Effects of Female Group Size on the Number of Males in Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) Groups

Abstract

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A natural history of Chlorocebus dryas from camera traps in Lomami National Park and its buffer zone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with notes on the species status of Cercopithecus salongo

“…Savanna monkeys live in multimale groups, ranging from 5 to 76 individuals (Kingdon, 2015). However, uni‐male groups occur (Whitten & Turner, 2004), as male density is dependent on the number of breeding females in a group (Cords, 2000; Gao & Cords, 2020).…”

“…However, uni-male groups occur (Whitten & Turner, 2004), as male density is dependent on the number of breeding females in a group (Cords, 2000;Gao & Cords, 2020).…”

Female Dispersion Is Necessary, But Not Sufficient, For The Evolution of Monogamy in Mammals

“…That this might be an issue is suggested by Cercopithecus mitis. Although their groups conventionally have a single breeding male, they are subject to periodic invasions by bands of roving males when several females are in oestrus simultaneously (Henzi & Lawes 1987;Cords 2004;Roberts et al 2014;Gao & Cords 2020); these roving males can gain up to 40% of sirings (Roberts et al 2014). Guenon groups typically contain ~7 females, compared to the 3-4 characteristic of the unimale groups of Colobus and Gorilla (Dunbar et al 2018b) and lie on the cusp of where a single male can successfully defend a group of females (Andelman 1987).…”

“…Similarly, although the typical social group of all three of the comparator polygamous genera is a unimale group, in fact multimale groups occur in all three genera (Fashing 2007;Enstam & Isbell 2007;Robbins 2007). Cercopithecus provides a particularly relevant test case because, although its basic social and mating system is a onemale harem group, some species (notably Cercopithecus mitis) are subject to temporary influxes of males when there are many females simultaneously in oestrus in the group (Henzi & Lawes 1987;Cords 2004;Roberts et al 2014;Gao & Cords 2020). This variability is important for present concerns because it implies that animals can, and do, vary their social and mating strategies in response to local environmental and demographic contexts.…”

Female Dispersion Is Necessary, but Not Sufficient, for Pairbonded Monogamy in Mammals

“…Nonetheless, I include them in the monogamous sample because they rarely have more than one breeding female, irrespective of the composition of the social group, due to puberty being suppressed in maturing females (Abbott, 1984). Although the typical social and mating system of the guenons (whom I include as a polygynous comparator genus) is a territorial one-male harem group, in some populations groups are subject to temporary influxes of males when there are many females simultaneously in oestrus in the group (Henzi and Lawes, 1987;Cords, 2004;Gao and Cords, 2020); these "bachelor" males sire up to 40% of the offspring produced by the group's females on these occasions (Roberts et al, 2014). The genus thus exhibits both strategies in the same population: some males are social while others pursue a roving male strategy.…”