48 research outputs found
Is male-infant caretaking related to paternity and/or mating activities in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus)?
WOS:000169953600003International audienceIn species with a promiscuous mating system, the functions of maleâinfant caretaking remain unclear in the absence of genetic paternity tests. We tested paternal investment and hypotheses concerning reproductive tactics in wild groups of Barbary macaques, including results of genetic paternity tests. Our study revealed that maleâinfant caretaking was not related to the probability of paternity. In principle, males could use access to females to estimate paternity. However, we found that mating success was not related to paternity, so males could invest in infants that they had not sired, and caretaking of non-offspring was actually observed. Accordingly, males might be âdeceivedâ with respect to their paternal investment. In that case, one would expect a positive relation between mating success and the subsequent rate of male caretaking of infants. Such a relation is also lacking, leading to comprehensive rejection of the paternal investment hypothesis in Barbary macaques. By contrast, there was evidence that males showing infant care achieved higher mating frequencies than other males with the mothers of the relevant infants. Thus, male Barbary macaques do not show a âmate-then-careâ pattern, but they do exhibit a âcare-then-mateâ pattern.Pour les espĂšces chez lesquelles il existe une forte promiscuitĂ© sexuelle, les fonctions dâĂ©levage des jeunes par les mĂąles restent difficiles Ă dĂ©terminer en lâabsence de tests de paternitĂ©. Nous avons testĂ© les hypothĂšses dâinvestissement paternel et de tactique de reproduction sur des groupes sauvages de magots. Des tests de paternitĂ© ont Ă©tĂ© rĂ©alisĂ©s. Notre Ă©tude montre quâil nâexiste pas de relation entre les soins aux enfants et la probabilitĂ© de paternitĂ©. En principe, les mĂąles pourraient estimer leur paternitĂ© sur la base de leur succĂšs dâaccouplement auprĂšs des femelles. Cependant, il nâexiste pas de relation entre le succĂšs dâaccouplement et la paternitĂ©. Les mĂąles pourraient donc ĂȘtre amenĂ©s Ă sâoccuper d'enfants dâautres mĂąles et câest effectivement ce qui est observĂ©. Par consĂ©quent, les mĂąles seraient âtrompĂ©sâ dans leur investissement paternel. Si câĂ©tait le cas, on pourrait sâattendre Ă une relation positive entre le succĂšs dâaccouplement et les soins portĂ©s aux enfants. Or, une telle relation nâexiste pas, ce qui nous conduit Ă rejeter lâhypothĂšse de lâinvestissement paternel. Par contre, nous avons montrĂ© que les mĂąles qui prennent soin d'enfants augmentent leurs chances dâaccouplement avec les mĂšres de ces enfants. Donc, chez les magots, les mĂąles suivent un modĂšle selon lequel les soins aux enfants assureraient leur succĂšs dâaccouplements (âcare-then-mateâ) plutĂŽt quâun modĂšle selon lequel leur succĂšs dâaccouplement justifierait leur investissement dans lâĂ©levage des enfants (âmate-then-careâ)
Ecology, demography, and population genetics of barbary macaques in Algeria
International audienceOver a 9-year period from 1982 to 1990 ecological and demographic data were collected on two genetic isolates of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in Algeria, from the deciduous oak-forest of Akfadou and from the evergreen cedar-oak forest of the National Park Djurdjura. Macaques at Djurdjura profit from more suitable ecological conditions and have a higher rate of population increase as well as a higher male migration rate than those at Akfadou. Genetic data, gained from 23 genetic markers (blood proteins), proved to be highly influenced by the demographic structure of the groups. The macaque populations of Akfadou and Djurdjura have become genetically differentiated. Group fission, coupled with founder effect (genetic drift) and kin-structured (matrilineal) separation, resulted in a priori genetic diversity between one newly-established group and its parent group