Determinants and Consequences of Social Structure in a Neotropical Primate

这笔拨款允许罗宾逊博士继续他对楔帽卷尾猴(Cebus Olivaceus)的研究。在过去的11年里，罗宾逊博士和他的同事收集了居住在委内瑞拉中部干燥的热带森林中的卷尾猴群体的数据--其中一些是在NSF的支持下收集的。在两年的时间里，罗宾逊博士和一名学生将收集关于其中四个猴子群体的广泛数据。由于过去的研究，所有人的身份都已经确定，他们的母系基因也是众所周知的。该小组将继续收集人口数据，并监测生育成功率、死亡模式和个体在群体中的分散情况。他们还将关注社交互动，并注意积极的行为(如社交打扮)和敌对行为(威胁、追逐等)。他们还将记录个体动物之间的关系，并确定实际遗传联系在多大程度上有助于解释观察到的变化。这项研究的目的是了解决定卷尾猴社会结构的因素。这种特殊的实地情况是一个有趣的情况，因为正在研究的四个小组的大小差别很大，小组之间的比较方案提供了一种潜在的有价值的方法。作为一个物种，楔帽卷尾猴很有趣，因为它们提供了与东半球物种类似研究的独特对比。像它们一样，它是树栖动物，群体只有一只繁殖的雄性。然而，它的人口统计模式有惊人的不同：死亡率低，繁殖率高，雄性的性成熟非常晚，分散的模式确保了显著的近亲繁殖。这项研究很重要，因为它将增加我们对社会群体是如何组织和维持的理解。科学家们提出了许多理论：一些是基于人口统计因素，另一些是基于亲属关系和遗传学。跨物种比较为解决这个问题提供了一个强大的工具，而罗宾逊博士的工作正是在这样的背景下具有重要意义。此外，只有通过长期的多代研究，才能最清楚地揭示这些因素，继续罗宾逊博士的纵向工作是很重要的。许多热带灵长类物种濒临灭绝，现在进行这方面的研究很重要。

This grant permits Dr. Robinson to continue his study of wedge- capped capuchin monkeys (Cebus olivaceus). For the past eleven years Dr. Robinson and his colleagues have collected data - some with NSF support - on groups of capuchin monkeys which inhabit the dry tropical forest of central Venezuela. Over a two year period Dr. Robinson and a student will collect a wide range of data on four of these monkey groups. Because of past research all individuals have been identified and their maternal geneologies are well known. The team will continue to collect demographic data and monitor reproductive success, mortality patterns and dispersal of individuals among the groups. They will also focus on social interactions and note both positive behaviors (such as social grooming) as well as antagonistic actions (threats, chases etc). They will also note relationships between individual animals and determine the extent to which actual genetic relatedness serves to explain observed variation. The goal of the research is to understand the factors which determine capuchin social structure. This particular field situation is an interesting one because the four groups under study vary greatly in size and a protocol of between group comparison offers a potentially valuable approach. As a species wedge-capped capuchins are interesting because they provide a unique comparison with similar studies of Old World species. Like them, it is arboreal and groups have a single breeding male. However its demographic patterns are strikingly different: mortality rates are low, fecundity rates high, sexual maturation is very delayed in males and patterns of dispersal ensure significant inbreeding. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how social groups are organized and maintained. Scientists have proposed a number of theories: some are based on demographic factors, others on kinship and genetics. Cross species comparison offers a powerful tool to approach this question and it is within this context that the significance of Dr. Robinson's work lies. Also, it is only through long term multi-generational studies that such factors are most clearly revealed and it is important to continue Dr. Robinson's longitudinal work. Many tropical primate species are endangered and it is important to do such research now.