Does pair-living translate into genetic monogamy in a Neotropical primate?

与其他哺乳动物相比，灵长类动物中成对生活的物种比例要高得多。在此背景下，我们想要通过现场和实验室相结合的研究来研究夫妻生活是否与基因一夫一妻制有关。作为研究模型，我们选择了一种名叫Callicebus cupreus的新大陆灵长类动物，它是一种成双成对的成年雄性猴子，是依赖后代的主要携带者。我们希望观察该物种10个家庭群体中配偶之间的社会互动，并非侵入性地收集粪便样本进行遗传分析，以确定父子关系和遗传亲缘关系。此外，通过生态抽样，我们想要检验结对生活是高度分散的食物资源的结果的假设。这应该会导致高度分散的女性分布，导致男性只能垄断一名女性。这项拟议的研究将有助于理解灵长类和哺乳动物，特别是新大陆猴子中配对生活的机制和进化。

In primates the proportion of pair-living species is much higher compared to other mammals. Against this background, we want to investigate in a combined field and laboratory study whether pair living is correlated with genetic monogamy. As study model we select the coppery titi monkey, Callicebus cupreus – a New World primate – that lives in pairs and where adult males are the principal carriers of dependent offspring. We want to observe social interactions between pair mates in 10 family groups of this species and non-invasively collect fecal samples for genetic analyses, to determine paternities and genetic relatedness. Furthermore, through ecological sampling we want to test the hypothesis that pair living is a consequence of highly dispersed food resources. This should results in a highly dispersed distribution of females resulting in males being able to monopolize only a single female. The proposed study will make a contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms and the evolution of pair living in primates and mammals in general and New World monkeys in particular.