Estrus cycle asynchrony in wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Matsumoto‐Oda, Akiko; Hamai, Miya; Hayaki, Hitosige; Hosaka, Kazuhiko; Hunt, Kevin D.; Kasuya, Eiiti; Kawanaka, Kenji; Mitani, John C.; Takasaki, Hiroyuki; Takahata, Yukio

doi:10.1007/s00265-006-0287-9

Cited by 29 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Such an effect was reported for humans (Stern and McClintock, 1998) and has been inferred in earlier studies reporting synchrony in humans (Weller and Weller, 1993). However, other studies or re-analysis of previous studies, have found no evidence of cycle synchrony in humans (Schank, 2001b; Strassmann, 1999; Whitten, 1999; Wilson, 1987, 1992), non-human primates (chimpanzee: (Matsumoto-Oda et al, 2007); Mandrill: (Setchell et al, 2011); macaque (Furtbauer et al, 2011)), rats (Schank, 2001a) or hamsters (Schank, 2000). It might be that cycle synchrony occurs only in very restricted and contextually-specific circumstances (McClintock, 2002) but, on balance, the evidence suggests that ovarian synchrony does not exist as a biologically meaningful phenomenon (Schank, 2001b, 2006).…”

Section: Ovulation Induction (Whitten Effect; (Whitten Et Al 1968))mentioning

confidence: 85%

Chemosignals, hormones and mammalian reproduction

Petrulis

2013

Hormones and Behavior

120

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Many mammalian species use chemosignals to coordinate reproduction by altering the physiology and behavior of both sexes. Chemosignals prime reproductive physiology so that individuals become sexually mature and active at times when mating is most probable and suppress it when it is not. Once in reproductive condition, odors produced and deposited by both males and females are used to find and select individuals for mating. The production, dissemination and appropriate responses to these cues are modulated heavily by organizational and activational effects of gonadal sex steroids and thereby intrinsically link chemical communication to the broader reproductive context. Many compounds have been identified as “pheromones” but very few have met the expectations of that term: a unitary, species-typical substance that is both necessary and sufficient for an experience-independent behavioral or physiological response. In contrast, most responses to chemosignals are dependent or heavily modulated by experience, either in adulthood or during development. Mechanistically, chemosignals are perceived by both main and accessory (vomeronasal) olfactory systems with the importance of each system tied strongly to the nature of the stimulus rather than to the response. In the central nervous system, the vast majority of responses to chemosignals are mediated by cortical and medial amygdala connections with hypothalamic and other forebrain structures. Despite the importance of chemosignals in mammals, many details of chemical communication differ even among closely related species and defy clear categorization. Although generating much research and public interest, strong evidence for the existence of a robust chemical communication among humans is lacking.

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Section: Ovulation Induction (Whitten Effect; (Whitten Et Al 1968))mentioning

confidence: 85%

Chemosignals, hormones and mammalian reproduction

Petrulis

2013

Hormones and Behavior

120

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“…Since female‐female aggression correlates with the number of females in oestrus, but not with the number of males in the group, this suggests that female bonobos may compete for sperm from specific males. In chimpanzees, there is also evidence that females who harass mating pairs are themselves in oestrus (Nishida, 1979; Niemeyer & Anderson, 1983); moreover, female chimpanzees apparently avoid synchronizing their oestrus, which may be an adaptation to reduce competition for limited sperm (Matsumoto‐Oda et al , 2007). However, it is important to note that although competition for sperm may well explain female behaviour in these examples, other explanations cannot necessarily be ruled out.…”

Section: Why Do Female Mammals Compete For Access To Mates?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Female competition and its evolutionary consequences in mammals

