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“Monogamy” in Primates: Variability, Trends, and Synthesis: Introduction to special issue on Primate Monogamy
Author(s) -
DíazMuñoz Samuel L.,
Bales Karen L.
Publication year - 2016
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.22463
Subject(s) - primate , mating system , mating , biology , evolutionary biology , term (time) , ecology , psychology , physics , quantum mechanics
This paper is the introduction to a special issue on “‘Monogamy' in Primates: Variability, Trends, and Synthesis.” The term “monogamy” has undergone redefinition over the years, and is now generally understood to refer to certain social characteristics rather than to genetic monogamy. However, even the term “social monogamy” is used loosely to refer to species which exhibit a spectrum of social structures, mating patterns, and breeding systems. Papers in this volume address key issues including whether or not our definitions of monogamy should change in order to better represent the social and mating behaviors that characterize wild primates; whether or not primate groups traditionally considered monogamous are actually so (by any definition); ways in which captive studies can contribute to our understanding of monogamy; and what selective pressures might have driven the evolution of monogamous and non‐monogamous single female breeding systems. Am. J. Primatol. 78:283–287, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.