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In the present study, we recorded all births, immigrations, deaths, and emigrations for a population of ring-tailed lemurs at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar, between September 1989 and August 1999. In September 1989, three troops (C, B, and T) inhabited the study area of 14.2 ha. During the 10-year period, eight troop divisions, six evictions of females, and three troop takeovers of ranges by other troops occurred in and around the study area. Consequently, in August 1999, the number of troops in the same area increased to six (CX, C1, C2A, C2B, T1, and T2). The number of lemurs aged > 1 year increased from 63 to 82, which resulted from 204 births, 58 immigrations, 125 deaths, and 118 emigrations. Of the 204 newborn lemurs during the study period, 103 died, 44 emigrated outside the study area, and 57 remained within the study area. The total number of lemurs that emigrated from natal troops was 69 (54 males and 15 females). Natal males left their troops around the age of 3. Non-natal males changed troops after a tenure varying from 1 to 7 years. Survival curves showed a fall in survival rates of both sexes to < 0.5 between the ages of 2 and 3. For females, the survival rate gradually decreased to < 0.2 at the age of 9. On the other hand, due to emigration, the survival rate of males could not be determined after the age of 5 yr. Since some males attained high-rank at the age of 6 - 10 yr, the prime age for male ring-tailed lemurs is thought to be around 7 - 10 yr. Ring-tailed lemurs are essentially female philopatric, because all cases of females leaving natal troops resulted from troop divisions or forced evictions. Such social changes may have resulted from competition among females. All cases of troop divisions or evictions occurred in larger troops consisting of >or=20 lemurs, and only a few females could rejoin their troops. When males joined such a female-group, a new troop was formed. Although promoted by an increase in population, frequent emigrations of females from original troops are the characteristics of ring-tailed lemurs at Berenty.

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The birth process is an integral part of reproductive success in mammals, yet detailed, quantitative descriptions of parturition in nonhuman primates are still rare. Observations of free-ranging births can help to elucidate factors involved in this critical event, to contribute to our understanding of how maternal and infant behaviors during parturition affect infant survival and to explain the evolution of human birth. We provide data on the parturition behavior of 4 multiparous Japanese Int J Primatol (2010) 31:15-37

The birth rate and mortality rate of infants with congenital malformations of the limbs were examined in the Awajishima free‐ranging group of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Of the 606 infants born between 1978 and 1995, 86 (14.2%) were malformed. The male‐female ratio did not differ between malformed and normal infants. Most kin‐groups included females who gave birth to malformed infants at least once. The mortality rate within the first year after birth for malformed infants (28.2%) was significantly higher than that for normal infants (10.0%). However, this indicates that more than 70% of malformed infants were able to survive for the first year of life, even though they were unable to cling to their mothers ventrum due to their limb deformities. This finding indicates that maternal care‐taking is sufficient to enable malformed infants to survive during the early stages of development and that clinging by the infant is not necessary for the display of maternal care. Am. J. Primatol. 42:225–234, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

ABSTRACT. The behavioral development of a malformed male infant in a free-ranging Japanese monkey group, whose hands were completely missing and whose hind feet were distorted, was investigated during the first one year of life, by comparison with normal infants. In the first few weeks of life, the malformed infant was not able to move by himself and was almost completely dependent on his mother's help. He gradually became able to creep with his forelimb elbows and distorted hind feet at about the first month of life, and was able to walk bipedally on his hind feet, though unstably, after the sixth month of life. His locomotor ability, however, was essentially inferior to that of normal infants throughout the first one year of life. His social interactions with the group members were different from those of normal infants. Normal infants increased their interactions with sameaged infants or older juveniles through active behavior-like play, whereas the malformed infant developed relations particularly with adults through behavior such as passive body contact. The conditions for survival of the observed malformed infant are discussed.