Ecological determinants of the behavior and social structure of Japanese monkeys: A synthesis |
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Authors: | Naofumi Nakagawa |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Kobe City College of Nursing, Gakuen-nishimachi, Nishi-ku, 651-2103 Kobe, Hyogo, Japan |
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Abstract: | A review is presented of the results of the various studies in this volume and an attempt is made to establish connections
among several features of the ecology, behavior, and social structure of Japanese monkeys. Several studies in this volume
suggest that intergroup direct feeding competition has been much more severe in Yakushima, in the warm-temperate region, than
in Kinkazan, in the cool-temperate region of Japan. This result is consistent with the predictions that moderate abundance
and clumped distribution of food incur more severe intergroup direct competition. However, the number of adult females within
a group in Yakushima was smaller than that in Kinkazan even though severe intergroup direct competition should favor large
groups. This contradiction can be mainly explained by the less severe intergroup indirect competition in Kinkazan than in
Yakushima. By contrast, some studies in this volume also indicate that adult male to female ratio within a group has been
higher in Yakushima than in Kinkazan. This result can be explained in two ways: the females in Yakushima might have recruited
more males to increase the competitive ability of the group under conditions of severe intergroup direct feeding competition;
alternatively, it might be profitable that the males in Yakushima defend females cooperatively as group males against the
males in other groups at a moderate density of females. Some studies in this volume suggest that grooming frequency was higher
in Yakushima than in Kinkazan. The higher grooming frequency in Yakushima might have been partly due to a constant increase
in engaging in social behavior from a decrease in feeding time. Another reason might be that there is a stronger effect of
grooming on promotion of formation of coalitions among adults under conditions of severe intergroup direct and intragroup
direct competition. |
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Keywords: | Group size Feeding competition Mating competition Affiliative behavior Japanese monkeys |
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