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Black capuchin monkeys dynamically adjust group spread throughout the day.
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. vitor_luccas@yahoo.com.br.
Primates; Journal of Primatology
|June 27, 2021
Summary
Black capuchin monkeys dynamically adjust their group spread throughout the day, typically maintaining an average distance of 36 meters. This variation in spacing is influenced by foraging activities, particularly when eating fruit.
Area of Science:
- Primatology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Animal Social Dynamics
Background:
- Group spread influences communication, activity synchrony, and collective decision-making in animal societies.
- Previous research often analyzed group spread at broad temporal scales, overlooking daily fluctuations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diurnal variation in group spread for a group of black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus).
- To understand how daily activities and spatial distribution patterns change over time.
Main Methods:
- Measuring group spread as the distance between the two most distant individuals every 5 minutes over entire days.
- Utilizing time series analysis to examine short-term variations in group spread.
Main Results:
- Group spread exhibited significant variation within short time intervals (15 minutes) throughout the day, averaging 36 meters.
- Monkeys adjusted interindividual distances, decreasing it when spread was >36m and increasing it when <36m.
- Group spread was notably larger during fruit-eating activities compared to other behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Diurnal variation in group spread may indicate competition for dispersed food resources.
- Dynamic adjustments in group cohesion likely facilitate social contact resumption among individuals.
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