Face to face with the woolly spider monkey. Review of faces in the forest: The Endangered Muriqui Monkeys of Brazil,by Karen B. Strier. New York,Oxford University Press,Inc., 1992, 138 pp, $49.50

During an intertroop encounter, an infanticide was observed in a population of ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. The killer was a male that had not been previously observed to mate with any females in the infant's troop. This observation, combined with other observations of infanticidal behavior by males at Berenty Reserve and the Duke University Primate Center, is consistent with the hypothesis that infanticide is a reproductive tactic for some male ringtailed lemurs. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Infanticide and Population Growth in the Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus): The Effect of Male Turnover and Density

One major intrinsic factor affecting recruitment of young into a population is infanticide, the killing of conspecific young by adult males. It occurs in most mammal species, like our study species the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), and is widely accepted as an adaptive behavior, which may increase male fitness via nutritional gain, decreased competition, or an increased access to mates. A turnover of males in a population increases the risk of infanticide owing to a disruption of social structures. In a controlled field study, we tested the effects of total male turnover and density on juvenile recruitment and female space use in experimental bank vole populations. Juvenile recruitment declined significantly in low‐density populations with male turnover, while growth of high‐density populations seemed unaffected. The females’ spatial behavior seemed unaffected by both male turnover and density. Our results suggest that male infanticide may considerably affect population growth and it is more likely to do so at lower densities.     

Interspecific Infanticide and Infant‐Directed Aggression by Spider Monkeys (Ateles hybridus) in a Fragmented Forest in Colombia

Interspecific aggression amongst nonhuman primates is rarely observed and has been mostly related to scenarios of resource competition. Interspecific infanticide is even rarer, and both the ultimate and proximate socio‐ecological factors explaining this behavior are still unclear. We report two cases of interspecific infanticide and five cases of interspecific infant‐directed aggression occurring in a well‐habituated primate community living in a fragmented landscape in Colombia. All cases were initiated by male brown spider monkeys (Ateles hybridus) and were directed toward infants of either red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus: n = 6 cases) or white‐fronted capuchins (Cebus albifrons: n = 1 case). One individual, a subadult spider monkey male, was involved in all but one case of interspecific infanticide or aggression. Other adult spider monkeys participated in interspecific aggression that did not escalate into potentially lethal encounters. We suggest that competition for food resources and space in a primate community living in high population densities and restricted to a forest fragment of ca. 65 ha might partly be driving the observed patterns of interspecific aggression. On the other hand, the fact that all but one case of interspecific infanticide and aggression involved the only subadult male spider monkey suggests this behavior might either be pathological or constitute a particular case of redirected aggression. Even if the underlying principles behind interspecific aggression and infanticide are poorly understood, they represent an important factor influencing the demographic trends of the primate community at this study site. Am. J. Primatol. 74:990‐997, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Environmental Influences on Infanticide in Columbian Ground Squirrels

Infanticide of preweaned and weanling juvenile Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) has been previously reported, but its prevalence in most populations is poorly known. I examined evidence of infanticide in a six-year study of four populations in southwestern Alberta, two of which received an experimental supplementation of food for two years. Evidence of infanticide of weanling ground squirrels was uncommon, except for one population and year (previously supplemented population at 1580 m elevation in 1984) in which 9 dead young were found, suggesting an increased rate of infanticide. The rate of total loss of pre-weaned litters also increased at 1580 m in 1984. At higher elevation sites (2100 m), however, no evidence of infanticide was found under experimental or unmanipulated conditions. One factor that might have influenced the rate of infanticide of weanlings was their degree of development when they first emerged from natal burrows. A review of studies of 11 populations of Columbian ground squirrels suggested that under natural conditions, infanticide may have differed among environments. Differences in density among populations appeared to have little influence on the rate of infanticide, but elevation was significantly negatively associated with infanticide.     

