Dissertation Research: The Social Organization and Behavior of Black-Mantle Tamarins, Saguinus nigricollis, in Eastern Ecuador

该项目的目的是调查社会和生态相关的交配模式和群体间的关系，在黑地幔绢毛猴，Saguinus nigricollis，在低地雨林的厄瓜多尔东部。 这些小的新世界猴子似乎比其他绢毛猴物种更一夫一妻制，因此，提供了一个很好的机会来测试的假设，即交配模式的变化与婴儿养育的成本和合作繁殖的重要性绢毛猴。 这项研究将通过对几个种群的详细行为观察来研究黑绒猴一夫一妻制的生态、生殖和社会相关性。 除了其不寻常的交配模式外，该物种还因群间关系是非侵略性的，相邻的群体可能形成多群协会。 因此，这一物种提供了一个机会，以测试的假设，群体之间的食物竞争决定组间关系，以及假设的近因，适应性的好处，和社会后果的组间宽容。 这项研究将有助于我们了解新世界猴和其他合作繁殖物种的合作繁殖和交配模式之间的进化和近似关系。

This project is designed to investigate the social and ecological correlates of mating patterns and intergroup relationships in black-mantle tamarins, Saguinus nigricollis, in the lowland rainforest of eastern Ecuador. These small New World monkeys appear to be more monogamous than other tamarin species and, therefore, offer an excellent opportunity to test the hypothesis that variability in mating patterns is related to the costs of infant-rearing and the importance of cooperative breeding in tamarins. The study will use detailed behavioral observation of several populations to examine the ecological, reproductive, and social correlates of monogamy in black-mantled tamarins. In addition to its unusual mating patterns, this species is also distinguished by the fact that intergroup relationships are non-aggressive and neighboring groups may form polygroup associations. As a result, this species offers an opportunity to test the hypothesis that food competition between groups determines intergroup relationships, as well as hypotheses about the proximate causes, adaptive benefits, and social consequences of intergroup tolerance. This study will contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary and proximate relationships between cooperative breeding and mating patterns in New World monkeys and other cooperative breeding species.