Behaviour
Volume 153, Issue 3, 2016, Pages 325-351

Breaking the succession rule: The costs and benefits of an alpha-status take-over by an immigrant rhesus macaque on Cayo Santiago (Article)

Georgiev A.V.* , Christie D. , Rosenfield K.A. , Ruiz-Lambides A.V. , Maldonado E. , Thompson M.E. , Maestripieri D.
  • a Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 E57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States, Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
  • b Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1321 Kincaid Street, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
  • c Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London, SW15 4JD, United Kingdom
  • d Caribbean Primate Research Center-Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, PR, 00741, Puerto Rico
  • e Caribbean Primate Research Center-Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, PR, 00741, Puerto Rico
  • f Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
  • g Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 E57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States

Abstract

Explaining intraspecific variation in reproductive tactics hinges on measuring associated costs and benefits. Yet, this is difficult if alternative (purportedly less optimal) tactics remain unobserved. We describe a rare alpha-position take-over by an immigrant male rhesus macaque in a population where males typically gain rank via succession. Unusually, male aggressiveness after the take-over correlated with rank and mating success. The new alpha achieved the highest mating and reproductive success. Nevertheless, he sired only 4 infants due to high extra-group paternity (59.3%). The costs of his immigration tactic were high: after the mating season ended, unable to deter coalitionary attacks by residentmales, he was overthrown. The following year he had the highest relative annual weight loss and levels of immune activation among males in the group. Succession-based rank-acquisition in large, provisioned groups of macaques thus appears to be actively maintained by resident males, who impose high costs on challengers. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2016.

Author Keywords

systems Dominance order Reproductive tactics Elo-ratings neopterin Immigration Alpha take-over Weight loss Mating

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84962362276&doi=10.1163%2f1568539X-00003344&partnerID=40&md5=b09dcab82038f2352b5d93096d8e7d7d
DOI: 10.1163/1568539X-00003344
ISSN: 00057959
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English