Dissertation Research: A Comparative Study of Two Species of Macaque in Central Sulawesi

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This is a fifteen month comparative study of the ecology and behavior of Macaca tonkeana and Macaca hecki in the narrow isthmus of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The isthmus averages only 35 km in width, and the ranges of these two species come into contact in this narrow area. The two species are morphologically very similar, previously having been classified as the same species. Differences between these two species have persisted despite the lack of geographical or climatic barriers to contact. This suggests that features of the ecology and behavior of the two species may serve as mechanisms to keep the two species distinct in an area of parapatry. The focus of this investigation will be to identify and examine these mechanisms. Knowledge of the presence or absence of ecological and behavioral separation between M. tonkeana and M. hecki will increase our understanding of the manner in which these two forms are maintained as distinct entities in an area of parapatry or possible sympatry. This study may contribute to new models for understanding and interpreting the maintenance, and ultimately, the creation of diversity in the genus Macaca and other closely related primates. The proposed research is relevant to attempts to understand general mechanisms of diversification in primates and other mammals.