Identification of Male Status Based on Male Proximity Scores in Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra Desmarest 1822)

Abstract

Crested macaque (Macaca nigra) is critically endangered species as categorized by International Union for Conservation of Nature. Consortship is a common strategy in primates living in multimale-multifemale (MM-MF) groups. Consorting has been shown to significantly increase reproductive success and reproductive skew of males. Current theory and these limited qualitative observations suggest the hypothesis that following functions as a means for males to gain access to fertile females. The aim of this study was to investigate consort and follower status based on quantitative observation. The study was carried out on free-ranging crested macaques living on two habituated groups. Males were classified as either “consort males,” “followers,” and “non-followers” based on proximity maintanance every 15 minute uses scan sampling. Tactics used by followers were classified: 1) individual challenge, 2) coalitionary challenge, 3) abandoned takeover, and 4) opportunistic takeover. The proportion of successful takeovers by followers was calculated by dividing the number of takeovers by followers by the total number of observed takeovers. High-ranking male in a freeranging group consorting females was most frequently before the day of detumescence. Two tactics were used by both follower and non follower. The proportion of successful takeovers by followers was calculated by dividing the number of takeovers by followers by the total number of observed takeovers. The proportion of followers is higher than average on D-5 and earlier, D-4, and D-3. Only two of the four consort takeover tactics were used by followers (Figure 2). For abandoned, which made up 40% of consort takeovers tactic used by followers. Individual tactic which made up 11.5% of consort takeover tactic. Overall, 25.4% of consort takeovers were executed by males who were followers of the targeted consortships. This study contributes to our understanding of alternative mating strategies by examining a little studied alternative mating strategy in primates. This study provide the first quantitative data demonstrating that following is an alternative mating strategy in crested macaque (Macaca nigra).