Improving stability and reproduction in rhesus colonies by manipulating sex ratio

 描述（由申请人提供）：在圈养繁殖的恒河猴群体中，一个常见的问题是接触攻击和伤害的发生率很高。尽管野生恒河猴也表现出频繁的侵略性，作为加强群体成员之间的优势关系的一种手段，但管理圈养恒河猴的最佳实践要求我们努力理解和减少侵略性。过去的研究表明，增加繁殖群体中非出生雄性的比例是一种很有前途的方法，可以显着提高圈养恒河猴群体的稳定性，福利和生产。这些非出生的成年男性，特别是地位较高的男性，在其群体成员之间的冲突中进行干预最频繁，也最成功，从而降低了攻击和创伤的发生率，改善了社会稳定。拟议项目的主要目标是增加繁殖群体中非出生成年雄性的比例，并确定哪些因素是实现这一目标的最关键因素。通过收集大量的行为数据之前，期间，和之后引入新的男性群体的大型育种组，长期的影响，由此产生的性别比例对群体的稳定性，慢性压力，和生殖可以进行评估。具体目标是：（1）为了鉴定预测雄性成功地整合到新的繁殖群中的能力的因素，包括比较将新的雄性引入到群中的不同技术，雄性的特征（例如，个性、社会经验、冲突干预的成功），和繁殖群体特征（例如，母系破碎程度、行为模式、群体大小）;（2）确定不同引种技术的效果 和男性冲突干预成功的社会网络措施的群体稳定性，通过建立侵略和优势等级网络，并通过测量皮质醇值的头发样本作为代表的感知压力之间的群体成员在整个研究阶段;（3）评估性别比例，群体稳定性，受伤率，压力和生殖成功之间的相互关系。我们预测，随着群体中非出生成年男性比例的增加，群体稳定性措施将得到改善。这项研究将有助于改善作为动物资源的恒河猴的福利和繁殖成功，通过为这项工作提供健康的动物模型来支持生物医学和行为研究。这项研究也符合社会对促进和保护动物福利的期望。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A common problem in captive breeding groups of rhesus macaques is high rates of contact aggression and wounding. Even though rhesus monkeys in the wild also show frequent aggression as a means of reinforcing dominance relations between group members, best practices in managing captive rhesus dictate that we attempt to understand and reduce aggression. Past research has shown that increasing the proportion of non-natal males in breeding groups is a promising method for significantly improving the group stability, welfare, and production in captive rhesus colonies. These non-natal adult males, particularly high ranking ones, intervene most frequently and most successfully in conflict among their group members, leading to lower rates of aggression and trauma and improved social stability. The primary goal of the proposed project is to increase the ratio of non-natal adult males in breeding groups, and to determine which factors are the most critical in achieving that goal. By collecting extensive behavioral data before, during, and after the introduction of new male cohorts to large breeding groups, the long-term effects of the resulting sex ratios on group stability, chronic stress, and reproduction can be assessed. The specific aims are: (1) to identify factors that predict a male's ability to successfully integrate nto a new breeding group, including comparing different techniques to introduce new males to a group, characteristics of the males (e.g., personality, social experience, success in conflict intervention), and breeding group characteristics (e.g., degree of matriline fragmentation, behavioral patterns, group size); (2) to determine the effects of different introduction techniques and male conflict intervention success on social network measures of group stability by creating aggression and dominance rank networks, and by measuring cortisol values in hair samples as a representation of perceived stress among group members across study phases; and (3) to evaluate interrelationships among sex ratio, group stability, wounding rates, stress, and reproductive success. We predict that as the proportion of non-natal adult males in groups increases, group stability measures will improve. This research will help to improve the welfare and breeding success of rhesus macaques held as an animal resource to support biomedical and behavioral research by providing healthy animal models for this work. This research is also responsive to the societal expectation for promoting and protecting animal welfare.