Few aspects of human and non-human primate behavior are so intriguing as the intense care of infants by fathers, and nowhere among primates is paternal care more extensive than among owl monkeys. Owl monkeys are small, arboreal neotropical primates who live in monogamous groups with only one reproducing male and one reproducing female. The father is the main provider of infant care, transporting, sharing food and grooming the infant more than the mother; paternal investment is exceptionally strong and apparent in this species. Research focused on these primates should inform our understanding of the functional and evolutionary significance of this distinctive reproductive system.
Since 1996, the Owl Monkey Project of Argentina has evaluated hypotheses to explain the evolution of social monogamy and infant care in primates. In this study, a team of investigators and students from the US and Argentina will evaluate the hypothesis that the functional significance of paternal care in owl monkeys relates to the bioenergetic benefits that the parenting couple accrues from the father's assistance. Taking a novel approach that combines research on both captive and wild owl monkeys, the team will gather data on foraging and activity patterns, body mass changes, energy intake, and hormones. The relevance of the study, which has the potential to transform how energetics are measured in the field, lies in contributing to the understanding of the role of males in societies that are characterized by a strong bond between partners and shared parental duties.
The study will expand the broad impacts of the Owl Monkey Project. As the only long-term research program on any mammal species in the Argentinean Gran Chaco, the project has multiplying effects on the conservation of this ecosystem and its fauna. It also promotes the development of young scientists and the discipline of biological anthropology through the participation over the years of more than 270 students (55% females, 45% males) from the US, Argentina and 14 other countries; student training and involvement in the research will further augment this strong record.
