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A Bruce effect in wild geladas.

Eila K Roberts1, Amy Lu, Thore J Bergman

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 25, 2012
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Wild female geladas exhibit the Bruce effect, terminating 80% of pregnancies when a new dominant male takes over. This pregnancy termination appears to be an adaptive strategy, potentially preventing infanticide and offering fitness benefits.

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Area of Science:

  • Primate reproductive behavior
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Animal behavior

Background:

  • The Bruce effect, pregnancy termination in rodents exposed to unfamiliar males, is well-documented in laboratory settings.
  • Direct evidence for the Bruce effect in natural populations, particularly primates, remains scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence of the Bruce effect in a wild primate population, the gelada.
  • To determine if pregnancy termination in geladas is an adaptive strategy linked to infanticide risk.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study of a wild gelada population.
  • Monitoring of female reproductive cycles and male takeovers.
  • Analysis of interbirth intervals in relation to male dominance changes.

Main Results:

  • A significant Bruce effect was observed in geladas, with 80% of pregnancies terminated following a dominant male replacement.
  • Interbirth interval data suggest that terminating pregnancy provides fitness advantages to females when offspring face infanticide risk.

Conclusions:

  • The Bruce effect occurs in wild primates, specifically geladas.
  • Pregnancy termination in geladas is likely an adaptive strategy to enhance female fitness by avoiding infanticide.