Male Demography,Female Mating Behavior,and Infanticide in Wild Patas Monkeys (Erythrocebus patas)

Infanticide by males has been hypothesized to be a naturally selected behavioral strategy that increases the infanticidal male's reproductive success. The sexual selection hypothesis has been challenged via alternative, nonadaptive hypotheses that dispute its empirical and theoretical bases. Two of the most widely recognized alternatives are the social pathology hypothesis, in which infanticide results from overcrowding or recent human disturbance, and the generalized aggression hypothesis, in which infanticide is an epiphenomenon of increased male aggression. We report the first case of infanticide in wild, seasonally breeding patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) living at a low population density in a stable habitat, conditions which do not support the social pathology hypothesis. Its exceptional occurrence is consistent with the sexual selection hypothesis: over a 7-year period the infanticidal male was the only one of 13 resident males that was not present during the actual conception season but was present during the following birth season. Also consistent with this hypothesis, mothers were differentially targeted for male aggression, which increased sevenfold during the days surrounding the infanticide and then decreased to baseline levels after the infanticide. Aggression targeted at mothers does not support the generalized aggression hypothesis. As predicted by the sexual selection hypothesis, females began soliciting mating immediately after the infanticide, despite its occurrence in the nonconceptive season.     

Infanticide by a Male Milne-Edwards' Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi) in Ampijoroa,NW-Madagascar

During a long-term field study on the behavioral ecology and communication of a population of the monogamous Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi) in NW-Madagascar, we recorded for the first time an infanticide in a nocturnal lemur. A male newcomer killed the infant of a female whose male partner had left her recently. Both the social-pathology and the sexual-selection hypotheses may explain infanticidal behavior in Lepilemur edwardsi.     

Infanticide in microtines: Importance in natural populations

Summary To test the hypothesis that the incidence of infanticide should increase as population density increases in microtines (Mallory and Brooks, 1978), an index of pregnancy success was developed. There was no negative correlation between population density and pregnancy success in four species of Microtus and thus the hypothesis is refuted. There was a positive correlation between instantaneous growth rate and pregnancy success in M. pennsylvanicus and M. townsendii.     

The variable social organization of hanuman langurs(Presbytis entellus), infanticide,and the monopolization of females

Data from 24 wild populations of hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)in south Asia are used to test hypotheses seeking to explain variation in troop structure and the incidence of infanticide. The occurrence of infanticide is associated with a one-male troop structure and not with a high density. The density, predation, and economic-advantage hypotheses, as explanations for the occurrence of one-male and multimale troops, are not supported by the review. However, the monopolization hypothesis is not contradicted; the number of adult males per troop is significantly correlated with troop size and with the number of adult females per troop. Therefore it is suggested that a one-male troop structure will arise if a male is able to monopolize a group of females, a multimale troop if he cannot. One-male troops may predispose to infanticide because of high variance in male mating success and high intermale competition between groups rather than within troops. If female dispersion determines troop structure, it is speculated that females could manipulate males to form a multimale society if the advantages in terms of infant survival and intertroop conflict exceeded the costs in terms of not producing infanticidal “sexy sons.”     

First videotaped infanticide in the common pochard Aythya ferina

A growing body of literature suggests that infanticide is common in a variety of animals. However, most reports are concerned with infanticide by males and these evidences are often indirect or questionable. Here we describe the first videotaped non-parental infanticide by a female common pochard (Aythya ferina) which killed one conspecific duckling. Our observation does not suggest that this attack was caused by a high density of breeding pairs as was found for other ducks (resource competition hypothesis). We speculate that infanticide in this particular case might be adaptive because a reduced number of ducklings in the pond decreased the vulnerability to predation by raptors.     

