Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Summer 2010

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Primate Behavior

Committee Chair

Dr. Lori K. Sheeran, Primate Behavior and Ecology, Anthropology

Second Committee Member

Dr. Megan D. Matheson, Primate Behavior and Ecology, Psychology

Third Committee Member

Dr. Audrey D. Huerta, Director Science Honors Research Program

Abstract

The genus Macaca is the largest and most widely distributed primate genus, but M. thibetana remains understudied. Field research on this species has focused on dominance style, post-conflict behaviors, and the effects of eco-tourism, with limited research on sexual selection. As a sexually dimorphic species with linear hierarchies, rank is expected to play a role in mate choice; however, recent data suggest that male rank is not correlated with mating. This study examined affiliative behaviors of male-female dyads in a free-living group of Tibetan macaques at Mt. Huangshan, China to assess whether affiliative interactions influenced copulation patterns. The proportion of time two individuals spent in proximity to and grooming each other was significantly associated with cooperative copulations. The findings suggest that affiliative social interactions may be more important to Tibetan macaques' mating outcomes than is rank.

Comments

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