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Social dominance and reproductive behavior in male rhesus monkeys
Author(s) -
Suarez Brian,
Ackerman D. R.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330350209
Subject(s) - dominance (genetics) , biology , primate , allele , demography , animal model , reproductive success , zoology , ecology , genetics , population , gene , sociology , endocrinology
Altmann's model describing the relationship of social dominance to breeding behavior in some non‐human primate species has been tested using data from the Cayo Santiago rhesus colony. Although some of the model's assumptions are clearly not met by field observations, a good fit is often found for groups containing relatively few sexually mature, non‐pregnant females. It is suggested that genetic change could be rapid under conditions described by this model. It is estimated that a “beneficial mutation” could spread through all the breeding males in as little as six generations regardless of group size. The speed at which an allele can spread through the group is discussed in terms of the mean length of female receptivity.