this review, I examine the role of kinship in three primate study systems (socially monogamous species, female-bonded cercopithecines and great apes) that, each for different reasons, offer insights into the evolutionary roots of matriliny. Using these and other examples, I address potential analogues to features of female-biased kinship organization, including residence, descent and inheritance. Social relationships are biased towards matrilineal kin across primates, even where female dispersal limits access to them. In contrast to the strongly intergenerational nature of human kinship, most primate kin relationships function laterally as the basis for cooperative networks and require active reinforcement. There is little evidence that matrilineal kin relationships in primates are functionally equivalent to descent or true inheritance, but further research is needed to understand whether human cultural constructs of kinship produce fundamentally different biological outcomes from their antecedents in primates. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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28
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Bonadonna G, Torti V, Gregorio C, Valente D, Randrianarison RM, Pozzi L, Gamba M, Giacoma C. Evidence of genetic monogamy in the lemur Indri (Indri indri). Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22993. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Bonadonna
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
| | - Chiara Gregorio
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
| | - Rose Marie Randrianarison
- Research and Training DivisionGroup d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP)Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Luca Pozzi
- Department of AnthropologyThe University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio Texas
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorinoTorino Italy
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30
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Cavanaugh J, Mustoe A, Womack SL, French JA. Oxytocin modulates mate-guarding behavior in marmoset monkeys. Horm Behav 2018; 106:150-161. [PMID: 30342885 PMCID: PMC6298842 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In socially-monogamous species, intolerance of interactions between a pairmate and a sexual rival (i.e., mate-guarding) promotes the preservation of long-lasting partnerships. One promising neurobiological candidate for the regulation of mate-guarding behavior in monogamous primates is the oxytocin (OT) system, given its established role in both the development of monogamous bonds and the behavioral processes that facilitate the preservation of those bonds. In this study, male and female marmosets were exposed to a same-sex intruder in their home environment during conditions when their pairmate was present and absent, and across three treatment conditions (OT receptor agonist; saline control; OT receptor antagonist). Saline-treated marmosets spent significantly more time in proximity to the intruder, relative to the empty pairmate enclosure, when their pairmate was absent. However, when marmosets received OT they spent less time in proximity to the intruder, indicating that OT may reduce interest in a same-sex stranger in a territorial context. When their pairmate was present, saline-treated marmosets spent equal time in proximity to both intruder and pairmate; yet when they received OT they spent significantly more time in proximity to the intruder, indicating that OT may increase interest in a same-sex stranger in a mate-guarding context. While OT treatment did not directly influence the expression of aggression, OT system manipulations impacted the expression of selective social interest during an intruder challenge, suggesting that OT may enhance adaptive responses to social challenges. Moreover, these findings add to the converging evidence that the OT system regulates behavioral processes that underlie the preservation of established relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Cavanaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States of America.
| | - Aaryn Mustoe
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States of America
| | - Stephanie L Womack
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A French
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States of America; Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States of America
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31
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Van Belle S, Porter A, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Ranging behavior and potential for territoriality in equatorial sakis (Pithecia aequatorialis) in Amazonian Ecuador. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:701-712. [PMID: 30276790 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Territoriality refers to the consistent defense of an area within the home range (HR) against intrusions of conspecifics. It implies exclusive space use with low degree of overlap among neighboring groups, high site fidelity, specific ranging behavior such as high mobility relative to HR size and frequent visits of territory borders, and monitoring behavior. We examined ranging behavior and use of space to evaluate territoriality in Pithecia aequatorialis in Ecuador. