Models of social relationships help to explain how and why social groups form, are maintained, and vary across primate species. These models typically focus on the number of males present in a social group and whether males are cooperative or competitive with each other. This project investigates the social behavior, demography, hormones, and genealogy of a wild primate species to understand the causes and consequences of male social relationships. The project will support conservation efforts by contributing valuable knowledge about an endangered primate in a poorly understood habitat and exemplifying to local residents the economic value of conservation. The research will support a new generation of scientists and conservation professionals via employment and training opportunities. Undergraduate and graduate students will be involved in data collection and analysis, gaining hands-on research experience in the US and abroad, building their research toolkits, and honing their critical thinking skills. Additionally, the project will increase diversity in biological anthropology by creating mentoring opportunities for minority and first generation undergraduates. Notably, by including a high school teacher in the research, the project will improve K-12 scientific curriculum development.
Recent data from a greater diversity of species has led researchers to question aspects of standard primate behavior models. Although models of male social relationships have sought to incorporate the social diversity that is present among males, these models continue to struggle to explain why numerous primate populations exhibit both single-male and multi-male social groups, and to predict when these variable grouping patterns occur. Moreover, while male influences are incorporated into models of female social relationships, models of male social relationships often treat females as inert resources and rarely account for female influences. Verreaux's sifaka in Madagascar provides an excellent opportunity to investigate explanations of male association and bonding because the species is renowned for both the variable presence of multi-male groups and female dominance over males. This project will examine behavioral, demographic, genetic, health, hormone, and body size data from multiple social groups over multiple years using the latest analytical tools to test new and existing hypotheses, and to inform and develop a model of sifaka societies that accounts for dynamic long-term patterns. It will explore multiple new suggestions for how current models can be modified, including (1) a more expansive and nuanced model that moves beyond a simple cooperation-competition dichotomy, (2) a role for females in influencing male association patterns and social relationships, and (3) a shift from viewing the number of males in a group as stable for a species to a new emphasis on variable and dynamic grouping patterns.
