* Primate Behavior *

Lecture Outlines

At the end of this lecture you should be able to…

1. Define and identify terminology from the Running Glossary.
2. Explain sexual selection and how it affects primate behavior and biology.
3. Analyze and compare the reproductive strategies utilized by male and female primates.
4. Name and describe behavior patterns of primates, including:
a) different activity patterns,
b) diets
c) residence patterns
d) social structure and the factors that influence it
1. Describe primate cultural behavior and tool use using specific examples
2. Explain why primates are often studied within anthropology and how study of primates
increases knowledge of human evolution.
3. Explain why behavioral ecology is an important framework for understanding the
evolution of behavior among primates, including humans.

Sexual selection

Behavioral ecology: The study of the evolution of behavior, Notes

emphasizing the role of ecological factors as agents of natural In invertebrates and
selection. Behaviors are adapted to environmental circumstances. insects, most
behaviors are
innate. In birds and
mammals, the
proportion of
behavior that is due
to learning is
substantially
increased, in
primates most of
all.

As primates are
among the most
social of all
animals,
primatologists are
particularly
interested in
studying this aspect
of their evolution.
Natural selection & primate behavior: Natural selection favors primate A given behavior
behaviors that enhance survival and reproduction. has evolved due to
natural selection.
 Reproductive roles: Females expand far
Male: Provide the sperm to produce offspring. more time and
Female: Provide the egg to produce offspring, grow them, give birth, energy in the
nurse and nurture the young. creation of and
caring for offspring
and this sets the
tone for their
reproductive
strategies.
Sexual dimorphism: Differences in size, shape, color between the When male
sexes in addition to the sexual organs. primates compete
for females their
bodies adapt.
Sexual selection: The frequency of traits that change due to those To compete for
traits’ attractiveness to members of the opposite sex. females
successfully, males
must be big and
aggressive.

Females are more

selective in their
mate choices; they
will hold out for
the best possible
mate.

Residence patterns

1. One male, multi female: This haremlike organization consists of Notes

one reproductive-age male, several females, and the immature The society is
offspring. polygynous,
which means
that one male
has more than
one partner.

Some howler
monkeys,
some langurs,
gelda
baboons, and
gorillas
 practice this
social system.
2. One female, multi male: This consists of one reproductive-age The society is
female, several males, and the immature offspring. polyandrous,
meaning that
the one female
mates with
non-
polygynous
males.

Males often
help females
in parenting
activities, rare
in primate
society;
tamarins and
marmosets
practice this
pattern.
3. Multi male, multi female: This group consists of many adults, Competition
and the offspring. Both sexes mate promiscuously. for mates is
Fission-fusion: Chimpanzees loosely fit this model. relatively low.

Savanna
baboons,
macaques,
colobus, a few
New World
monkeys.
4. All male: In some species, such as baboons, males form Common
temporary groups, typically before joining groups. among newly
mature males,
or
subordinate
males.

All-male
groups
commonly
exist together
with
multimale,
multifemale
 groups.
5. One male, one female: This group consists of an adult male and Mating is
female, and their immature offspring. usually
monogamous,
so
reproductive
success is
entirely
dependent on
each other.

Males
typically
invest a lot
more time and
energy in the
offspring
Gibbons,
siamangs, and
several
strepsirrhines
practice this.
6. Solitary: Solitary primates go it alone. Interactions between Orangutans
males and females occur only for sexual activity. and a few
strepsirhines.

An orangutan
male has
greater
reproductive
success if he
maintains a
large territory.

Orangutan
sexual
dimorphism is
very high-
they are twice
the size of
females.

Dominance
Dominance hierarchies: Notes
Alpha characteristics: Good posture, presence, good eye contact,
friendly smile
Subordinate characteristics: slouchiness, avoids eye contact,
covered body language, makes himself small

Displays: Complicated repetitious behavior that communicates

emotional states.

