Week 7

Chapter 6: Primate Ecology and Behavior

Author: Karin Enstam Jaffe, Ph.D.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the variables that affect primate diets.
- Explain how primates interact with other organisms in their environment.
- Discuss why primates live in groups, types of primate groups, and components of their social systems.
- Describe the reproductive strategies of males and females.
- Explain the ways in which primates communicate.
- Discuss the evidence for primate cultural traditions.

Personal Anecdote: The author's journey with primates started in childhood. Observed patas monkeys in Kenya, leading to further research on their responses to predators.
Relation to Humans: Studying primates yields insights into human ancestors' behaviors and helps understand humanity from a biological perspective.
Ethology vs. Primatology:
- Ethology: Study of animal behavior.
- Primatology: Study of primate behavior, done in both field and captive settings.
Diversity in Research: Women have made significant contributions to primatology, represented by figures like Jane Goodall, Birute Galdikas, and Dian Fossey.

Researchers study social complexity to understand ecological and behavioral variations in primates.

Advantages: Protection from predators, cooperative childcare, better food acquisition.
Drawbacks: Increased competition for resources and higher visibility to predators.
Example: Vervet monkeys live in large groups, enhancing survival rates when resources are scarce.

Solitary: Individuals primarily live alone, except females with offspring. Example: Orangutans.
Monogamous: One male and one female form a pair bond, like gibbons.
Polygyny: One male and multiple females, characterized by sexual dimorphism; Example: Gorillas.
Polyandry: One female has multiple male mates; example: Tamarins and marmosets.
Multi-Male, Multi-Female: Complex groups, such as baboons and vervet monkeys.
Fission-Fusion: Groups change composition and size based on resource availability, exemplified by chimpanzees.

Female Strategies: Focus on offspring investment and selecting healthy mates.
Male Strategies: Compete for dominance, using aggression and alliances to secure mating opportunities.

Forms of Communication:
1. Vocal: Alarm calls indicate predator types (e.g., vervet monkeys).
2. Visual: Facial expressions and body posture convey emotions and social status.
3. Olfactory: Scent marking establishes territory and reproductive status.
4. Tactile: Grooming reinforces social bonds and hierarchies.

Cultural Traditions: Behavior learned and transmitted across generations.
Example: Tool use in chimpanzees and variations in foraging techniques observed in different populations.

Primate behavior is shaped significantly by ecology and social structures, helping to understand our evolutionary history.
The study of primates reveals insights into communication, social living, and even cultural patterns similar to humans.