Baboon sexual swellings: Information content of size and color

Higham, James P.; MacLarnon, Ann; Ross, Caroline; Heistermann, Michael; Semple, Stuart

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.019

Cited by 113 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…One potential signal is, e.g., the swelling size (Bielert and Van der Walt 1982;Deschner et al 2003Deschner et al , 2004Higham et al 2008). In chimpanzees, specifically, there seems to be some relationship between perineal swelling size and proximity to ovulation; however, these discrete changes do not provide enough information to deduce its exact timing, thereby allowing some room for paternity confusion and alpha male monopolization prevention (Deschner et al 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Copulation Calls in Female Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Convey Identity but Do Not Accurately Reflect Fertility

2011

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Copulation calls are a relatively common feature of female primate behavior thought to function in the advertisement of female receptivity and subsequent incitation of male-male competition. To date, the majority of work on copulation calling behavior has focused on various monkey species, with little empirical evidence from the great apes. Previous research on wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) has suggested that estrous females produce copulation calls to avoid monopolization by single males and to minimize competition from other females. We here extended these findings by investigating to what degree these social demands were reflected in the calls' acoustic structure. We recorded and acoustically analyzed 71 copulation call bouts from 6 adult female chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. We did not find any acoustic differences in calls given by females in fertile and nonfertile periods, as assessed by their hormonal profiles. However, the calls' acoustic structure did reliably encode identity cues of the calling female. We propose that, in chimpanzees, the use and morphology of copulation calls have jointly been shaped by the selective advantage of concealing fertility. Owing to the low visibility conditions associated with chimpanzees' natural forest habitat and their dispersed social system, providing identity cues may be of particular biological relevance for these nonhuman primates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Copulation Calls in Female Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Convey Identity but Do Not Accurately Reflect Fertility

2011

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“…The model simulations tracked the reproductive state of each female and recorded which female produced the largest sexual swelling on any one day. Because between-cycle variations of swelling size advertise betweencycle variations in fertility (Emery & Whitten 2003;Deschner et al 2004;Gesquiere et al 2007;Higham et al 2008), we assumed that the female with the largest swelling would be the most attractive to the dominant male between several maximally swollen females, since she would be signalling the highest fertility. We also assumed, following our data (see §3) and findings from earlier studies (e.g.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, recent studies have also indicated that larger swellings advertise higher fertility between different cycles of the same female (chimpanzees: Emery & Whitten 2003, Deschner et al 2004yellow baboons: Gesquiere et al 2007; olive baboons : Higham et al 2008). This may have important implications for the reliable-indicator hypothesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can fertility signals lead to quality signals? Insights from the evolution of primate sexual swellings

et al. 2009

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The sexual swellings of female primates have generated a great deal of interest in evolutionary biology. Two hypotheses recently proposed to elucidate their functional significance argue that maximal swelling size advertises either female fertility within a cycle or female quality across cycles. Published evidence favours the first hypothesis, and further indicates that larger swellings advertise higher fertility between cycles. If so, a male preference for large swellings might evolve, driving females to use swellings as quality indicators, as proposed by the second hypothesis. In this paper, we explore this possibility using a combination of empirical field data and mathematical modelling. We first test and find support for three key predictions of the female-quality hypothesis in wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus): (i) interindividual differences in swelling size are maintained across consecutive cycles, (ii) females in better condition have larger swellings and higher reproductive success, and (iii) males preferentially choose females with large swellings. We then develop an individual-based simulation model that indicates that females producing larger swellings can achieve higher mating success even when female-female competition is low and within-female variance in the trait is high. Taken together, our findings show that once sexual swellings have evolved as fertility signals, they might, in certain socio-sexual systems, be further selected to act as quality signals. These results, by reconciling two hypotheses, help to clarify the processes underlying sexual swelling evolution. More generally, our findings suggest that mate choice for direct benefits (fertility) can lead to indirect benefits (good genes).

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“…Neither facial nor anogenital colour are related to female rank in mandrills (Setchell et al, 2006a;Setchell & Wickings, 2004b), and the same is true for anogenital colour in baboons (Higham et al, 2008). Non-one has yet tested how female colour relates to testosterone.…”

Section: Female Colour and Dominance Rankmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Skin colour occurs on the face, anogenital area and paracallosal skin, as well as on the chest in gelada (Dixson, 2012). Most studies of skin colour in female primates have been conducted in the context of inter-sexual communication, and investigate variation with age (Altmann, 1973;Gauthier, 1999;Setchell & Wickings, 2004b;Strum & Western, 1982) or across the female reproductive cycle (e.g., Baulu, 1976;Bielert et al, 1976;Czaja et al, 1977;Dubuc et al, 2009;Dunbar and Dunbar, 1977;Fujita et al, 2004;Gauthier, 1999;Higham et al, 2008;Setchell et al, 2006a). Although these studies suggest that female colour contains information about female status, they do not contribute to our understanding of whether females use colour in a competitive context.…”

Section: Competition and Colour In Female Primatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color in competition contexts in non-human animals

Setchell¹

2015

Handbook of Color Psychology

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Baboon sexual swellings: Information content of size and color

Cited by 113 publications

References 43 publications

Copulation Calls in Female Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Convey Identity but Do Not Accurately Reflect Fertility

Copulation Calls in Female Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Convey Identity but Do Not Accurately Reflect Fertility

Can fertility signals lead to quality signals? Insights from the evolution of primate sexual swellings

Color in competition contexts in non-human animals

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