Aggressive behaviors: Bobbing head back and forth in a crouched

position, branch shaking, mounting subordinates, Intense stare,
quick yawn to expose large canine teeth.

Submissive behaviors: Crouching, presenting hindquarters for

mounting.

Affliative Behaviors

Grooming: In nonhuman primates, grooming involves picking through Notes

the skin and hair of another individual and removing insects or other Grooming is
foreign objects. one of the
most
important
affiliative
behaviors.

This bonds
the two
members.
Fairness: Primates will give up on an outcomes that benefits them in
order to gain long-term benefits from a relationship.

Altruism: Evolutionary
Kin selection: Your genes are indirectly passed on through your benefits of
relatives if you help them survive. altruistic
behavior to
the kin group
outweigh the
costs to the
 individual.

Reproductive strategies

Sexual dimorphism & competition in males: Notes

Intra-sexual selection: male-male competition for access to females. Intra-sexual
Inter-sexual selection: female selection of males with the most selection
attractive traits. favors large
bodies, large
canines, and
mate guarding.

Inter-sexual
selection
favors: flashy
colors,
energetic
displays,
friendly
behavior and
parental care.
Sperm & testes size: In these species, sexual selection favors greater In polygynous
sperm production and therefore larger testes. groups or
monogamous
pairs, this is
not an issue
and these
primates will
have small
testes for their
body size.
Infanticide: The killing of a nursing infant by a new alpha male in The new male
one-male, multifemale groups. kills the
nursing infant
so that its
mother stops
lactating,
resumes
ovulation, and
becomes
sexually
receptive to
him.
Vocalizations: Indicate territory and intimidate predators and potential There is a
competitors. direct
correlation
between
smaller testes
size and louder
vocalizations.
Female competition: Females compete for resources that enable them Competition
to care for their young. for resources
happens
within
dominance
hierarchies.
Rank usually
passes from
mother to
daughter, and
the youngest
sisters usually
rank higher
than older
sisters.
Females choose:
1. Dominant males
2. Genetic compatibility
3. Good personality

Estrus: A restricted time in which females are fertile.

Physical signals of sexual receptivity: sexual swellings, color changes,

odors.

Video clip notes on reproductive strategies:

Getting food

Foraging: Primates acquire their food through a wide variety of Notes

foraging practices. Foraging can
take up to
50% of a
primates
waking time.
Burden on mom: Mothers need to eat food that will provide energy for
gestation and lactation, but they also need to find food then bring it to
their young.

Factors that influence diet:

1. Quality
2. Distribution
3. Availability

Quality of foods: Quality refers to food’s ability to provide energy and

protein that are readily digestible.

Activity budgets: Smaller

Diet vs. body size: The rate at which the body uses energy to primates have
maintain all bodily functions while at rest (BMR) is closely related to less surface
body size. area in
relation to
body mass
and thus
maintain body
heat more
efficiently.
Distribution: The location and accessibility of foodstuffs.

Food availability: Can be highly fluid, depending on the season and Primates are
weather. generally
restricted to
equatorial
regions.

culture

Notes
Material culture: Only one aspect of culture. Teaching an
individual
how to make a
stick tool is
material-
based culture.
Tool-use in primate examples: Capuchins using leaves to extract water
from cavities, gorillas using branches as walking sticks while crossing
streams, bonobos using stone tools by breaking rocks and using the
flakes.

How it applies to human evolution: Shows that these behaviors are

learned

Culture: Chimpanzee tool use may be the best model for

understanding our ancestors’ earliest cultures.

Please provide a question that you may have had about the material learned in this
module. Question topics can include:
i. Aspects of the lecture or reading that you’d like further clarification on.
ii. Aspects of the lecture or reading that were particularly interesting to you and
you’d like to learn more about.
iii. Aspects of the lecture or reading that you feel are subjective, ethically
questionable or lacking ample scientific evidence.

Your question:
1. Does the fairness evidence support the idea that primates can be constantly
thinking about the future like we do?