Predictors of agonism and affiliation in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata)
| dc.contributor.advisor | Johnson, Steig E. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Chen, Li-Dunn | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Alexander, Shelley M. | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Pavelka, Mary Susan Mc Donald | |
| dc.date | 2020-11 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-08-17T21:37:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-08-17T21:37:50Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-08 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Agonism and affiliation work complementarily to influence social ranking in primate social systems, which ultimately impacts reproductive success. In this two-part study, I investigated social behaviour of the Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur, a highly frugivorous species characterized by female dominance, fission-fusion dynamics, synchronized breeding, and communal care of offspring. Although ruffed lemur sociality has been described in the literature, specific seasonal and ecological predictors of agonism and affiliation have not been quantitatively investigated. Behavioural data were collected in the Kianjavato commune of southeastern Madagascar. I first investigated fluctuating food availability and reproductive season as predictors of agonism. Food availability had no effect on group-wide agonism rates, but subgroup size and breeding seasons were highly predictive of increased agonism. Increased agonism rates were observed when subgroups were larger as well as during the mating and birthing seasons, but only in years when mating and birthing occurred. I speculate these patterns of agonism function as reproductive strategies, as male-male competition for access to mates is expected to increase during the mating season, and parents likely exhibit more agonism while guarding their offspring during the birthing season. In order to better understand the behavioural strategies employed by ruffed lemurs during the mating season, I also investigated how male individuals vary in their expression of agonistic and affiliative behaviours with respect to reproductive season and dominance rank. I found that males exhibited higher rates of both agonism and affiliation during the mating season compared to the post-mating season, and that dominant males expressed higher rates of agonism but not affiliation compared to low-ranking males. I also evaluated female agonism rates and ranks to determine if they were higher in females compared to males. Although females occupied the highest ranks within their subgroups, males surprisingly exhibited higher rates of agonism than females throughout the study period, which was unexpected in this female-dominated species. Overall, the results presented here indicate that agonism and affiliation may function as reproductive strategies, but additional research is required to better understand the patterns observed. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Chen, L. (2020). Predictors of agonism and affiliation in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38083 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112396 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Arts | en_US |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Calgary | en |
| dc.rights | University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. | en_US |
| dc.subject | Madagascar | en_US |
| dc.subject | lemur | en_US |
| dc.subject | sociality | en_US |
| dc.subject | agonism | en_US |
| dc.subject | aggression | en_US |
| dc.subject | affiliation | en_US |
| dc.subject | reproduction | en_US |
| dc.subject | food availability | en_US |
| dc.subject | varecia | en_US |
| dc.subject.classification | Anthropology | en_US |
| dc.subject.classification | Ecology | en_US |
| dc.subject.classification | Psychology--Behavioral | en_US |
| dc.title | Predictors of agonism and affiliation in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) | en_US |
| dc.type | master thesis | en_US |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Anthropology | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Calgary | en_US |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Arts (MA) | en_US |
| ucalgary.item.requestcopy | true | en_US |