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2005 and 2015, we monitored one main study group continuously and five additional groups for shorter periods (5 months to 2.5 years) at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, in eastern Ecuador. We scored the location of the study groups at 20 min intervals during, on average, 5 days per month. We estimated saki HRs and core areas (CAs) using the fixed kernel density method (95 and 50%, respectively). RESULTS The average HR size was 57 ha and the average CA 14 ha. The degree of overlap between HRs of neighboring groups was low (2-9%). For the main study group, the average overlap between annual HRs was 82%. Mean daily path length across groups was 1,151 m; the defensibility index varied between 1.1 and 2.3 (values >1 are suggestive of territoriality), and the fractional monitoring rate varied between 0.06 and 0.15 (values >0.08 are suggestive of territoriality). Groups did not visit their HR borders (100 m inner buffer) more often than would be expected by chance. Travel speed and directness were comparable between the borders and the centers of groups' HRs. DISCUSSION Our multiyear study suggests that equatorial sakis show low degree of range overlap and high site fidelity and have the potential to be territorial, given their high mobility relative to HR size that allows for frequent border monitoring. Nevertheless, their movement patterns in border areas did not reveal evidence for monitoring behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Amy Porter
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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Spence‐Aizenberg A, Williams LE, Fernandez‐Duque E. Are olfactory traits in a pair‐bonded primate under sexual selection? An evaluation of sexual dimorphism in
Aotus nancymaae. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:884-894. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lawrence E. Williams
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia Pennsylvania19104
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French JA, Cavanaugh J, Mustoe AC, Carp SB, Womack SL. Social Monogamy in Nonhuman Primates: Phylogeny, Phenotype, and Physiology. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2018; 55:410-434. [PMID: 28704071 PMCID: PMC6004613 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2017.1339774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Monogamy as a social system has been both a scientific puzzle and a sociocultural issue for decades. In this review, we examine social monogamy from a comparative perspective with a focus on primates, our closest genetic relatives. We break down monogamy into component elements, including pair-bonding and partner preference, mate guarding or jealousy, social attachment, and biparental care. Our survey of primates shows that not all features are present in species classified as socially monogamous, in the same way that human monogamous relationships may not include all elements-a perspective we refer to as "monogamy à la carte." Our review includes a survey of the neurobiological correlates of social monogamy in primates, exploring unique or common pathways for the elemental components of monogamy. This compilation reveals that the components of monogamy are modulated by a suite of androgenic steroids, glucocorticoid hormones, the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, and other neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopamine and opioids). We propose that efforts to understand the biological underpinnings of complex human and animal sociosexual relationships will be well served by exploring individual phenotypic traits, as opposed to pursuing these questions with the assumption that monogamy is a unitary trait or a species-specific characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A French
- a Department of Psychology and Department of Biology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Jon Cavanaugh
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Aaryn C Mustoe
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Sarah B Carp
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
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Corley M, Valeggia C, Fernandez-Duque E. Hormonal correlates of development and natal dispersal in wild female owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) of Argentina. Horm Behav 2017; 96:42-51. [PMID: 28870603 PMCID: PMC5722690 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Pair-living and socially monogamous primates typically do not reproduce before dispersing. It is currently unclear whether this reproductive suppression is due to endocrine or behavioral mechanisms. Cooperatively breeding taxa, like callitrichids, may forego reproduction in natal groups because they reap inclusive fitness benefits and/or they are avoiding inbreeding. However, neither of these benefits of delayed reproduction appear to adequately explain the lack of reproduction prior to leaving the natal group in pair-living monogamous species. In this study, we determined whether wild Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) in the Argentinean Chaco establish reproductive maturity prior to dispersing. We utilized 635 fecal extracts to characterize reproductive hormone profiles of 11 wild juvenile and subadult females using enzyme immunoassays. Subadult females showed hormone profiles indicative of ovulatory cycling and had mean PdG and E1G concentrations approximately five times higher than juveniles. Contrary to expectations from the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis, female owl monkeys do not delay puberty, but rather commence ovarian cycling while residing in their natal group. Still, subadults appear to have a period during which they experience irregular, non-conceptive cycles prior to reproducing. Commencing these irregular cycles in the natal group may allow them to develop a state of suspended readiness, which could be essential to securing a mate, while avoiding costs of ranging solitarily. Our results indicate that reproductive suppression in female owl monkeys is not due to endocrine suppression. We suggest that adults likely use behavioral mechanisms to prevent subadults from reproducing with unrelated adult males in their natal group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Yale University, Department of Anthropology, USA; Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, USA; Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, USA.
