The Ecology of Female Dominance in Three Prosimian Primates in Southeastern Madagascar

在灵长类动物中，狐猴传统上被认为是独一无二的，因为雌性可以支配雄性（被称为雌性统治）。最近，狐猴中雌性优势的普遍性受到了质疑，尽管迄今为止还没有对野生种群的这种行为进行系统的研究。因此，本研究的目的是回答以下问题：1)雄性和雌性生殖策略如何影响雌性优势和雌性捕食优先的表达？， 2)在没有雌性优势的情况下，雌性优先取食是否存在？3)在缺乏或与雌性优势和喂养优先相结合的情况下，个体是否可以使用其他行为策略来影响其觅食效率？4)这些行为是否可以被认为是觅食优先的类型；5)环境约束（特别是生态压力）和雄性顺从如何共同影响雌性优势、觅食优先的表达，以及/或提高觅食效率的替代方法。这些问题将通过在Ranomafana国家公园对三种濒危灵长类动物（vareccia variegata， prothecus diadema edwardsi和Eulemur fulvus rufus）的摄食生态和行为进行为期三年半的研究来回答。这项研究有几个重要的含义。主要目的是：a)测试关于狐猴雌性优势和喂养优先关系的具体预测；b)开发方法，记录雌性灵长类动物通过非攻击性手段影响其喂养生态的微妙方式，以响应生殖需求和食物的季节性变化。这项研究有可能通过挑战现有的范式，以更广泛的方式为灵长类动物学做出贡献，这些范式依赖于对优势等级的狭隘定义，以识别在社会群体中具有社会和生态影响的个体。事实上，在最近的人类人类学研究中，研究人员强调，地位和声望的概念可以被认为是不同于支配地位的实体。在男性主导的人类社会中，女性仍然可以在公共或私人领域拥有权力和声望。虽然权力和威望的文化概念不适用于非人类灵长类动物，但雌性可以以微妙的方式影响社会动态和觅食效率的概念应该在非人类灵长类动物中得到更仔细的研究，特别是如果这些行为显著影响生存能力和繁殖成功率。本项目假设雄性和雌性的交配策略以及雌性在繁殖时所经历的生态压力共同影响了雌性优势性、觅食优先性和/或提高觅食效率的替代策略的表达。这些可选择的策略包括在食物选择和群体运动协调方面的两性差异。为了验证这一假设，将收集每个狐猴物种在不同繁殖阶段和食物可得期的至少两个研究组的行为和生态数据。

Within the order Primates, lemurs have traditionally been considered to be unique in that females can be dominant to males (referred to as female dominance). Recently the universality of female dominance among lemurs has been questioned although there have been no systematic studies of this behavior to date on wild populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: 1) how do male and female reproductive strategies influence the expression of female dominance and female feeding priority?, 2) can female feeding priority exist in the absence of female dominance?; 3) are there alternative behavioral strategies that individuals can use to influence their foraging efficiency in the absence of or in conjunction with female dominance and feeding priority?, 4) can these behaviors be considered types of feeding priority, and 5) how do environmental constraints (specifically ecological stress) and male deference work together to influence the expression of female dominance, feeding priority, and/or alternative ways to increase foraging efficiency. These questions will be answered by examining the feeding ecology and behavior of three endangered species of primate (Varecia variegata, Propithecus diadema edwardsi and Eulemur fulvus rufus) in the Ranomafana National Park over a three and a half year period. This research has several important implications. The main objectives are: a) to test specific predictions regarding the relationship of female dominance and feeding priority in lemurs; and b) develop methods that can document the subtle ways female primates influence their feeding ecology through non-aggressive means in response to reproductive demands and seasonal changes in food. This research has the potential to contribute in a broader way to primatology by challenging existing paradigms that rely on a narrow definition of a dominance hierarchy to identify individuals who have social and ecological influence within social groups. In fact in recent anthropological studies on humans, researchers emphasize that the concepts of status and prestige can be considered distinct entities from dominance. In human societies that are male dominant, females can still have power and prestige in public or private domains. Although the cultural concepts of power and prestige are not appropriate to non-human primates, the concept that females can behave in subtle ways that influence social dynamics and foraging efficiency should be examined more carefully in non-human primates, particularly if these behaviors significantly impact survivability and reproductive success.It is assumed in this project that male and female mating strategies in addition to the ecological stress experienced by females when reproductive, work together to influence the expression of female dominance, feeding priority, and/or alternative strategies to improve foraging efficiency. These alternative strategies include intersexual differences in food selection and coordination of group movements. To test this hypothesis, behavioral and ecological data will be collected on at least two study groups of each lemur species during different reproductive phases and food availability periods.