Patterns of male dispersal in Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) at Kirindy Mitea National Park.

Abstract

Males of many group-living mammals emigrate from their social groups to improve mating opportunities. To help mitigate the social and locational costs of dispersal and to increase reproductive benefits, they may immigrate seasonally, immigrate alongside a partner, and/or replace the alpha male (versus entering a group as a subordinate). Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) are highly seasonally breeding primates characterized by male-biased dispersal. We hypothesized that (i) males time immigrations to pursue immediate mating opportunities, (ii) entrances with partners more often result in alpha male replacement, and (iii) male competitive ability affects immigration strategy and alpha male tenure length. To assess these proximate aspects of male dispersal, we examined 7 years of demographic, morphological, and behavioral data for five social groups of Verreaux's sifaka in the Kirindy Mitea National Park in western Madagascar. Contrary to expectations and studies of sifaka dispersal in other populations, we detected no strong seasonal pattern in immigrations. Immigrations occurred individually and with partners, and a trend existed for partners to increase the likelihood of replacing an alpha male. Pronounced activity of the sternal scent gland (a proxy for testosterone and prior dominance status), but not body mass, canine size, or potential correlates of leaping ability, significantly influenced immigration strategy. The absence of a seasonal immigration pattern suggests that fluid group boundaries may allow mating success without establishment in a social group before the mating season. Our results also suggest that male immigration strategies are affected by age, prior dominance status, and testosterone levels but not morphological indicators of individual competitive ability. Coalitions may be used to improve competitive ability. Finally, differences in seasonal immigration patterns and length of alpha male vacancies observed at Kirindy Mitea may be due to the relatively low population density. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22455, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.