ABSTRACT P.I. Robert Sussman/Thad Bartlett SBR - 9314804 Monogamy is relatively rare among our primate relatives, as well as mammals generally, and its determinants have not been clearly established. Typically, monogamy is argued to result when certain ecological constraints impinge - that in certain circumstances, males may be unable to monopolize more than one female, and ultimately, that males may not be able to control a sufficient resource base to support more than a single female and her dependent offspring. In larger Old World species, particularly gibbons, the argument has generally been that monogamy is a response to their dependence on small scattered resources that are presumably unbable to support larger social groups. However, there is a paucity of information on gibbon foraging behavior in relation to resouce availability, partially because most of the data have been collected in equatorial rain forests where there is little seasonality of resources, and plant diversity is high. This study will take place in a simpler habitat, with distinct wet and dry seasons, where gross changes in food availability will be more apparent, and where monitoring the variation in food resources can be related to ranging and social behaviors of the gibbons. It will permit a clear evaluation of current hypotheses concerning the interrelationship between resource distribution and social structure. This study will be supported partially by a Fulbright award. *** Panthrojfried9314804.abs ~ Z _ | ~ ! ! ! ! D ~ ~ ( Times New Roman Symbol & Arial " h F eG e = Jonathan Friedlaender Jonathan Friedlaender
