Female infanticide and female-directed lethal targeted aggression in a group of ring-tailed lemurs (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Lemur catta&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;)

Klara Kittler,Silvio Dietzel

doi:10.5194/pb-3-41-2016

Abstract

Abstract. We report on extremely rare events of lethal aggression in a semi-captive group of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) during the birth season 2014. This aggression was targeted against the two highest-ranking females. It led to their eviction from the group and following a final aggressive interaction four days later to their deaths caused by almost all the females and probably even two males of their former group. These events of targeted aggression erupted initially following an infanticide by the highest-ranking female directed at the offspring of a subordinate. Even for ring-tailed lemurs this is a very special case of changeover of power between two different matrilines in a group. In accordance with other studies we suggest that these events of targeted aggression were based on the growing group size and were acts of female reproductive competition during birth season. With the intensity of the events we add new aspects to the existing knowledge of aggressive interactions in ring-tailed lemurs.

Highlights

Intraspecific aggression with lethal outcome among primates is essentially limited to infanticide and usually conducted by males (Hrdy, 1977; Bartlett et al, 1993; reviewed in van Schaik, 2000)
We summarize the events of the infanticide and the following lethal targeted aggression in their chronological order
Episodes of female targeted aggression and group evictions have already been reported for members of different matrilines, in both captive and wild groups, and the majority happened during birth season (e.g. Vick and Pereira, 1989; Pereira, 1993; Jolly et al, 2000; Ichino, 2006; Ichino and Koyama, 2006)

Summary

Introduction

Intraspecific aggression with lethal outcome among primates is essentially limited to infanticide and usually conducted by males (Hrdy, 1977; Bartlett et al, 1993; reviewed in van Schaik, 2000). Most of the few observed cases have happened in wild chimpanzees (Fawcett and Muhumuza, 2000; Watts, 2004), but killing of adult group members has been reported for capuchin and spider monkeys (Gros-Louis et al, 2003; Valero et al, 2006). In all these reported cases of lethal intragroup aggression the victims were either young or peripheral males. The rare event of a female-led coalitionary attack on another female was recently reported from Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii; Marzec et al, 2016), which emphasizes the leverage females have over males

Methods

Results

Conclusion