Predation has been invoked as a strong selective pressure on many aspects of primate behavior. This project proposes to expand our understanding of predation as a selective pressure on primate behavioral patterns by investigating the relationship between habitat structure and anti-predator behavior in sympatric vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) and patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) in Laikipia, Kenya. Despite being closely related, similar in body size, and sharing the same community of predators, vervets and patas monkeys appear to differ in their responses to perceived risk of predation in many ways, including their choice of sleeping sites, the behavior of mothers and infants in the presence of predators, and their escape tactics. These differences are hypothesized to be due to differences in the structure of the habitat used by each species; including use of different tree species, and differences in tree height and density of grass cover. This hypothesis will be examined through quantitative measurement of habitat structure, including tree height and grass height and density, and by observation of 1) the animals' responses to predators, 2) responses to naturally occurring alarm calls given by other monkeys, and 3) responses to pre-recorded alarm calls of monkeys that are played back to them in a controlled, experimental design. The results of this project promise to elevate our understanding of predation as a selective pressure on primate behavior, and to assist in reconstructing the behavioral ecology of early, sympatric hominids.