陕西米仓山国家级自然保护区猕猴的分布及种群数量调查

2013年8至12月,对陕西省米仓山国家级自然保护区境内野生猕猴的种群数量及其社会结构进行调查,并估测该物种栖息环境的偏好性。通过在预先选取的样区域内采用"V"型路线调查法调查,发现该区域生活12群,共有460—500只野生猕猴。结合对其中5个猴群长时间的持续跟踪观察,统计得出成年个体占45.93%,未成年个体占34.45%,幼仔占19.61%,成年与未成年比例为1.33,成年雄雌的比例为0.36。并证实猕猴倾向于选择海拔700—1600m裸露的悬崖峭壁、平缓山坡农田带上缘、灌丛-森林带和半山中部及以上区域的阔叶林带下缘活动。     

Reproductive failure,possible maternal infanticide,and cannibalism in wild moustached tamarins, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saguinus mystax</Emphasis>

Maternal infanticide in wild non-human primates has only been reported twice. In this paper, we report a possible new case of infanticide and cannibalism within a series of four successive reproductive failures in wild moustached tamarins, Saguinus mystax. Necropsy and genetic analyses of the corpses enabled us to rule out any pathology, and to determine paternity. The mother was seen biting and then eating the head of its own infant during a period when another female was pregnant and gave birth just 1 month later. Before that, the perpetrator had given birth to twins three times successfully when four to five adult and subadult males were present in the group. Although we do not know for certain that the infant was alive when the mother started biting it, our field observations preceding the event suggest it probably was. The possible infanticide case and the two cases of births and early death of the infants occurred while only two to three adult males were present in the group. This could be the second case of maternal infanticide reported in the genus Saguinus and the similar circumstances suggest a common pattern. We discuss these events in the light of the different functional explanations of infanticide and conclude that parental manipulation was the most likely: the mother could have terminated the investment in offspring that had low chances of survival in a group with low availability of helpers.     

Polyspecific groups of macaques on the kowloon peninsula,new territories,Hong Kong

Three polyspecific groups of free-ranging macaques were observed in July and August of 1980 and 1981 in the forests of the New Territories of mainland Hong Kong. Two groups were composed of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and long-tailed or crab-eating monkeys (M. fascicularis), and one group was composed of both the former plus Japanese macaques (M. fuscata). All three groups contained hybrids between M. mulatta and M. fascicularis. This combination of species within the same social group is an unusual circumstance in natural habitats, and it offers a unique opportunity for field studies in primate ecology and behavior.     

Infanticide in a jaguar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panthera onca</Emphasis>) population—does the provision of livestock carcasses increase the risk?

Infanticide is an antagonistic behavior that may provide an evolutionary benefit for the perpetrator. Cases of infanticide have rarely been reported in Neotropical carnivores. The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence of infanticide in a local jaguar (Panthera onca) population in the Brazilian Pantanal. We present infanticide data from opportunistic sampling. Each month, from 2013 to 2015, we monitored pastures for evidence of livestock carcasses. A remotely triggered camera trap was placed at encountered fresh cattle carcasses. Through this monitoring, two cases of infanticide were recorded. Both cases occurred in close proximity to a cattle carcass, a large prey item that may attract multiple jaguars—including females with cubs around age of weaning—and increase the risk of infanticide. Our observations provide new empirical evidence of jaguar social behavior and intraspecific competitive interactions, potentially driven by locally high population density and resource provision.     

山西蟒河国家级自然保护区猕猴食源植物区系特征

于2012~2013年,以样带法、样方法和无样地法相结合,分4次对蟒河国家级自然保护区猕猴栖息地食源植物种类进行了实地调查,并分析了其区系特征。研究发现:(1)蟒河保护区猕猴栖息地内有维管植物659种,隶属102科374属,其中54科126属261种为猕猴的食源植物,占猕猴栖息地植物科、属、种总数的52.94%、33.69%和39.61%;蔷薇科是食源植物中包含种类最多的科,有16属39种,其次为豆科,含11属23种。(2)蟒河保护区内猕猴食源植物区系特征为:食源植物所在科有6个分布型和2个变型,所在属有13个分布型和6个变型;在属的分布类型中,温带性质分布类型的属占优势,有75个,占总属数的66.96%,其中北温带分布类型的属46个,占总属数的41.07%;热带性质分布类型的属有24个,地中海区、中亚、东亚和中国特有分布成分的属共有13个,分别占总属数的21.43%和11.61%,说明蟒河保护区内猕猴食源植物区系为暖温带性质。     

