The Ecology of Female Dominance in Three Prosimian Primates in Southeastern Madagascar

在灵长目中，狐猴传统上被认为是独特的，因为雌性可以对雄性占主导地位（称为雌性主导地位）。 最近，狐猴中雌性优势的普遍性受到质疑，尽管迄今为止还没有对野生种群的这种行为进行系统研究。 因此，本研究的目的是回答以下问题：1）雄性和雌性生殖策略如何影响雌性优势和雌性摄食优先的表达？，2)在没有雌性优势的情况下，雌性的进食优先权是否存在？ 3)在没有或结合雌性优势和进食优先权的情况下，个体是否可以使用替代行为策略来影响其觅食效率？4)这些行为可以被认为是觅食优先的类型吗？5）环境约束（特别是生态压力）和雄性顺从如何共同影响雌性优势的表达、觅食优先和/或提高觅食效率的替代方法。 这些问题将通过研究三种濒危灵长类动物（Varecia variegata，Propithecus迪亚德马edwardsi和Eulemur fulvus rufus）在Ranomafana国家公园的三年半时间内的摄食生态和行为来回答。 这项研究有几个重要的意义。 主要目标是：a）测试关于狐猴雌性优势和进食优先级关系的具体预测;和B）开发方法，可以记录雌性灵长类动物通过非攻击性手段影响其进食生态的微妙方式，以响应生殖需求和食物的季节性变化。 这项研究有可能以更广泛的方式对灵长类动物学做出贡献，挑战现有的范式，这些范式依赖于对统治等级的狭隘定义来识别在社会群体中具有社会和生态影响力的个体。 事实上，在最近的人类学研究中，研究人员强调，地位和威望的概念可以被认为是与统治不同的实体。 在男性占主导地位的人类社会中，女性仍然可以在公共或私人领域拥有权力和威望。 虽然权力和威望的文化概念不适合非人类灵长类动物，但女性可以以微妙的方式影响社会动态和觅食效率的概念应该在非人类灵长类动物中进行更仔细的研究，特别是如果这些行为显着影响生存能力和繁殖成功。它是假设在这个项目中，男性和女性的交配策略，除了生态压力的经验，在繁殖时，通过雌性，共同影响雌性优势的表达，喂养优先权，和/或替代策略，以提高觅食效率。 这些替代策略包括食物选择和群体运动协调方面的性别差异。 为了验证这一假设，将在不同的繁殖阶段和食物供应期收集每种狐猴至少两个研究组的行为和生态数据。

Within the order Primates, lemurs have traditionally been considered to be unique in that females can be dominant to males (referred to as female dominance). Recently the universality of female dominance among lemurs has been questioned although there have been no systematic studies of this behavior to date on wild populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to answer the following questions: 1) how do male and female reproductive strategies influence the expression of female dominance and female feeding priority?, 2) can female feeding priority exist in the absence of female dominance?; 3) are there alternative behavioral strategies that individuals can use to influence their foraging efficiency in the absence of or in conjunction with female dominance and feeding priority?, 4) can these behaviors be considered types of feeding priority, and 5) how do environmental constraints (specifically ecological stress) and male deference work together to influence the expression of female dominance, feeding priority, and/or alternative ways to increase foraging efficiency. These questions will be answered by examining the feeding ecology and behavior of three endangered species of primate (Varecia variegata, Propithecus diadema edwardsi and Eulemur fulvus rufus) in the Ranomafana National Park over a three and a half year period. This research has several important implications. The main objectives are: a) to test specific predictions regarding the relationship of female dominance and feeding priority in lemurs; and b) develop methods that can document the subtle ways female primates influence their feeding ecology through non-aggressive means in response to reproductive demands and seasonal changes in food. This research has the potential to contribute in a broader way to primatology by challenging existing paradigms that rely on a narrow definition of a dominance hierarchy to identify individuals who have social and ecological influence within social groups. In fact in recent anthropological studies on humans, researchers emphasize that the concepts of status and prestige can be considered distinct entities from dominance. In human societies that are male dominant, females can still have power and prestige in public or private domains. Although the cultural concepts of power and prestige are not appropriate to non-human primates, the concept that females can behave in subtle ways that influence social dynamics and foraging efficiency should be examined more carefully in non-human primates, particularly if these behaviors significantly impact survivability and reproductive success.It is assumed in this project that male and female mating strategies in addition to the ecological stress experienced by females when reproductive, work together to influence the expression of female dominance, feeding priority, and/or alternative strategies to improve foraging efficiency. These alternative strategies include intersexual differences in food selection and coordination of group movements. To test this hypothesis, behavioral and ecological data will be collected on at least two study groups of each lemur species during different reproductive phases and food availability periods.