Demographic and reproductive patterns in moustached tamarin monkeys (Saguinus mystax): Implications for reconstructing platyrrhine mating systems

Abstract

In this paper we address a series of questions concerning reproductive opportunities, kinship, dispersal, and mating patterns in free‐ranging moustached tamarin monkeys (Saguinus mystax). Between 1980 and 1990 information on group size, composition, and migration patterns was collected on marked groups of moustached tamarins inhabiting Padre Isla, an island in the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. In 1990, 86% of 114 animals residing in 16 social groups were trapped, examined, and released. Mean group size was 7.0, including 2.2 adult males and 2.0 adult females. None of these groups was characterized by a single adult male‐female pair. In groups with more than one adult female, only the oldest female produced offspring. An examination of dispersal patterns indicates that transfers between groups were common and fell into several categories, including immigration of individual males and females, simultaneous transfer of pairs of subadult and/or adult males (sometimes relatives) into the same social groups, and group fissioning in which males and females of the splinter group join another small social group. We have no unambiguous cases of 2 adult/subadult females migrating together into the same social group. All 6 groups for which reproductive data were available were characterized by either a polyandrous or polygynous (polygyandrous) mating pattern. The results of this study indicate that moustached tamarins reside in small multimale multifemale groups that are likely to contain both related and unrelated adult group members. Kinship and social ties among males appear to be stronger and more longlasting than kinship and social ties among females. We contend that the modal mating system of moustached and many other tamarins is not monogamous, and offer the possibility that cooperative infant care and mating system flexibility in callitrichines evolved from a polygynous mating pattern. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Darting Primates in the Field: A Review of Reporting Trends and a Survey of Practices and Their Effect on the Primates Involved

“…For arboreal primates, however, the findings suggest that researchers should fully consider alternatives to darting, such as traps (Jolly et al 2011). Traps have been used successfully for arboreal primates and may be safer and more efficient, capturing larger numbers of animals more quickly Garber et al 1993;Monteiro et al 2007;Oliveira and Dietz 2011;Rocha et al 2007;Savage et al 1993). Traps, however, also involve risk (Brett et al 1982) and in some situations they are time-consuming and unfeasible (FernandezDuque and Rotundo 2003).…”

Interspecific Variation of Scent-Marking Behaviour in Wild Tamarins, Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis

“…commun.]. Dispersal is by members of both sexes [45,46]. Nothing is known, however, of the genetic structure of tamarin populations and whether differences exist between S. mystax and S. fuscicollis.…”

Non-random association of opsin alleles in wild groups of red-bellied tamarins ( Saguinus labiatus ) and maintenance of the colour vision polymorphism

“…Hair samples for genetic analysis were plucked from a total of 47 animals. Animals were classified into age categories based on developmental stage, dental eruption and dental wear (Neyman 1977;Garber et al 1993).…”