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Corley MK, Xia S, Fernandez-Duque E. The role of intragroup agonism in parent-offspring relationships and natal dispersal in monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) of Argentina. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 29034979 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Agonistic behaviors are common in many group-living taxa and may serve a variety of functions, ranging from regulating conflicts over reproduction to defending food resources. However, high rates of agonism are not expected to occur among close relatives or individuals in established mating relationships, which are characteristics of monogamous groups. To contribute to our understanding of agonism within socially monogamous groups, we collected behavioral and demographic data from Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) in the Gran Chaco of Argentina over 14 years. We examined factors related to age, sex, kinship, and behavioral context to evaluate predictions of the hypotheses that agonism functions to regulate dispersal and that it mediates competition for food and/or mates. Intragroup agonism was relatively rare: the group rate was approximately one event every three and a half hours. Rates of agonism were generally similar for both sexes, but there were marked differences among age categories. Agonism performed by adults was more frequently directed at subadults than at younger offspring. In contrast, agonistic interactions involving infants were very rare. Among interactions between adults and subadults, adults were much more frequently the actors than the recipients, suggesting that agonism from adults may influence natal dispersal of subadults. Agonistic events were most frequent during foraging, but also occurred more frequently than expected during bouts of social behavior. Overall, our results suggest that agonism in owl monkeys serves as a mechanism for regulating dispersal, and also likely plays a role in mediating mating and feeding competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret K Corley
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Siyang Xia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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Kappeler PM. Sex roles and adult sex ratios: insights from mammalian biology and consequences for primate behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160321. [PMID: 28760762 PMCID: PMC5540861 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical models and empirical studies in various taxa have identified important links between variation in sex roles and the number of adult males and females (adult sex ratio (ASR)) in a population. In this review, I examine these relationships in non-human primates. Because most existing theoretical models of the evolution of sex roles focus on the evolutionary origins of sex-biased behaviour, they offer only a general scaffold for predicting variation in sex roles among and within species. I argue that studies examining sex role variation at these more specific levels need to take social organization into account to identify meaningful levels for the measurement of ASR and to account for the fact that ASR and sex roles mutually influence each other. Moreover, taxon-specific life-history traits can constrain sex role flexibility and impact the operational sex ratio (OSR) by specifying the minimum length of female time outs from reproduction. Using examples from the primate literature, I highlight practical problems in estimating ASR and OSR. I then argue that interspecific variation in the occurrence of indirect forms of paternal care might indeed be linked to variation in ASR. Some studies also indicate that female aggression and bonding, as well as components of inter-sexual relationships, are sensitive to variation in ASR. Thus, links between primate sex roles and sex ratios merit further study, and such studies could prompt the development of more specific theoretical models that make realistic assumptions about taxon-specific life history and social organization.This article is part of the themed issue 'Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kappeler
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstrasse 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Taig-Johnston M, Strom MK, Calhoun K, Nowak K, Ebensperger LA, Hayes L. The ecological value of long-term studies of birds and mammals in Central America, South America and Antarctica. REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40693-017-0070-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Teichroeb JA, Jack KM. Alpha male replacements in nonhuman primates: Variability in processes, outcomes, and terminology. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28543783 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alpha male replacements occur in all primates displaying a dominance hierarchy but the process can be extremely variable. Here, we review the primate literature to document differences in patterns of alpha male replacements, showing that group composition and dispersal patterns account for a large proportion of this variability. We also examine the consequences of alpha male replacements in terms of sexual selection theory, infanticide, and group compositions. Though alpha male replacements are often called takeovers in the literature, this term masks much of the variation that is present in these processes. We argue for more concise terminology and provide a list of terms that we suggest more accurately define these events. Finally, we introduce the papers in this special issue on alpha male replacements in the American Journal of Primatology and discuss areas where data are still lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Teichroeb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katharine M Jack
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Huck M, Fernandez-Duque E. The floater's dilemma: use of space by wild solitary Azara's owl monkeys, Aotus azarae, in relation to group ranges. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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40
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Porter AM, Grote MN, Isbell LA, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Delayed Dispersal and Immigration in Equatorial Sakis ( Pithecia aequatorialis): Factors in the Transition from Pair- to Group-Living. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2017; 88:11-27. [DOI: 10.1159/000464147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Port M, Schülke O, Ostner J. From Individual to Group Territoriality: Competitive Environments Promote the Evolution of Sociality. Am Nat 2017; 189:E46-E57. [DOI: 10.1086/690218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Do Predators and Thermoregulation Influence Choice of Sleeping Sites and Sleeping Behavior in Azara’s Owl Monkeys (Aotus azarae azarae) in Northern Argentina? INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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43
