Understanding stable bi-female grouping in gibbons: feeding competition and reproductive success

Frontiers in Zoology
Peng-Fei FanWen Zhang

Abstract

Species of the order Primates are highly gregarious with most species living in permanent heterosexual social groups. According to theory in socioecology maximum social group size is limited by rates of intra-group feeding competition and associated increases in travel costs. Unlike other hylobatids, which are predominantly pair living, cao vit gibbons (Nomascus nasutus), and two other species of crested gibbon (Nomascus spp.) living in northern seasonal forest, regularly exhibit larger bi-female groups. To better understand the ability of northern gibbons to live in stable bi-female groups, we examined food distribution, feeding competition and reproductive success over a period of six years in a small cao vit gibbon population at Bangliang, Guangxi, China. In general, we found weak evidences for within-group contest or scramble competition in our two study groups, which we attribute to high spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the distribution of their important food species. Nevertheless, the larger of the two groups studied increased feeding time and group spread during lean periods, factors that may limit cao vit gibbon group size to a maximum of two breeding females. Relative to tropical pair-living gibbons, there is no ...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1986·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·E H HaimoffN Chen
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May 1, 1971·Journal of Theoretical Biology·W D Hamilton
Jan 1, 1982·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·S P Gittins
Oct 19, 2010·American Journal of Primatology·Alan R Mootnick, Peng-Fei Fan
Jan 5, 2011·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·Pengfei FanTao Huang
Oct 19, 2013·Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·Brandon C WheelerAndreas Koenig
Jan 1, 1994·American Journal of Primatology·Qi-Kun Zhao
Jan 1, 1989·American Journal of Primatology·Liu ZhenheCharles Southwick

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Citations

Dec 27, 2015·Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology·Isabella V HajdukElizabeth J Harry
Oct 1, 2016·Scientific Reports·Peng-Fei FanWen Xiao
Apr 14, 2017·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·Amy M PorterAnthony Di Fiore
Jul 25, 2019·American Journal of Primatology·Chang-Yong MaPeng-Fei Fan

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