Linked Life Data

11747562

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11747562

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1484
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-12-18
pubmed:abstractText
Ovarian cycles in catarrhine primates are uniquely characterized by prolonged periods of sexual activity in which the timings of ovulation and copulation do not necessarily correspond. According to current hypotheses of primate social evolution, extended sexuality in multi-male groups might represent part of a female strategy to confuse paternity in order to reduce the risk of infanticide by males. We test this hypothesis by examining mating behaviour in relation to timing of ovulation and paternity outcome in a multi-male group of free-living Hanuman langurs. Using faecal progestogen measurements, we first document that female langurs have extended receptive periods in which the timing of ovulation is highly variable. Next, we demonstrate the capacity for paternity confusion by showing that ovulation is concealed from males and that copulations progressively decline throughout the receptive phase. Finally, we demonstrate multiple paternity, and show that despite a high degree of monopolization of receptive females by the dominant male, non-dominant males father a substantial proportion of offspring. We believe that this is the first direct evidence that extended periods of sexual activity in catarrhine primates may have evolved as a female strategy to confuse paternity.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0962-8452
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
7
pubmed:volume
268
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2445-51
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-9-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Loss of oestrus, concealed ovulation and paternity confusion in free-ranging Hanuman langurs.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. mheiste@gwdg.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't