Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Demography and Birth Seasonality in the Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis Umbrosus)


Affiliations
1 Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (Post), Coimbatore 641 108, India
2 Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru 570 006, India
 

The Nicobar long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosus) is confined to the southern and central Nicobar archipelago. We have collected demographic and birth data for five groups of M. f. umbrosus to understand their group structure, demography and breeding seasonality. Group size, individuals in age–sex classes and age–sex ratio did not vary between the groups and years. The birth rate was neither associated with the number of adult females in the group nor with group size. The number of births in a month was positively correlated with rainfall, and about 71% of the births occurred during the rainy season, though, the number of births did not vary systematically among the months. Perhaps, higher availability of food resources in the wet season than the rest of the year may support lactation in females and provide food for the weaned infants. The similarity in some demographic traits between the Nicobar long-tailed macaque and other subspecies indicates that these traits may be conserved over evolutionary time, while for other traits, differences among subspecies may reflect the effect of local conditions and recent histories. This is the first report on demography and birth seasonality of this unique subspecies of the long-tailed macaque.

Keywords

Birth Rate, Demography, Group Size, Population Dynamics.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Chapman, C. A. and Rothman, J. M., Within-species differences in primate social structure: evolution of plasticity and phylogenetic constraints. Primates, 2009, 50, 12–22.

  • Cords, M. and Chowdhury, S., Life history of Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya. Int. J. Primatol., 2010, 31, 433–455.

  • Singh, M., Kumara, H. N., Kavana, T. S., Erinjery, J. J. and Kumar, S., Demography and reproductive output in langurs of the Western Ghats, India. Primates, 2016, 57, 501–508.

  • Dittus, W., Demography: a window to social evolution. In Macaque societies: A Model for the Study of Social Organization (eds Thierry, B., Singh, M. and Kaumanns, W.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 87–116.

  • Wrangham, R. W., An ecological model of female-bonded primate groups. Behaviour, 1980, 75, 262–300.

  • van Schaik, C. P., Why are diurnal primates living in groups? Behaviour, 1983, 87, 120–144.

  • van Schaik, C. P., van Noordwijk, M. A., de Boer, R. J. and den Tonkelaar, I., The effect of group size on time budgets and social behaviour in wild long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 1983, 13, 173–181.

  • Takahata, Y. et al., Does troop size of wild Japanese macaques influence birth rate and infant mortality in the absence of predators? Primates, 1998, 39, 245–251.

  • Ryan, S. J., Starks, P. T., Milton, K. and Getz, W. M., Intersexual conflict and group size in Alouatta palliata; A 23-year evaluation. Int. J. Primatol., 2007, 29, 405–420.

  • Kumar, A., Birth rate and survival in relation to group size in the lion-tailed macaque, Macaca silenus. Primates, 1995, 36, 1–9.

  • Hsu, M. J., Lin, J. F. and Agoramoorthy, G., Effects of group size on birth rate, infant mortality and social interactions in Formosan macaques at Mt Longevity, Taiwan. Ethol. Ecol. Evol., 2006, 18, 3–17.

  • van Schaik, C. P. and van Noordwijk, M. A., Interannual variability in fruit abundance and reproductive seasonality in Sumatran long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). J. Zool., 1985, 206, 533–549.

  • Brockman, D. K. and van Schaik, C. P., Seasonality and reproductive function. In Seasonality in Primates: Studies of Living and Extinct Human and Non-Human Primates (eds Brockman, D. K. and van Schaik, C. P.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005, pp. 269–306.

  • Janson, C. and Verdolin, J., Seasonality of primate births in the relation to climate. In Seasonality in Primates: Studies of Living and Extinct Human and Non-Human Primates (eds Brockman, D. K. and van Schaik, C. P.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005, pp. 307–350.

  • van Schaik, C. P. and Brockman, D. K., Seasonality in primate ecology, reproduction, and life history: an overview. In Seasonality in Primates: Studies of Living and Extinct Human and Non-Human Primates (eds Brockman, D. K. and van Schaik, C. P.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005, pp. 3–20.

  • Bercovitch, F. B. and Harvey, N. C., Reproductive life history. In Macaque Societies: A Model for the Study of Social Organization (eds Thierry, B., Singh, M. and Kaumanns, W.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 61–83.

  • Gumert, M. D., The common monkey of Southeast Asia: Long-tailed macaque populations, ethnophoresy, and their occurrence in human environments. In Monkeys on the Edge: Ecology and Management of Long-tailed Macaques and their Interface with Humans (eds Gumert, M. D., Fuentes, A. and Engel, L. J.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011, pp. 3–44.

  • Umapathy, G., Singh, M. and Mohnot, S. M., Status and distribution of Macaca fascicularis umbrosa in the Nicobar Islands, India. Int. J. Primatol., 2003, 24, 281–293.

