Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Analysis of Behavioral Flexibility and Intra-Group Feeding Competition in the Sanje Mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei), Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania

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Results from this study contribute to a better understanding of behavioral flexibility and spatial dimensions of social behavior, and will add considerably to the limited knowledge of wild Cercocebus mangabey behavior. Evidence from this study of significant behavioral flexibility in the Sanje mangabey could predict enhanced long-term population viability of this endemic primate, and will inform Tanzania's conservation management planning for this endangered species. The project will contribute to local development by providing training in both primate behavior and ecological monitoring research techniques.Fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of food items in the environment are thought to impact the level and type of competition for these resources experienced between members of a social group. Primate socioecological models predict how these fluctuations, in turn, affect adult female social relationships. Existing models have undergone revisions and extensions, but mismatches remain between the models' predictions and the behavior observed in some primate species. This project tests whether behavioral flexibility can mitigate intra-group feeding competition and act as a critical influence on the social relationships exhibited. Specifically, this research examines social and feeding strategies used by the Sanje mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei) to alleviate competition for resources, within a variant competitive context. A combination of focal animal and group scans are used to collect dietary and behavioral data. These investigate (i) how dominance affects spatial position of individuals within the group and foraging efficiency, (ii) the ecological conditions responsible for variable inter-individual spacing and subgrouping, and (iii) flexibility in foraging behavior and cheek pouch use. Resource distribution and availability are monitored using vegetation transects and phenology plots within the study groups home range, and daily ranging data are collected using handheld GPS locators.