Journal
PRIMATES
Volume 63, Issue 2, Pages 123-136Publisher
SPRINGER JAPAN KK
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00971-1
Keywords
Pan paniscus; Female transfer; Social integration; Partner preference; Codominance hierarchy; Wamba
Categories
Funding
- Research Center for Ecology and Forestry
- Leading Graduate Program in Primatology and Wildlife Science of Kyoto University
- Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science [17J01336]
- National Geographic Foundation for Science and Exploration [Asia 38-16]
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [17J01336] Funding Source: KAKEN
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Intergroup transfer is a critical part of the life history of group-living species. Immigrant female bonobos integrate into new groups through forming affiliative relationships with resident females. However, there is limited research on immigration costs and strategies for female bonobos.
Intergroup transfer is a critical part of the life history of group-living species, with considerable variation in its timings and patterns among species. Immigrant female bonobos are documented to smoothly integrate into a new group through forming affiliative relationships with old, high-ranking resident females (Idani, Folia Primatol 57:83-95, 1991). However, only a few studies are available on immigration costs and strategies for female bonobos. Here, we compared social relationships of natal females (known to be 4.5-7.2 years old) and immigrant females (estimated to be 6.8-12.3 years old) from one bonobo group at Wamba in the Luo Scientific Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Similar to previous studies, resident females did not appear to spatially isolate immigrant females or act aggressively toward them. However, resident males were more frequently aggressive toward immigrant females than toward natal females. Both natal and immigrant females tended to groom high-ranking females more than middle- and low-ranking females, although immigrant females spent more time grooming unrelated females than natal females. Immigrant females did not exhibit rank-related partner preference for genito-genital rubbing and copulation. Although we did not control for age differences because of the small sample size, our results provide partial support for the hypothesis that old female bonobos are important partners for the successful integration of young females into an unfamiliar group. This strategy could explain why female bonobos disperse before reaching sexual maturity, which contrasts with the need for female chimpanzees to display sexual swellings and draw male interest as protection against aggression from resident females.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available