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Behavioral and endocrine dynamics associated with infanticide in a black and white colobus monkey ( Colobus guereza )
Author(s) -
Harris Tara R.,
Monfort Steven L.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.10116
Subject(s) - white (mutation) , endocrine system , zoology , biology , primate , ecology , hormone , endocrinology , biochemistry , gene
Infanticide has been observed in several colobines, but only one infanticide has previously been documented for black and white colobus monkeys ( Colobus guereza ). This report describes an infanticide observed in Kibale National Park, Uganda, in the summer of 2001. An adult male from a neighboring group attacked and killed a young infant whose mother subsequently remained in her own group and was observed mating 10 days later. She engaged in two mating periods of several days each, separated by approximately 1 month, during which she copulated frequently with the dominant male within her group. Urinary estrogen (EC) and progesterone metabolite (PdG) excretion patterns demonstrated that the female resumed ovarian cycling soon after the infanticide. Because the infanticidal male did not attempt to mate with the victim's mother, his actions were not consistent with the predictions of the sexual‐selection hypothesis. We speculate that infanticide associated with intergroup aggression may help secure access to high‐quality resources for the infanticidal male's group. Am. J. Primatol. 61:135–142, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.