To determine nutritional and social influences on life history traits and mating behavior in female langur monkeys, new long-term data for a feral population living in multi-male groups under poor nutritional conditions are presented and compared with published long-term data for the same species living in one-male groups under excellent nutritional conditions. Under poor nutritional conditions, conceptions were confined to 5 months per year, coinciding with the period of the highest mating activity. Age at first parturition, gestation periods, lactation periods, and interbirth intervals were all significantly increased resulting in a more than 50% reduced reproductive rate under poor conditions. The pattern of sexual behavior during gestation was influenced by neither nutritional nor social conditions but the frequency was higher in multi-male groups. Furthermore, estrus length was significantly increased in multi-male groups where females tended to mate with as many resident males as available. Both phenomena, together with a high percentage of sexual behavior occurring outside the mid-cycle estrus, are interpreted in the light of paternity confusion in multi-male groups in a species where infanticide by males is regularly observed. The extreme variation in life history traits and mating patterns disclosed here in one species suggests that future cross-species comparisons should strictly select datasets based on local ecological and social conditions.
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Similar content being viewed by others Explore related subjectsDiscover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning. Author information Authors and AffiliationsDepartment of Ethology and Ecology, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany, , , , ,
Carola Borries & Andreas Koenig
Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University, Buergerstraße 50, 37073 Goettingen, Germany, , , , ,
Paul Winkler
Electronic Publication
About this article Cite this articleBorries, C., Koenig, A. & Winkler, P. Variation of life history traits and mating patterns in female langur monkeys (Semnopithecus entellus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 50, 391–402 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650100391
Received: 22 September 2000
Revised: 12 May 2001
Accepted: 05 June 2001
Issue Date: October 2001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650100391
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