  • Sivakumar, K., Impact of the tsunami (December 2004) on the long tailed macaque of Nicobar Islands, India. Hystrix It. J. Mamm., 2010, 21, 35–42.

  • Velankar, A. D., Kumara, H. N., Pal, A., Mishra, P. S. and Singh, M., Population recovery of Nicobar long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis umbrosus following a tsunami in the Nicobar Islands, India. PLOS ONE, 2016, 11(2), e0148205; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148205.

  • Kumar, M. A., Singh, M., Kumara, H. N., Sharma, A. K. and Bertsch, C., Male migration in lion-tailed macaques. Primate Rep., 2001, 59, 5–18.

  • Thierry, B., Social epigenesis. In Macaque Societies: A Model for the Study of Social Organization (eds Thierry, B., Singh, M. and Kaumanns, W.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 267–294.

  • van Noordwijk, M. A. and van Schaik, C. P., Male migration and rank acquisition in wild long-tailed macaques. Anim. Behav., 1985, 33, 849–886.

  • van Noordwijk, M. A. and van Schaik, C. P., Competition among female long-tailed macaques, Macaca fascicularis. Anim. Behav., 1987, 35, 577–589.

  • van Schaik, C. P., Netto, W. J., van Amerongen, A. J. J. and Westland, H., Social rank and sex ratio of captive long-tailed macaque females (Macaca fascicularis). Am. J. Primatol., 1989, 19, 147–161.

  • Kavanagh, M. and Laursen, E., Breeding seasonality among long-tailed macaques, Macaca fascicularis, in Peninsular Malaysia. Int. J. Primatol., 1984, 5, 17–29.

  • Poirier, F. E. and Smith, E. O., The crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) of Angaur Island, Palau, Micronesia. Folia Primatol., 1974, 22, 258–306.

  • Krishna, B. A., Singh, M. and Singh, M., Population dynamics of a group of lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) inhabiting a rainforest fragment in the Western Ghats, India. Folia Primatol., 2006, 77, 377–386.

  • Dittus, W. P. J., Population dynamics of the toque monkey, Macacasinica. In Socioecology and Psychology of Primates (ed. Tuttle, R. H.), Mouton, The Hague and Paris, Mouton, 1975, pp. 125–152.

  • Hsu, M. J., Agoramoorthy, G. and Lin, J. F., Birth seasonality and interbirth intervals in free ranging Formosan macaques, Macaca cyclopis, at Mt. Longevity, Taiwan. Primates, 2001, 42, 15–25.

  • Fooden, J. and Aimi, M., Systematic review of Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata (Gray 1870). Fieldiana Zool., 2005, 104, 1–198.

  • Kumar, A., The Ecology and Population Dynamics of the Lion Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) in South India, 1987, Ph D dissertation, Cambridge University.

  • Chapman, C. A. and Rothman, J. M., Within species differences in primate social structure: evolution of plasticity and phylogenetic constraints. Primates, 2009, 50, 12–22.

  • Kamilar, J. M. and Cooper, N., Phylogenetic signal in primate behaviour, ecology and life history. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B, 2013, 368(1618), 20120341.


Abstract Views: 411

PDF Views: 146




  • Demography and Birth Seasonality in the Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis Umbrosus)

Abstract Views: 411  |  PDF Views: 146

Authors

Arijit Pal
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (Post), Coimbatore 641 108, India
Honnavalli N. Kumara
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (Post), Coimbatore 641 108, India
Avadhoot D. Velankar
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (Post), Coimbatore 641 108, India
Partha Sarathi Mishra
Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru 570 006, India
Mewa Singh
Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru 570 006, India

Abstract


The Nicobar long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosus) is confined to the southern and central Nicobar archipelago. We have collected demographic and birth data for five groups of M. f. umbrosus to understand their group structure, demography and breeding seasonality. Group size, individuals in age–sex classes and age–sex ratio did not vary between the groups and years. The birth rate was neither associated with the number of adult females in the group nor with group size. The number of births in a month was positively correlated with rainfall, and about 71% of the births occurred during the rainy season, though, the number of births did not vary systematically among the months. Perhaps, higher availability of food resources in the wet season than the rest of the year may support lactation in females and provide food for the weaned infants. The similarity in some demographic traits between the Nicobar long-tailed macaque and other subspecies indicates that these traits may be conserved over evolutionary time, while for other traits, differences among subspecies may reflect the effect of local conditions and recent histories. This is the first report on demography and birth seasonality of this unique subspecies of the long-tailed macaque.

Keywords


Birth Rate, Demography, Group Size, Population Dynamics.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi08%2F1732-1737