The craniocervical killing bite: Toward an ethology of primate predatory behavior

Steklis, Horst D.; King, Glenn E.

doi:10.1016/s0047-2484(78)80043-8

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The observation that the first bite(s) was often directed to the head of the prey, or that the head was already partially or completely consumed when predation was detected, parallels observations in other callitrichines (wild and captive) [Clarke, 1987], and suggests that tamarins possess a cranio-cervical killing bite [Steklis & King, 1978]. Such a bite rapidly immobilizes the prey.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Vertebrate predation by sympatric tamarins,Saguinus mystax andSaguinus fuscicollis

2000

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Vertebrate predation was examined in sympatric moustached tamarins (Saguinus mystax) and saddle‐back tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis) in the Amazon rainforest of northeastern Peru. Both species prey on frogs and lizards, and very rarely on nestling birds. As a result of divergent foraging strategies, S. mystax primarily exploited frogs at higher strata of the forest, while S. fuscicollis predominantly preyed on reptiles in the lower strata and on the ground. This difference may strengthen the niche differentiation between these two tamarin species that exists with regard to other prey. Am. J. Primatol. 51:153–158, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Vertebrate predation by sympatric tamarins,Saguinus mystax andSaguinus fuscicollis

2000

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“…The male specifically targeted the mother-infant pair for aggressive stalking, appearing to pay little or no attention to other monkeys in the vicinity. In the closely observed killing, the infant received a fatal bite to the back of the neck, consistent with the classic craniocervical killing bite used by predators on innocuous prey (Steklis and King 1978).…”

Section: Infanticidessupporting

confidence: 68%

Infanticide in Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya: Variation in the Occurrence of an Adaptive Behavior

Cords

Fuller

2010

Int J Primatol

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Infanticide by males is widespread across mammals and especially prevalent among primates. Considerable research has examined how fitness benefits can explain the occurrence of this behavior; less is known, however, about intrapopulation variation in its occurrence. We evaluated 10 infanticides by males in wild blue monkeys according to the sexual selection hypothesis. To explore intrapopulation variation in occurrence of infanticide, we compared these cases to 38 cases that were contextually similar but in which infanticide did not occur. We examined male reproductive benefit, infant age, maternal parity, postconception estrus, group defense, available mating partners, and context of takeover. We based comparisons on daily or near daily records of male presence in the study groups, infant birth dates, and male-female sexual interactions. Infanticides followed predictions of the sexual selection hypothesis: males were unlikely to kill their own offspring, the period for the mother's return to conception was reduced by half, and males increased their chance of siring her next offspring. Difference in male reproductive benefit, costs, and motivation did not fully explain the observed variation in infanticide occurrence. Infants were more likely to be spared if they were older when a male first arrived, or if their mother had mated with the male in the second month after conception. The most important determinant of infant fate, however, was male identity, a finding consistent with 2 scenarios: 1) an infanticidal tendency may be influenced by a genetic polymorphism that is not fixed in this population or 2) infanticidal behavior may be a conditional male strategy. Further research on intrapopulation variation in infanticidal behavior should focus especially on characteristics of males.

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“…It is also unlikely that the infant was primarily killed to exploit it as a source of meat, although the head (brain) was consumed, leaving the body and the extremities. In contrast to the usual handling of prey, F-1 did not kill the infant with a craniocervical killing bite [Steklis & King, 1978], which is often applied when tamarins kill vertebrate prey like frogs or lizards (personal observations).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infanticide in a group of wild saddle‐back tamarins, Saguinus fuscicollis

Herrera

Knogge

Heymann

2000

American J Primatol

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An infanticide was observed in a group of wild saddle‐back tamarins, Saguinus fuscicollis. The newborn singleton was killed by its mother after it had fallen from the carrier several times. This infanticide may represent a case of parental manipulation: the mother terminated investment in an offspring that probably had a low chance of survival. Also, stress associated with the simultaneous pregnancy of another adult female in the group may have played a role. Am. J. Primatol. 50:153–157, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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The craniocervical killing bite: Toward an ethology of primate predatory behavior

Cited by 17 publications

References 21 publications

Vertebrate predation by sympatric tamarins,Saguinus mystax andSaguinus fuscicollis

Vertebrate predation by sympatric tamarins,Saguinus mystax andSaguinus fuscicollis

Infanticide in Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya: Variation in the Occurrence of an Adaptive Behavior

Infanticide in a group of wild saddle‐back tamarins, Saguinus fuscicollis

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