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Fisher-Phelps ML, Mendoza SP, Serna S, Griffin LL, Schaefer TJ, Jarcho MR, Ragen BJ, Goetze LR, Bales KL. Laboratory simulations of mate-guarding as a component of the pair-bond in male titi monkeys, Callicebus cupreus. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:573-82. [PMID: 26375708 PMCID: PMC5657484 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Mate-guarding and territorial aggression (both intra- and inter-sexual) are behavioral components of social monogamy seen in male coppery titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) both in the field and in the laboratory. Methodology for studying these behaviors in captivity facilitates the translation of questions between field and laboratory. In this study, we tested whether exposure to a mirror would stimulate mate-guarding behavior in male titi monkeys, and whether this exposure was accompanied by hormonal changes. Eight males were exposed to a mirror condition (treatment) or the back of the mirror (control) for five sessions, and behavioral responses were filmed. Blood samples were taken to measure levels of cortisol, oxytocin, and vasopressin. Lipsmacks (P < 0.0001), arching (P < 0.0001), tail-lashing (P = 0.009), restraining (P = 0.015), and approaches to the female (P = 0.0002) were all higher during the mirror condition, while tail-twining tended to decline during the mirror condition (P = 0.076). Hormones did not vary by experimental treatment, but were correlated with certain behaviors during the presentation of the mirror. While social behaviors changed with mirror exposure, self-directed and mirror-guided behaviors did not, indicating a lack of self-recognition. Use of a mirror was a safe and effective means of investigating mate-guarding behavior in response to a simulated intrusion, with the added benefit of not needing another animal to serve as an intruder; and thus may be of use in providing a laboratory model for natural behavior. Especially, as it eliminates the need for a stimulus animal, it would also be of possible use in investigating responses to a simulated intruder in wild populations of titis and other pithecines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L. Fisher-Phelps
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79401
| | | | - Samantha Serna
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin J. Ragen
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - L. R. Goetze
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Karen L. Bales
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616
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Fernandez-Duque E. Social monogamy in wild owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) of Argentina: the potential influences of resource distribution and ranging patterns. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:355-71. [PMID: 25931263 PMCID: PMC5398412 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Using published and new data from a population of monogamous owl monkeys in the Argentinean Chaco, I examine the hypothesis that social monogamy is a default social system imposed upon males because the spatial and/or temporal distribution of resources and females makes it difficult for a single male to defend access to more than one mate. First, I examine a set of predictions on ranging patterns, use of space, and population density. This first section is followed by a second one considering predictions related to the abundance and distribution of food. Finally, I conclude with a section attempting to link the ranging and ecological data to demographic and life-history parameters as proxies for reproductive success. In support of the hypothesis, owl monkey species do live at densities (7-64 ind/km(2) ) that are predicted for monogamous species, but groups occupy home ranges and core areas that vary substantially in size, with pronounced overlap of home ranges, but not of core areas. There are strong indications that the availability of food sources in the core areas during the dry season may be of substantial importance for regulating social monogamy in owl monkeys. Finally, none of the proxies for the success of groups were strongly related to the size of the home range or core area. The results I present do not support conclusively any single explanation for the evolution of social monogamy in owl monkeys, but they help us to better understand how it may function. Moreover, the absence of conclusive answers linking ranging, ecology, and reproductive success with the evolution of social monogamy in primates, offer renewed motivation for continuing to explore the evolution of monogamy in owl monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Yale University, New Haven, USA
- Proyecto Mirikiná/Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral (Conicet, Corrientes), Argentina
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LARSON SAMM, COLCHERO FERNANDO, JONES OWENR, WILLIAMS LAWRENCE, FERNANDEZ-DUQUE EDUARDO. Age and sex-specific mortality of wild and captive populations of a monogamous pair-bonded primate (Aotus azarae). Am J Primatol 2016; 78:315-25. [PMID: 25866126 PMCID: PMC5611823 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In polygynous primates, a greater reproductive variance in males have been linked to their reduced life expectancy relative to females. The mortality patterns of monogamous pair-bonded primates, however, are less clear. We analyzed the sex differences in mortality within wild (NMales = 70, NFemales = 73) and captive (NMales = 25, NFemales = 29) populations of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae), a socially and genetically monogamous primate exhibiting biparental care. We used Bayesian Survival Trajectory Analysis (BaSTA) to test age-dependent models of mortality. The wild and captive populations were best fit by the logistic and Gompertz models, respectively, implying greater heterogeneity in the wild environment likely due to harsher conditions. We found that age patterns of mortality were similar between the sexes in both populations. We calculated life expectancy and disparity, the latter a measure of the steepness of senescence, for both sexes in each population. Males and females had similar life expectancies in both populations; the wild population overall having a shorter life expectancy than the captive one. Furthermore, captive females had a reduced life disparity relative to captive males and to both sexes in the wild. We interpret this pattern in light of the hazards associated with reproduction. In captivity, where reproduction is intensely managed, the risks associated with gestation and birth are tempered so that there is a reduction in the likelihood of captive females dying prematurely, decreasing their overall life disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- SAM M. LARSON
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - FERNANDO COLCHERO
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - OWEN R. JONES
- Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - LAWRENCE WILLIAMS
