基于基因、表型和行为研究雌性川金丝猴的配偶选择策略

配偶选择是择偶者通过评估异性的表型和行为，选择最优交配对象，并通过特定的择偶策略，提高自身适合度的繁殖机制。川金丝猴的社会以一雄多雌单元为基本单位，雌性可以突破社会结构的限制在单元间迁移更换配偶，在单元主雄替换时发挥主导作用，在群内频繁进行婚外交配并生育婚外后代，这些情况在灵长类中十分罕见。由于金丝猴的生活史周期较长，在野外很难长期跟踪研究，对雌性评估潜在配偶的指标和配偶选择的策略，学者们仍不得而知。本项目以川金丝猴为研究对象，在长期野外调查和系统种群统计的基础上，通过对雄性表型和雌雄间繁殖行为的量化分析，明确雌性择偶的表型偏好；结合雄性等级和雌雄间联署关系，揭示川金丝猴配偶关系确立的行为策略；并通过微卫星和MHC分型，从基因层面验证婚外交配的间接收益假说，阐明雌性通过配偶选择提高婚配收益的模式；从基因、表型和行为的角度全面揭示雌性的配偶选择策略，促进灵长类繁殖行为学相关理论的发展。

Mate choice is widely considered to be a mechanism conducted by animal invididuals that is closely linked to their reproductive success. In this process, animals can evaluate the potential fitness gain by mating with different mates based on their phenotype and behavior, and maximize their reproductive success by choosing the “mates with the best quality”. However, the detailed mechanism of mate choice remained unclear in most of the free living non-human primate, as direct observing and tracking of individual in the field turn out to be very difficult. The golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinothecus roxellana) live in multilevel societies consisting of several polygynous familial units (breeding bands) and a bachelor group (all-male bands). Despite all the adult females were socially exclusively attached to one resident male, they have been observed to transfer between familial units (“divorce and remate”). Moreover, as all the resident male would be ultimately taken over by a new adult male, the female may conduct a significant influence on the outcome of a male-male combat for takeover of a familial unit. In addition, extra-unit copulation was frequently observed in the field and more than half of the offspring were sired by extra-unit males in this population. Based on the long-term field study we plan to combine behavioral observation, morphological measurement, MHC and microsatellites genotyping and to investigate three items: (1)figure out the effects of male phenotype on female mate choice decisions, (2) clarify the behavior strategies of female mate choice based on the dominance relationships among males and social relationships between male and female, (3) compare the similarities and differences of genetic preference between long-term mate and short-term mate, social mate and genetic mate, then test the indirect benefit hypothesis, to figure out whether female improve their benefit via seeking to copulate with males with better genetic quality. Thus, this project would comprehensively illustrate the mate choice strategies of female golden snub-nosed monkey based on studies of gene, phenotype and behavior. Our results could promote further understanding on the reproductive behavior of social primates, as well as provide theoretical guidance for conservation of this endangered species.