Abstract
We examined adult male-infant interactions in wild muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus), a species in which close relatedness among philopatric males and high paternity uncertainty should minimize both aggressive and affiliative behavior by males toward infants. As expected, male-infant interactions were extremely rare during this 10-month field study. None were observed in over 236 hr of observation on a cohort of six infants (0 – 13 months old). The 29 interactions observed ad lib involved 5 of the 6 infants and 9 of the 16 adult males in the group. All of the male-infant interactions were affiliative, but extremely brief. The median duration of interactions was only 0.33 min, and none lasted longer than 1.52 min. Infants always initiated, and nearly always terminated, their interactions with adult males. The indifference that appears to characterize muriqui male-infant interactions differs from the ways in which other male primates interact with infants when protection of genetic interests or investment in mating effort are involved.
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