- Michael E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, Bastrop, Texas
| | - EDUARDO FERNANDEZ-DUQUE
- Department of Anthropology, Yale, New Haven, Connecticut
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral, Conicet-Argentina, Argentina
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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Carp SB, Rothwell ES, Bourdon A, Freeman SM, Ferrer E, Bales KL. Development of a partner preference test that differentiates between established pair bonds and other relationships in socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus). Am J Primatol 2016; 78:326-39. [PMID: 26235811 PMCID: PMC5659711 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Partner preference, or the selective social preference for a pair mate, is a key behavioral indicator of social monogamy. Standardized partner preference testing has been used extensively in rodents but a single test has not been standardized for primates. The goal of this study was to develop a partner preference test with socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) adapted from the widely used rodent test. In Experiment 1, we evaluated the test with pairs of titi monkeys (N = 12) in a three-chambered apparatus for 3 hr. The subject was placed in the middle chamber, with grated windows separating it from its partner on one side and an opposite sex stranger on the other side. Subjects spent a greater proportion of time in proximity to their partners' windows than the strangers', indicating a consistent preference for the partner over the stranger. Touching either window did not differ between partners and strangers, suggesting it was not a reliable measure of partner preference. Subjects chose their partner more than the stranger during catch and release sessions at the end of the test. In Experiment 2, we compared responses of females with current partners (N = 12) in the preference test with other relationship types representing former attachment bonds (N = 13) and no attachment bond (N = 8). Only females from established pair bonds spent significantly more time near their partner's window compared to the stranger's indicating that this measure of preference was unique to current partners. Other measures of preference did not differentiate behavior toward a current partner and other relationship types. This test reproduces behavioral patterns found in previous studies in titi monkeys highlighting the accuracy of this new partner preference test. This test can be used as a standardized measure of partner preference in titi monkeys to quantitatively study pair bonding and evaluate factors influencing partner preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B. Carp
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Emily S. Rothwell
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | | | - Sara M. Freeman
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Emilio Ferrer
- Department of Psychology, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Karen L. Bales
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California- Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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Williams LE, Coke CS, Weed JL. Socialization of adult owl monkeys (Aotus sp.) in Captivity. Am J Primatol 2015; 79:1-7. [PMID: 26713770 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Social housing has often been recommended as one-way to address the psychological well-being of captive non-human primates. Published reports have examined methods to socialize compatible animals by forming pairs or groups. Successful socialization rates vary depending on the species, gender, and environment. This study presents a retrospective look at pairing attempts in two species of owl monkeys, Aotus nancymaae and A. azarae, which live in monogamous pairs in the wild. The results of 477 pairing attempt conducted with captive, laboratory housed owl monkeys and 61 hr of behavioral observations are reported here. The greatest success pairing these owl monkeys occurred with opposite sex pairs, with an 82% success rate. Opposite sex pairs were more successful when females were older than males. Female-female pairs were more successful than male-male (MM) pairs (62% vs 40%). Successful pairs stayed together between 3 and 7 years before the animals were separated due to social incompatibility. Vigilance, eating, and sleeping during introductions significantly predicted success, as did the performance of the same behavior in both animals. The results of this analysis show that it is possible to give captive owl monkeys a social alternative even if species appropriate social partners (i.e., opposite sex partners) are not available. The focus of this report is a description of one potential way to enhance the welfare of a specific new world primate, the owl monkey, under laboratory conditions. More important is how the species typical social structure of owl monkeys in nature affects the captive management of this genus. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22521, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence E Williams
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, Bastrop, Texas
| | - C S Coke
- LAB/c: Laboratory Animal Behavior Consulting, Nasville, Tennessee
| | - J L Weed
- CDC/NCZEID, Nebraska, Atlanta, Georgia
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48
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Van Belle S, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Demography and life history of wild red titi monkeys (Callicebus discolor) and equatorial sakis (Pithecia aequatorialis) in Amazonian Ecuador: A 12-year study. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:204-15. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology; University of Austin at Texas; Austin Texas
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology; Yale University; New Haven Connecticut
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Conicet Argentina
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Formosa; Formosa Argentina
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology; University of Austin at Texas; Austin Texas
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49
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Oxytocin receptor gene sequences in owl monkeys and other primates show remarkable interspecific regulatory and protein coding variation. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 91:160-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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50
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Morino L. Dominance relationships among siamang males living in multimale groups. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:288-97. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Morino
- Primate Research InstituteKyoto UniversityInuyamaAichiJapan
- Department of AnthropologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew Jersey
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