Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

Wich, Serge A.; Utami, Sri; Setia, Tatang Mitra; Rijksen, H. D.; Schürmann, Chris L.; Hooff, Jan A. R. A. M. van; Schaik, Carel P. van

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.08.006

Cited by 317 publications

(231 citation statements)

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“…With their long interbirth intervals (IBIs), late age at first reproduction, and long life expectancy, orangutans demonstrate extreme values on the spectrum of mammalian life histories (Galdikas and Wood 1990;Knott 2001;Wich et al 2004). Studying these values and the ecological contexts within which they occur is useful for testing theories that seek to explain the evolution of life history patterns among primates and other mammals (Purvis and Harvey 1995;Kappeler and Pereira 2003;Sibly and Brown 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…What data there are suggest varying reproductive rates between Bornean and Sumatran orangutan populations. Wild Sumatran orangutans, who live in more fruit-productive forests Wich et al 2011) and experience less nutritional stress (Wich et al 2006) relative to Bornean orangutans, have the latest ages at first reproduction and the longest IBIs of all orangutans (Wich et al 2004). Within Borneo, there is some evidence that Pongo pygmaeus morio populations experience the highest degree of nutritional stress and have the shortest IBIs Morrogh-Bernard et al 2009), while P. p. wurmbii experience a mid-range level of nutritional stress and have mid-range IBI lengths (Galdikas and Wood 1990;Knott 2001) relative to P. p. morio in the east and Sumatran orangutans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within Borneo, there is some evidence that Pongo pygmaeus morio populations experience the highest degree of nutritional stress and have the shortest IBIs Morrogh-Bernard et al 2009), while P. p. wurmbii experience a mid-range level of nutritional stress and have mid-range IBI lengths (Galdikas and Wood 1990;Knott 2001) relative to P. p. morio in the east and Sumatran orangutans. Wich et al (2004) argue that these intertaxon variations can be explained by the ecological life history hypothesis, which speculates that increased levels of high-quality food in orangutans' diets allow for reduced overall mortality, which thus leads to a slower life history and the allocation of energy towards growth and maintenance rather than reproduction. Key to the ecological life history hypothesis is the idea that these differences in life history evolve over long time periods and become intrinsic to the species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, studies of captive orangutans (e.g., Anderson et al 2008;Wich et al 2009) have not demonstrated slower life histories between Sumatran and Bornean orangutans. Geographic variations in orangutan behavior, morphology, and life history may therefore be better explained by differing immediate factors such as phenotypic plasticity, predation pressure, degree of arboreality, and/or ease of disease transmission among different orangutan populations (Wich et al 2004;van Schaik et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within species and subspecies, life history parameters can also be used as a means of establishing interpopulation differences and comparing the effects of differing environmental conditions on populations of orangutans (Wich et al 2004;Anderson et al 2008). Correlations between a population's life history parameters and factors relating to its environment have been observed across taxa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproductive parameters of female orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) 1971–2011, a 40-year study at Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Galdikas

Ashbury

2012

Primates

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This study presents reproductive parameter data gathered by direct observation over a 40-year period (1971-2011) of the provisioned free-ranging population of orangutans at Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Age at first reproduction, interbirth interval (IBI), sex ratio at birth, and infant mortality for 19 female orangutans (11 first-generation wild-born ex-captive mothers and 8 second-generation mothers) are included in this analysis. Age at first reproduction among the first-generation mothers was similar to that among wild orangutans, while second-generation mothers had a significantly earlier age at first reproduction. IBIs were similar among first-and second-generation mothers and were significantly shorter than those recorded in studies of wild orangutan populations. There was an expected male-biased sex ratio at birth and a slightly higher than expected rate of infant mortality when compared to wild populations. Infant mortality was primarily seen among second-generation mothers who gave birth before the age of 12, and among first births of some first-generation mothers. These results lend support to the ecological energetics hypothesis, which predicts that increased diet quality leads to a faster rate of reproduction. Abstract This study presents reproductive parameter data gathered by direct observation over a 40-year period of the provisioned free-ranging population of orangutans at Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Age at first reproduction, interbirth interval (IBI), sex ratio at birth, and infant mortality for 19 female orangutans (11 first-generation wild-born ex-captive mothers and 8 second-generation mothers) are included in this analysis. Age at first reproduction among the first-generation mothers was similar to that among wild orangutans, while second-generation mothers had a significantly earlier age at first reproduction. IBIs were similar among first-and second-generation mothers and were significantly shorter than those recorded in studies of wild orangutan populations. There was an expected male-biased sex ratio at birth and a slightly higher than expected rate of infant mortality when compared to wild populations. Infant mortality was primarily seen among second-generation mothers who gave birth before the age of 12, and among first births of some first-generation mothers. These results lend support to the ecological energetics hypothesis, which predicts that increased diet quality leads to a faster rate of reproduction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Reproductive parameters of female orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) 1971–2011, a 40-year study at Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Galdikas

Ashbury

2012

Primates

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Cultural versus reproductive success: Why does economic development bring new tradeoffs?

Newson

2009

American J Hum Biol

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Achievements that attract social rewards in developed countries, such as educational qualifications, a prestigious career, and the ability to acquire prestige goods, interfere with a woman's ability to achieve reproductive success. This tradeoff between cultural and reproductive success may have developed because economic development creates an evolutionarily novel social environment. In the social environment of developed countries, a far smaller proportion of social exchange is between kin than in the small-scale communities in which the human brain and behavior evolved. Evidence suggests that social interaction between non-kin is less likely to encourage behavior that enhances inclusive fitness. A model of the cultural change that is likely to result from this change in social influence suggests that beliefs and values will become increasingly less consistent with the pursuit of fitness (Newson et al. [2007]: Evol Hum Behav 28: 199-210). Responses to the World Value Survey, which has been carried out in over 70 countries, confirm a number of the predictions of this model. In countries where fertility began to decline more recently, people appear to perceive the costs of having children to be lower relative to the cost of childlessness and the benefits of being a parent.

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Demography and life history of Thomas langurs (Presbytis thomasi)

Wich¹,

Steenbeek

Sterck

et al. 2006

American J Primatol

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Life history data from wild primate populations are necessary to explain variation in primate social systems and explain differences between primates and other mammals. Here we report life history data from a 12.5-year study on wild Thomas langurs. Mean age at first reproduction was 5.4 years and the sex ratio at birth was even. The mean interbirth interval (IBI) after a surviving infant was 26.8 mo, after nonsurviving infants 17.7 mo, and combined 22.0 mo. Mean annual birth rate of adult females was 0.44, while reaching a peak at 6 years of age and showing no decrease with age. Mortality was highest during the first year of life (48.0% for males and 43.0% for females) and consistently higher for males than females. The oldest female observed during the study was estimated to be 20 years of age, whereas the oldest male disappeared at age 13 years, indicating that males die at a much earlier age than females. A Leslie matrix based on these estimates yielded a growth rate of 1.01, which is comparable to the nonsignificant increase in density indicated by our long-term field data. A comparison with life history data for sympatric frugivorous primates suggests that folivory might be associated with faster life history.

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Life history of wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

Cited by 317 publications

References 38 publications

Reproductive parameters of female orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) 1971–2011, a 40-year study at Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Reproductive parameters of female orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) 1971–2011, a 40-year study at Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Cultural versus reproductive success: Why does economic development bring new tradeoffs?

Demography and life history of Thomas langurs (Presbytis thomasi)

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