Predictors of variable reproductive success in primate individuals, populations and species

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Many factors contribute to differential reproductive success when some individuals, some populations and some species produce more surviving offspring than do others. What accounts for such variation in the competitive success of animals that cooperate, such as those residing in year-round, mixed-sex social aggregations? I study neotropical primates that live in multi-male, multi-female groups and I concentrate on the predictors of female reproductive success. How do interactions within and between the sexes affect their reproductive, foraging and population patterns?*** For the past 32 years, I have studied the life histories of three species of long-lived monkeys (capuchins, howler and spider monkeys) that inhabit the Santa Rosa sector of the rea de Conservacin Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica. Focusing mainly on capuchins, my research program will continue to examine the ways in which both inter- and intra-sexual competition and cooperation operate within the ecological, demographic and biological constraints of the species to affect reproduction. We use a combination of observational methods and non-invasive techniques (e.g., fecal and urine sampling) followed by lab analyses. We will compare our capuchin data to that from other primate species found in ACG and elsewhere and we address questions of general interest to evolutionary biologists and the public alike, such as: what costs and benefits do females experience from maintaining long-term relationships with female kin and with resident group males? Why do some females reproduce until death, whereas others cease to give birth halfway through their lifespan? How do hormones, genes and behavior interact to affect reproductive patterns?*** Since 1983, my team has also documented the return of primate populations to the recovering forests of the ACG. This mega-park is a World Heritage Site and the location of a renowned restoration project to regenerate tropical dry forest previously disturbed by centuries of agricultural and logging activities. In the next 5 years we will investigate how habitat and climate variation over time affect primate population growth cross-specifically. Our 32 years of demographic data and projections into the future are important for wildlife and conservation programs around the world, including Canada, that seek to predict how long-lived mammals will respond to climate change. The collaborative databases of life history data that we maintain are an invaluable resource for others and a model for the value of longitudinal research.**