Double infanticide in a free-ranging group of buffy-headed marmosets, Callithrix flaviceps |
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Authors: | Renato R Hilário and Stephen F Ferrari |
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Institution: | (1) Department of General Biology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Ant?nio Carlos, 6627 Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil;(2) Department of Biology, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, S?o Crist?v?o, Brazil |
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Abstract: | This study describes two infanticides in a free-ranging group of Callithrix flaviceps. In November 2008, four females gave birth within a period of approximately 10 days. On the day after the third birth, the
new mother was attacked by an unidentified individual, resulting in the death of one of her infants due to a bite to the top
of the head. Five days later, the fourth female gave birth to twins, and the next day, the more socially dominant of the breeding
females was observed ingesting the head of one of these infants. All other infants survived until the end of the study. With
the exception of the unusual number of births and attacks, the behaviour appeared typical of that recorded in other marmosets,
where socially dominant breeding females attack the offspring of subordinates, apparently as a strategy aimed at reducing
competition for the services of infant caregivers. |
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Keywords: | |
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