A Comparative Study of Tolerance and Social Organization in Captive Lemurs

Abstract

The evolution of large, multimale primate groups from smaller family groups requires the evolution of higher levels of social tolerance. Relatively low tolerance towards conspecifics in social groups may be expressed in more dispersed spacing patterns, less frequent and intense grooming and higher agonistic interaction rates. I observed the social behavior of single troops of the closely related species Varecia variegata, which supposedly occur in small family groups, and Lemur fulvus and Lemur catta, which form multimale associations. The V. variegata group was significantly more dispersed than the other two groups. V. variegata also showed higher per capita levels of agonistic behavior and lower per capita levels of grooming behavior, as expressed in shorter and less frequent grooming bouts. This supports the few indications that wild V. variegata occur in smaller, perhaps family or extended family groups, as well as the prediction that species forming larger multimale associations like L. catta and L. fulvus have evolved higher degrees of social tolerance.