What does variation in primate behavior mean?

Abstract

Interest in intraspecific behavioral variation has grown with concerns about the ability of primates to adapt to the rapidly changing ecological and demographic conditions that threaten their survival. Now, in addition to identifying the causes and phylogenetic distribution of normative, species-specific behavior patterns for interspecific comparisons, there is widespread recognition of the need to incorporate intraspecific variation. This variation is evident across groups and populations of the same species as well over the long histories of single groups of long-lived, socially complex animals with overlapping generations. Yet, analyses of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data require explicit criteria about how to classify and interpret behavioral variation, and must be sensitive to the limitations of space-for-time substitutions in these comparisons. Current approaches have made great advances, but there remains an urgent challenge of understanding intraspecific variation in a way that will facilitate the development of new predictive models to assess population resilience and extinction risks in the face of climate change and other anthropogenic influences.behavioral flexibility, behavioral plasticity, comparative methods, conservation, intraspecific variation

The evolution of pair‐living, sexual monogamy, and cooperative infant care: Insights from research on wild owl monkeys, titis, sakis, and tamarins

“…Now, it is undoubtedly true that more natural history data on wild populations of pair‐living species from across the primate radiation could potentially help this situation, and we would love to see granting agencies commit to supporting more long‐term natural historical research on little studied and, especially, at‐risk primate taxa. Additionally, it would be valuable to also collect information on flexibility and variability in grouping patterns, social structure, mating behavior, female ranging patterns, and levels of male care in these taxa (Strier, , ). Such variation within pair‐living (e.g., owl monkeys and titi monkeys, and to a lesser extent sakis, but not tamarins) and sexually monogamous species (e.g., owl monkeys and possibly titi monkeys, less likely sakis, but again not tamarins) is rarely considered in broad‐based comparative studies, where the need to distill information on traits of interest for a particular taxon to single data points can compromise confidence in an analysis and its results (Patterson et al, ; Sandel et al, ).…”

Variation in the social organization of gorillas: Life history and socioecological perspectives

“…Furthermore, male–male competition for access to females, both within and between groups, may limit or favor the formation of multimale groups . In addition to interspecies differences in social organization, socioecological theory has also been used to explain variation within species . In particular, there are species in all primate taxa that vary in the proportion of social groups that are one‐male and multimale (e.g., Verreaux's sifaka, Phayre's leaf monkeys, hamadryas baboons, ursine colobus monkeys, hanuman langurs, black howler monkeys, and mountain gorillas).…”

“…9 In addition to interspecies differences in social organization, socioecological theory has also been used to explain variation within species. [10][11][12][13] In particular, there are species in all primate taxa that vary in the proportion of social groups that are one-male and multimale (e.g., Verreaux's sifaka, 14 Phayre's leaf monkeys, 15 hamadryas baboons, 16 ursine colobus monkeys, 17 hanuman langurs, 18 black howler monkeys, 19 and mountain gorillas 20 ). In a critical review of primate socioecology, Clutton-Brock and Janson 21 recommend that to understand variability in within-species and between-species grouping patterns researchers should consider how feeding competition and predation interact with variation in reproductive strategies and life history parameters of both sexes.…”

Primate social behavior

“…After a remarkable expansion in primate behavioral and ecological studies over the past half‐century, we have reached an exciting new threshold of understanding about the range of flexible behavioral patterns that primates exhibit in response to local ecological and demographic conditions. This understanding is poised to lead to the development of new dynamic comparative models that encompass both interspecific and intraspecific variation in primate behavioral ecology, and thus will provide insights into primate social evolution and adaptive potential (Strier, ). At the same time, however, we are facing an impending crisis.…”