|
Vol. 47 No. 3, 2008
Effects of Troop Size on Social Relations among Male Formosan
Macaques, Macaca cyclopis
Tai-Jung
Lin1,2, Govindasamy Agoramoorthy2,
Chih-Chien Huang1,3, and Minna J. Hsu1,*
1Department
of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804,
Taiwan
2Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, Yanpu,
Pingtung 907, Taiwan
3Lienhuachih Research Center, Taiwan Forestry Research
Institute, Nantou 555, Taiwan
Tai-Jung
Lin, Govindasamy Agoramoorthy, Chih-Chien Huang, and Minna J. Hsu (2008)
We investigated the effects of troop size on differences in grooming
and agonistic behaviors among adult males (AMs) and adult females (AFs)
of Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis)
during mating and non-mating seasons. Data were recorded for a
total of 1248.8 h in 2 free-ranging social groups from Aug. 2000 to
Feb. 2003 at Mt. Longevity, Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. The
socionomic sex ratios of these 2 social groups were similar during the
mating seasons (AM: AF = 1: 1.8). Both troop and peripheral males
had significantly higher frequencies of social grooming with AFs in the
mating than in non-mating seasons. The types of males and social
groups, however, had significant effects on the allogrooming frequency
among AMs in the mating seasons but not in the non-mating
seasons. Moreover, troop males had higher numbers of grooming
partners than did peripheral males. Major grooming partners of
troop males were adult females regardless of the seasons.
Nonetheless, peripheral AMs had more male grooming partners seemingly
to enhance male affiliative relations. Subordinate males were mostly
receivers in grooming dyads with dominant males in the mating seasons,
but the relationships changed during the non-mating seasons.
Agonistic interactions occurred mainly during the mating seasons, and
their frequency among peripheral males was 1.8 times that of troop
males (p < 0.05).
Formosan macaque AMs employ complex strategies to balance competition
and affiliative relations and ultimately achieve reproductive success.
Key words: Macaca
cyclopis, Affiliation, Grooming, Agonistic behavior, Mating
season.
*Correspondence: Tel: 886-7-5252000 ext. 3623. Fax:
886-7-5253623. E-mail:hsumin@mail.nsysu.edu.tw
|