2011

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Following Darwin's original insights regarding sexual selection, studies of intrasexual competition have mainly focused on male competition for mates; by contrast, female reproductive competition has received less attention. Here, we review evidence that female mammals compete for both resources and mates in order to secure reproductive benefits. We describe how females compete for resources such as food, nest sites, and protection by means of dominance relationships, territoriality and inter-group aggression, and by inhibiting the reproduction of other females. We also describe evidence that female mammals compete for mates and consider the ultimate causes of such behaviour, including competition for access to resources provided by mates, sperm limitation and prevention of future resource competition. Our review reveals female competition to be a potentially widespread and significant evolutionary selection pressure among mammals, particularly competition for resources among social species for which most evidence is currently available. We report that female competition is associated with many diverse adaptations, from overtly aggressive behaviour, weaponry, and conspicuous sexual signals to subtle and often complex social behaviour involving olfactory signalling, alliance formation, altruism and spite, and even cases where individuals appear to inhibit their own reproduction. Overall, despite some obvious parallels with male phenotypic traits favoured under sexual selection, it appears that fundamental differences in the reproductive strategies of the sexes (ultimately related to parental investment) commonly lead to contrasting competitive goals and adaptations. Because female adaptations for intrasexual competition are often less conspicuous than those of males, they are generally more challenging to study. In particular, since females often employ competitive strategies that directly influence not only the number but also the quality (survival and reproductive success) of their own offspring, as well as the relative reproductive success of others, a multigenerational view ideally is required to quantify the full extent of variation in female fitness resulting from intrasexual competition. Nonetheless, current evidence indicates that the reproductive success of female mammals can also be highly variable over shorter time scales, with significant reproductive skew related to competitive ability. Whether we choose to describe the outcome of female reproductive competition (competition for mates, for mates controlling resources, or for resources per se) as sexual selection depends on how sexual selection is defined. Considering sexual selection strictly as resulting from differential mating or fertilisation success, the role of female competition for the sperm of preferred (or competitively successful) males appears particularly worthy of more detailed investigation. Broader definitions of sexual selection have recently been proposed to encompass the impact on reproduction of competition for resources other than...

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“…Some suggested benefits of promiscuity are confusing paternity and avoiding infanticide (Hrdy 1979;van Noordwijk and van Schaik 2000; van Schaik et al 2000), enhancing high-quality genes through male-male and sperm competition (Clutton-Brock and Harvey 1976;Edvardsson et al 2007), and increasing the probability of fertilization (Burley 1989;Small 1990). Costs of promiscuity are energy and time (Beach 1976;Matsumoto-Oda and Oda 1998;Wrangham 1979), female-female competition (Matsumoto-Oda et al 2007), and male sexual coercion (Muller et al 2007;Smuts and Smuts 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Female Mate Preferences Among Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii of Kanyawara, Kibale National Park, Uganda

Pieta

2008

Int J Primatol

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Studies of reproduction among chimpanzees traditionally have focused on the mating strategies of males. However, less is known about the mating strategies of female chimpanzees and whether they demonstrate mate choice. I investigated sexual behavior and female mate preference in the chimpanzees of the Kanyawara community. To estimate mate preferences, I analyzed female proceptivity and resistance rates of 6 estrous females toward a total of 13 males as well as male solicitation and aggression rates toward females. Males solicited some females more often than others for mating and preferred them throughout estrus, not only during the periovulatory period (POP), when conception was most likely. In contrast, though females had strong mate preferences in both non-POP and POP, their mate preferences were not consistent between the 2 phases. The shift in mate preferences is evidence of a promiscuous yet tactical mating strategy to confuse paternity. Further, females were more proceptive and generally less resistant toward eschewed males in non-POP and more proceptive and less resistant toward preferred males in POP. Hence, the results indicate that females attempted to mate selectively during the fertile phase. Kanyawara female chimpanzees appear to change their mating strategies and selectivity during estrus and thus may pursue a mixed reproductive strategy. The tactic may allow females to deceive males, indicating that promiscuity among chimpanzee females may be more strategic than previously thought.

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Estrus cycle asynchrony in wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Cited by 29 publications

References 42 publications

Chemosignals, hormones and mammalian reproduction

Chemosignals, hormones and mammalian reproduction

Female competition and its evolutionary consequences in mammals

Female Mate Preferences Among Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii of Kanyawara, Kibale National Park, Uganda

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