Sex or power? The function of male displays in rhesus macaques
In: BehaviourbInstitute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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cDepartment of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago, Social Sciences Research Building, Office 103, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Male behavioral displays (e.g., branch-shaking) are common across Anthropoidea, but their function remains unclear. We examined free-ranging rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, to test three major hypotheses for the function of male displays: (1) mate attraction, (2) mate guarding and (3) male–male dominance competition. Focal and ad libitum behavioural data were recorded for 21 adult males across 9 groups during the mating season. Display rates were calculated for each male in each context (i.e., agonistic, mating). In stable groups, males with high mating success displayed more during consortships than in other contexts and displays were more likely to follow than to precede copulation, whereas males in unstable groups were more likely to displays in agonistic contexts. These results suggest that mate guarding and male–male dominance competition are the primary functions of male display behaviours in rhesus macaques.
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Sex or power? The function of male displays in rhesus macaques
In: BehaviourbInstitute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Search for other papers by Krista M. Milich in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
cDepartment of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago, Social Sciences Research Building, Office 103, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Search for other papers by Dario Maestripieri in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Male behavioral displays (e.g., branch-shaking) are common across Anthropoidea, but their function remains unclear. We examined free-ranging rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, to test three major hypotheses for the function of male displays: (1) mate attraction, (2) mate guarding and (3) male–male dominance competition. Focal and ad libitum behavioural data were recorded for 21 adult males across 9 groups during the mating season. Display rates were calculated for each male in each context (i.e., agonistic, mating). In stable groups, males with high mating success displayed more during consortships than in other contexts and displays were more likely to follow than to precede copulation, whereas males in unstable groups were more likely to displays in agonistic contexts. These results suggest that mate guarding and male–male dominance competition are the primary functions of male display behaviours in rhesus macaques.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 301 | 96 | 24 |
| Full Text Views | 197 | 13 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 30 | 5 | 0 |