Female Mate Choice in Wild Kenyan Blue Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis).

Area of Science:

• Primate behavior
• Sexual selection
• Evolutionary biology

Background:

• Female mate choice is a key driver of sexual selection, but its expression can be constrained by social systems.
• Blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis) live in polygynous groups, suggesting potential for male control over mating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and efficacy of female mate choice in wild blue monkeys.
• To determine if female preferences influence paternity in a system with potential for both resident and extra-group mating.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 10 years of behavioral and paternity data from 178 male-female dyads.
• Examination of female resistance to male sexual solicitations and female-initiated sexual interactions.
• Assessment of female preference for resident versus non-resident males and its correlation with paternity.

Main Results:

• Females initiated sexual interactions more frequently than males and rarely resisted male solicitations.
• Female preference strongly predicted paternity, with preferred males having significantly higher odds of siring offspring (26x for residents, 33x for non-residents).
• Female rank and parity did not influence mate preference or the likelihood of preferred paternity.

Conclusions:

• Despite a polygynous social structure, blue monkey females effectively exercise mate choice.
• Female preference is a significant factor in determining paternity, highlighting female agency in sexual selection.
• These findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of sexual selection in complex primate social systems.