Paternity and status in a rhesus monkey group

Area of Science:

• Primate reproductive behavior
• Population genetics
• Animal breeding

Background:

• Polymorphic genetic traits in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are crucial for understanding population dynamics.
• Paternity determination relies on analyzing genetic variations within breeding groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify polymorphic genetic markers in rhesus monkeys for paternity exclusion.
• To investigate the relationship between male dominance rank and reproductive success in a captive breeding colony.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples from 63 rhesus monkeys were analyzed for polymorphic traits including transferrin and leucocyte antigens.
• Paternity was excluded for 29 offspring using these genetic markers.
• Male dominance was assessed through observation of agonistic encounters over two breeding seasons.

Main Results:

• Several blood traits, including transferrin and leucocyte antigens, were found to be polymorphic.
• The alpha male was not the primary sire of offspring.
• A correlation between male agonistic rank and reproductive success was observed in the second breeding season, but not the first.

Conclusions:

• Dominance rank alone does not solely determine mating success in this rhesus monkey group.
• Environmental or social factors may influence reproductive success in relation to dominance over time.