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Social and endocrine factors in the establishment and maintenance of sociosexual relationships in Wied's black tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix kuhli)
Abstract
The present series of studies investigated the sociosexual relationships among breeding individuals from the primate family Callitrichidae, which form long-term social and sexual bonds. I investigated sociosexual behavior in the black tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix kuhli, to determine the relative contribution of behavioral and hormonal mechanisms to the formation and maintenance of relationships. Newly established heterosexual pairs exhibited disassociated patterns of social and sexual behavior. A sexual relationship between males and females was evident immediately upon pairing, whereas social bonds emerged more slowly. To examine mechanisms important in the maintenance of these relationships, I exposed well-established pairs to out-group conspecifics. Short-term exposure to male and female intruders led to increased rates of affiliative behavior on the part of pair mates, after the stranger was removed. Acute exposure to neighboring groups, however, yielded a different behaviors. Both male and female residents responded with elevated levels of agonistic and territorial behaviors. Additionally, males displayed behaviors indicative of mate guarding. Several factors important in the formation and maintenance of polyandrous groups were identified. Related males formed stable polyandrous group, while groups composed of unrelated males did not. Although quantifiable status differences existed between related males prior to group formation, once polyandrous groups were formed behavioral patterns and hormone profiles indicated that the female was the dominant individual. The temporal pattern of sexual behavior identified in pairs was also identified in polyandrous groups. In addition, female monitoring by males, proceptive displays by females and male mounts were elevated during the peri-ovulatory phase of the females' cycles. However, relative to the patterning of social behavior in pair groups of marmosets, frequencies of social behavior were depressed in polyandrous groups. The evidence from the present series of studies suggests that intra-pair behavioral mechanisms that deal with mutual attraction are important in the establishment of newly-formed pair and trios of marmosets. However, in well-established pairs it appears that hormonal status of individuals extra-pair behavioral mechanisms may serve to maintain bonds among male and female marmosets.
Subject Area
Psychobiology|Behaviorial sciences|Psychology|Experiments|Zoology
Recommended Citation
Schaffner, Colleen M, "Social and endocrine factors in the establishment and maintenance of sociosexual relationships in Wied's black tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix kuhli)" (1996). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9712525.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9712525