Does pair-living translate into genetic monogamy in a Neotropical primate?

与其他哺乳动物相比，灵长类动物中成对生活物种的比例要高得多。在此背景下，我们希望通过实地和实验室联合研究来调查配对生活是否与遗传一夫一妻制相关。作为研究模型，我们选择了一种叫做calicebus cupreus的铜titi猴，一种新世界的灵长类动物，它们是成对生活的，成年雄性是依赖后代的主要载体。我们想要观察该物种的10个家族群体中对配偶之间的社会互动，并非侵入性地收集粪便样本进行遗传分析，以确定父系和遗传关系。此外，通过生态抽样，我们想要检验成对生活是食物资源高度分散的结果这一假设。这将导致雌性的高度分散分布，导致雄性只能垄断一个雌性。本研究将有助于理解灵长类动物和哺乳动物，特别是新大陆猴的配对机制及其进化。

In primates the proportion of pair-living species is much higher compared to other mammals. Against this background, we want to investigate in a combined field and laboratory study whether pair living is correlated with genetic monogamy. As study model we select the coppery titi monkey, Callicebus cupreus – a New World primate – that lives in pairs and where adult males are the principal carriers of dependent offspring. We want to observe social interactions between pair mates in 10 family groups of this species and non-invasively collect fecal samples for genetic analyses, to determine paternities and genetic relatedness. Furthermore, through ecological sampling we want to test the hypothesis that pair living is a consequence of highly dispersed food resources. This should results in a highly dispersed distribution of females resulting in males being able to monopolize only a single female. The proposed study will make a contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms and the evolution of pair living in primates and mammals in general and New World monkeys in particular.