Female-male social interactions in wedge-capped capuchin monkeys: benefits and costs of group living

Abstract

The relative importance of male and female dominance rank, age and other socio-demographic variables to female-male social interactions was examined for a wild population of wedge-capped capuchin monkeys, Cebus olivaceus, in Venezuela. Females groomed females more frequently than males but were equally aggressive to males and females. Females associated with the dominant male and groomed the dominant adult male more than subadult males. Females were most intolerant of middle-ranking subadult males and most female-male aggressive interactions involved these males. Female rank and male rank were the most important determinants of interactions initiated by females. During interactions initiated by males, ranks of male and female were not important. Social preference for the dominant male appears to reflect breeding preference; females do not improve access to resources or receive infant care as a result of this preference. Females may minimize the chance of infanticide by restricting social/breeding preference to the dominant male. Although subadult males represent a social cost to females, they may be tolerated because they are important for inter-group competition for resources.