Paternity Determination in Two Groups of Eulemur fulvus mayottensis: Implications for Understanding Mating Strategies

We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to determine paternity in two groups of brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus mayottensis). We analyzed the results in relation to behavioral data on observed copulations, dominance relationships among adult males, and female behavior. The association between paternity determination and behavioral sampling shows that paternity determination is a crucial tool for understanding the mating strategies and reproductive success in the studied species. In brown lemurs, dominance relationships between males are correlated with reproductive success, but male social dominance could be altered by female choice as suggested by the ability of subordinate males to sire offspring in the presence of a dominant male.