Dietary diversity of an ecological and macronutritional generalist primate in a harsh high‐latitude habitat,the Taihangshan macaque (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis)

Recent advances in niche theory have stressed the importance of understanding dietary generalism at multiple levels, including the range of habitat and foods exploited by a species, foods exploited within populations, and patterns of nutrient intake. Here we apply this framework to examine the dietary strategy of the Macaca mulatta, a primate species that is second only to humans in their breadth of geographical distribution, and occupy diverse ecological habitats from cold temperate to tropical latitudes. A recent study showed that the Taihangshan subspecies ( M. mulatta tcheliensis) in China, which is found at the northern latitudinal limit of the species range, respond to ecologically constrained interannual variation in the macronutrient ratios of the spring diet in a way that theory predicts should be associated with ecological generalism. Here we further extend this study, examining the relationships between seasonal variation in food availability and the patterns of food selection across a full year. We found that, despite the ecological and macronutritional generalism of the species, Taihangshan macaques subsist on a relatively small range of foods (57 different foods, spread across 8 categories comprising seeds, fruits, buds, flowers, leaves, herbs, young bark, and twigs), but face considerable seasonal variation in the combinations available. In spring and summer, when seeds were scarce, leaves accounted for 60.3 ± 13.8% of their diet (dry matter [DM] %), and herbs contributed 31.7 ± 22.2%. However, in autumn and winter, when seeds were abundant, they contributed 68.5 ± 22.7% of the diet while herbs accounted for 18.9 ± 12.9% on a DM. Although young bark and twigs were available in all seasons, the macaques only fed on them in winter. We present comparative data from the literature on the diets of M. mulatta and other Macaca species, to interpret this pattern of resource use within the framework of multilevel niche theory.     

A case of infanticide in a recently found gelada population in Arsi, Ethiopia

There have been no reports of infanticide in wild gelada baboons and it has been argued that infanticide is not necessary in geladas, since the birth interval of female gelada can be shortened after takeover of a unit by a new leader male without infanticide. However, we observed an instance of infanticide in a newly-found wild gelada population in the Arsi Region of Ethiopia. After a leader male of the unit was severely wounded by a leopard attack, he was quite weakened. The second male of the unit, a young adult male, became the leader of the unit three weeks later, but the former leader continued to stay in the unit as a second male. After a week, two other adult males joined the unit which, therefore, came to include four adult males. The infanticide took place nine days later. The perpetrator was one of the immigrant males and he showed great interest in the mother of the unweaned victim infant. Although the perpetrator copulated with her after the infanticide, the usurper was found to own all three adult females after two weeks following the infanticide; i.e. the perpetrator could not own any female. The wounded former leader showed conspicuous protective behavior towards the victim's mother and the dead infant. One possible explanation for the occurrence of infanticide in this population of geladas is as follows. Gelada males in this area may be able to join units more easily to form multi-male units but then have shorter tenure in the units. Facing the unstable condition of units, they may sometimes engage in infanticide to increase their breeding opportunities, even before becoming a leader.     

No infanticide in the hystricognath rodent, Octodon degus: does ecology play a role?

