Influence of fluctuation in the operational sex ratio to mating of troop and non-troop male Japanese macaques for four years on Kinkazan Island, Japan

Abstract

Taking advantage of a marked yearly fluctuation in the number of estrous females, I studied the differences in mating success between troop males and non-troop males in an unprovisioned group of Japanese macaques. Fluctuation in the defendability of estrous females by troop males, as predicted by the operational sex ratio (the number of estrous females per troop male), strongly affected the mating with ejaculation (successful mating) per observation day of both troop and non-troop males. When operational sex ratio was low, troop males monopolized successful mating inside the troop. No successful mating of non-troop males was observed inside the troop. In contrast, both troop and non-troop males were able to mate often inside the troop when operational sex ratio was high. These findings suggest that troop males obtained the benefit of secured successful mating in the troop because troop males could mate successfully even in mating seasons with a low operational sex ratio, and the chance of successful mating for non-troop males will increase as the ability of troop males to monopolize estrous females decreases.