Effects of food, proximity, and kinship on social behavior in ringtailed lemurs

Abstract

Efforts to understand the variation in primate social systems and their underlying interaction patterns have focused on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In the socioecological model, food distribution and abundance have been argued to be the primary influences on the social behavior of primate species. We examined the relationship of food resources and two intrinsic factors-kinship and proximity-with patterns of affiliative and agonistic relationships in two semi-free ranging ringtailed lemur, Lemur catta, social groups (N=14) at The Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC. In analyzing these three factors concurrently within the same system, we attempt to establish their relative power in explaining the characteristics of social relationships. Patterns of affiliation and high-intensity agonism were best explained by kinship. Proximity also explained affiliation but did not explain agonism, which varied considerably between groups. The influence of food on social interactions was highly variable between the two groups and, therefore, did not convincingly account for the social behavior patterns we observed. Finally, different intensities of agonism have different patterns and should be analyzed individually. The variation between social groups makes it difficult for us to conclude that any one factor is primarily and universally responsible for patterns of social behavior in this species.

Female reproductive competition in Eulemur rufifrons: eviction and reproductive restraint in a plurally breeding Malagasy primate

“…2002; Lawler et al. 2003), and some affiliative behaviour is biased towards kin (Kappeler 1993a; Sbeglia et al. 2010).…”

“…Moreover, coalitionary aggression among lemur females is virtually absent (Pereira & Kap-peler 1997; but see Roeder et al 2002), social ranks are neither stable nor inherited matrilineally (Pereira 1995;Kappeler 1999) and female dispersal is common in some species (Erhart & Overdorff 2008a;Morelli et al 2009;Kappeler & Fichtel 2011), despite a general male bias in dispersal. However, females of a group are all closely related with each other Lawler et al 2003), and some affiliative behaviour is biased towards kin (Kappeler 1993a;Sbeglia et al 2010). In captive groups, reproduction is not restricted to a single female (Kappeler 1989), but in some members of the Lemuridae, relatives are nevertheless episodically targeted for sudden aggression and evicted from their groups (Foerg 1982;Vick & Pereira 1989;Gresse et al 1994), and female infanticide has been observed in the wild (Jolly et al 2000).…”

Kinship promotes affiliative behaviors in a monkey

“…These results are consistent with the predictions of kin-selection; the closer the genetic relationship between individuals, the higher the likelihood that affiliative behaviors will be exhibited. Similar patterns of the behavior are also present in ring-tailed lemurs Lemur catta ( Sbeglia et al 2010 ), white-faced capuchin monkeys ( Cebus capucinus ) ( Perry et al 2008 ), and yellow baboons Papio cynocephalus ( Silk et al 2004 , 2006 ).…”

Squealing rate indicates dominance rank in the male ring‐tailed lemur (Lemur catta)

“…The ring‐tailed lemur squeal is a male‐specific sharp call used in both agonistic and sexual contexts [Andrew, ; Macedonia, ; Petter & Charles‐Dominique, ]. Males are thought to squeal towards females to determine if they are in estrus, and toward other males to indicate low‐intensity agonism in competitive situations [Gould, ; Jolly, ; Macedonia, ; Sbeglia et al, ]. Only sexually mature and sometimes juvenile males are known to squeal, and they usually do so while tail waving [Andrew, ; Gould, ; Jolly, ; Macedonia, ; Petter & Charles‐Dominique, ].…”