The behavior of male and female Octodon degus (Hystricognathi; Octodontidae) was studied in captivity to examine the occurrence of non-parental infanticide, which involves the killing of immature infants by adult conspecifics other than the genetic parents. Sexually inexperienced male and female, and lactating female degus were tested for their behavior toward genetically unrelated, and socially unfamiliar, degu pups in a neutral arena. No male or female degu showed any sign of aggression toward the pups. Lactating females tended to exhibit the shortest latency to first behavioral interaction with the pup and the highest rate of social interactions with the pup, and they spent a relatively high proportion of their time in proximity with the pup. In contrast, males tended to show the longest latency to first pup contact and a reduced rate of interactions with the pup, and they spent a relatively small fraction of their time with the pup. The behavior of non-breeding females seemed intermediate between that of males and lactating females. Given that social and ecological conditions posed to promote non-parental infanticide in other rodents seemed not particularly different from what is known of degu biology, ecology, and social behavior, lack of degu infanticide may reflect phylogenetic inertia instead of an absence of conditions favoring infanticide. Received: 8 January 2000 / Received in revised form: 16 June 2000 / Accepted: 20 June 2000     

Impact of winter pruning of pomegranate trees on Aphis punicae (Hemiptera,Aphididae) and its natural enemies in Tunisia

Winter pruning is a cultural practice used to modify vegetative growth, which is likely to affect the development of pests. However, it has been poorly defined as a cultural method for diminishing the population levels of the pomegranate aphid Aphis punicae (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in pomegranate orchards. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of winter pruning of pomegranate on A. punicae population and their natural enemies. The results showed that winter pruning significantly decreased the population of A. punicae (p < 0.05) in pomegranate. Also, number of natural enemies decreased in pomegranate trees after winter pruning. This technical practice affects the number of winged and wingless individuals, the mean relative growth rate, the specific age of the population and the infestation rate. Winter pruning for A. punicae control in pomegranate orchards is highly recommended.     

Infanticide in male laboratory mice: Effects of social status,prior sexual experience,and basis for discrimination between related and unrelated young

Several aspects of infanticide, including effects of social status, prior sexual experience, and the basis for discrimination between related and unrelated young, were examined in Swiss-Webster laboratory mice (Mus musculus). Strange males introduced into the female's cage for 24 h on day 1 postpartum significantly reduced pup survival whereas the introduction of sires did not. Direct observations of infanticide were frequent, and the motor patterns used by males to kill pups are described. Males killed their own offspring when those young were in the nest of a strange female, whereas most males did not kill unrelated young in the nest of a familiar female. Thus, past association with the mother appears to be the single most important factor mediating male discrimination of young. Prior contact with a specific female's urine reduced a male's propensity for subsequently killing her young. The act of copulation itself also reduced infanticide. Infanticidal behaviour was correlated with the male's social status: most dominant males killed unrelated pups, whereas none of the subordinates engaged in infanticide. These results are discussed in terms of the population biology of this species.     

宁夏贺兰山国家级自然保护区岩羊(Pseudois nayaur)种群数量及结构

为了解宁夏贺兰山岩羊的种群现状,2020-2021年的8月和12-1月,在宁夏贺兰山国家级自然保护区运用样线法对岩羊（Pseudois nayaur）进行种群数量调查,利用R 4.0.1中的Distance 1.0.2对样线观测数据进行分析,估测保护区内岩羊的种群数量及密度,分析其种群结构。结果显示,夏季岩羊种群数量为5176（2554-10490）只,种群密度为2.674（1.320-5.420）只/km²;冬季岩羊种群数量为15752（7294-34017）只,种群密度为8.139（3.769-17.58）只/km²;多数观测距离样线垂直距离在0-200 m之内。岩羊主要集群形式：夏季为雌幼群（52.17%）;冬季为混合群（26.60%）。岩羊平均群大小：夏季为（6.261±8.023）只,冬季为（4.064±4.229）只,群大小在不同季节的差异显著（P=0.010）,集群大小多集中于1-5只之间,最大为47只。夏季调查中,雄性个体占比11.27%,雌性个体占比56.74%,幼体/亚成体占比31.99%;冬季调查中,雄性个体占比29.61%,雌性个体占比50.15%,幼体/亚成体占比20.24%;夏季和冬季岩羊组成成分之间差异极显著（P<0.001）。