Allocare in a Nocturnal Primate: Data on the Spectral Tarsier, Tarsius spectrum

Abstract

Non-maternal infant care in many of the small-bodied New World primate species has been hypothesized by some researchers to be related to the high infant/adult weight ratio found in these species. The spectral tarsier, Tarsius spectrum, an Old World primate, has one of the highest infant/adult weight ratios of any primate, with infants weighing between 20–33% of adult weight at birth. On the basis of the hypothesized relationship between allocare and the infant/adult weight ratio, it is predicted that the spectral tarsier will also exhibit extensive allocaretaking behaviour. The results of this study indicate that although spectral tarsiers show care by male and female subadults as well as adult males, it is extremely limited compared to the extensive allocaretaking behavior observed in New World primate species such as Aotus and Callicebus. Spectral tarsier subadult females provide substantially more allocare to infants than do subadult males or adult males. Female subadults were observed sharing food, transporting, grooming, playing, alarm calling, baby-sitting and maintaining physical contact with infants more than other age/sex classes. Although the amount of allocare exhibited by adult males and subadult males was much less than that exhibited by female subadults, the data suggest that adult and subadult male spectral tarsiers do play a small part in the care and socialization of the infant. Adult males and subadult males were both observed occasionally engaging in allocaretaking behaviors such as grooming and playing, as well as frequently patrolling and defending the territory’s boundaries. The results from this study suggest that although a high infant/adult weight ratio may be a prerequisite for selection to favor extensive allocare, it is not a causal factor. Additional research is needed in order to understand better the selective pressures involved and the costs and benefits of providing allocare to subadults and adult male spectral tarsiers.

Characterizing alloparental care in the pilot whale (Globicephala melas) population that summers off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

“…This happens in some other species, such as killer whales (Bigg et al . ), bottlenose dolphins (Lusseau ), Atlantic spotted dolphins ( Stenella frontalis , Weinpress and Herzing ), spectral tarsiers ( Tarsius tarsier , Gursky ), and black snub‐nosed monkeys ( Rhinopithecus bieti , Xiang et al . ).…”

When Dads Help: Male Behavioral Care During Primate Infant Development

“…Tarsiers are quite small primates (ca. 100 g) that produce single infants who weigh as much as 22% of the mother's body mass at birth (Gursky 2000 ) . Like titi and owl monkeys, tarsiers are predominantly pair-living, though not as exclusively as the former two taxa.…”

“…Like titi and owl monkeys, tarsiers are predominantly pair-living, though not as exclusively as the former two taxa. Care behavior is occasionally shown by subadults of both sexes and adult males, but it is the subadult females that are most involved (Gursky 2000 ) . Care takes mainly the form of grooming, playing, and staying in proximity to the infant, but only rarely of carrying it, since infants are usually parked.…”

Introducing an innovative semi‐captive environment for the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)

“…While it would be inappropriate to make sweeping generalizations on mating systems and social organization on the basis of data collected in this study, we found a marked difference in behavior between captive and wild T. syrichta. In captivity, T. syrichta exhibited some level of limited allocare, similar to that shown by T. spectrum [Gursky, 2000]. In contrast, previous studies of wild groups showed that this species either exhibits monogamy or some level of a noyau mating system [Neri-Arboleda, 2001].…”