Male Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) sociality: Behavioral strategies and welfare science applications
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Date
2021-04-29
Authors
Gartland, Kylen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Evolutionarily, individuals should pursue social strategies which confer advantages such as coalitionary support, mating opportunities, or access to limited resources. How an
individual forms and maintains social bonds may be influenced by a large number of
factors including sex, age, dominance rank, group structure, group demographics,
relatedness, or seasonality. Individuals may employ differential social strategies both in
terms of the type and quantity of interactions they engage in as well as their chosen social
partners. The objective of this dissertation is to examine sociality in adult male Japanese
macaques (Macaca fuscata) and the varying strategies that individuals may employ
depending on their relative position within a social group.
The first study examines dominance from multiple contextual measures and compares rank against social network centrality. Results from this study indicate that
approaches based exclusively in aggressive interactions may not capture nuances of rank
relationships and also that rank does not necessarily predict network centrality. The second
study compared individual dominance rank and reproductive success based on their
aggressive and affiliative behavioral strategies. Results from this study suggest that while
increased aggression may enable individuals to attain high rank, males with lower rates of v
aggression achieve higher reproductive success. An individual’s aggressive strategy did not
predict their affiliative strategy. We also see evidence for the operation of alternative
mating strategies within this population. The third study used a biological markets
approach to examine the relationship between male demography, social trends
(directionality and chosen partner), and social centrality. Results from this study show that
older individuals of higher rank are able to maintain fewer high-value social bonds as
demonstrated by decreases in directed affiliation and negative correlations between rank
and measures of network centrality. Conversely, younger lower-ranking males exhibit
higher rates of directed affiliation and more network centrality likely as a means of
maintaining multiple lower-value social bonds.
This dissertation includes co-authored material currently in review for publication with peer-reviewed journals
Description
Keywords
behavior, biological markets, dominance, Japanese macaque, socioecology, strategies