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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Variance in the male reproductive success of western gorillas: Acquiring females is just the beginning
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Volume 64, No. 4, Year 2010
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Description
Variance in male reproductive success is expected to be high in sexually dimorphic mammals, even when it is modulated by the costs and benefits of group living. Here, we investigate the variance in reproductive success of male western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), a highly dimorphic primate with long-term male-female associations, using 12.5 years of data collected at Mbeli Bai in northern Congo. Access to mates and offspring survival were both major sources of variance in male reproductive success. Males with larger harems had lower offspring mortality with no apparent reduction in female fertility or observed tenure length, so the size of harems did not seem to be limited by female feeding competition or by the risk of takeovers and infanticide by outsider males. The lower mortality in larger harems may reflect improved vigilance against predators, and females may cluster around males that enhance offspring survival. Thus, this study illustrates how a detailed analysis of the components of male reproductive success can shed light on the interrelated social and ecological aspects that affect it. © 2009 The Author(s).
Authors & Co-Authors
Breuer, Thomas
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Congo, Brazzaville
Wildlife Conservation Society
Robbins, Andrew M.
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Olejniczak, Claudia
United States, St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Parnell, Richard J.
United States, New York
Wildlife Conservation Society
Stokes, Emma J.
United States, New York
Wildlife Conservation Society
Robbins, Martha M.
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Statistics
Citations: 44
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s00265-009-0867-6
ISSN:
03405443
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Sexual And Reproductive Health
Study Locations
Congo
Participants Gender
Male
Female