Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alloparental care and kinship in captive social groups of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus)

  • Published:
Primates Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Estimates of alloparental behavior on the basis of kinship and maternal qualities of permissiveness/restrictiveness were examined in vervet mother-infant pairs. Amounts of alloparenting were examined for the subgroup categories female siblings, juvenile females, subadult nulliparous females, adult females, males, and yearlings. Analysis of the six subgroups for months 1 through 6 revealed that the most alloparenting occurred in month 1 with siblings caretaking more than any other subgroup. By month 2 subadult nulliparous females were the most frequent caretakers.

Correlations between kin alloparenting and maternal permissiveness/restrictiveness indicated that kinship was a better predictor of alloparenting than maternal qualities of permissiveness. Additionally, examination of the data on maternal behaviors towards related and unrelated individuals revealed significant differences by months.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dumond, F. F., 1968. The squirrel monkey in a semi-natural environment. In:The Squirrel Monkey,L. A. Rosenblum &R. W. Cooper (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 88–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, W. D., 1964. The genetical evolution of social behavior. I.J. Theoret. Biol., 7: 1–16.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harlow, H. F. &M. K. Harlow, 1965. The affectional system. In:Behavior of Nonhuman Primates,A. M. Schrier,H. F. Harlow, &F. Stollnitz (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 287–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horwich, R. H. &D. Manski, 1975. Maternal care and infant transfer in two species ofColobus monkeys.Primates, 16: 49–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy, S. B., 1976. Care and exploration of nonhuman primate infants by conspecifics other than the mother. In:Advances in the Study of Behavior, Vol. 6,J. S. Rosenblatt, R. A. Hinde, E. S. Shaw, &C. Beer (eds.), Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. K., M. D. Gilbert, &G. H. Herdt, 1979. Implications for adult roles from differential styles of mother-infant bonding—an ethological study.J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 167(1): 29–37.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, A., 1972.The Evolution of Primate Behavior. Macmillan, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krige, P. D. &J. W. Lucas, 1974. Aunting behavior in an urban group ofCercopithecus aethiops.J. Behav. Sci., 2: 55–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———— & ————, 1975. Behavioral development of the vervet monkey in a free ranging troop.J. Behav. Sci., 2(3): 151–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurland, J. A., 1977.Kin Selection in the Japanese Monkey. Contributions to Primatology, Vol. 12, Karger, Basel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, J. B., 1971. Play-mothering: the relations between juvenile females and young infants among free-ranging vervets (Cercopithecus aethiops).Folia Primat., 15: 161–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuire, M. T., 1974.The St. Kitts Vervet. Contributions to Primatology, Vol. 1, Karger, Basel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers, J. L., 1972.Fundamentals of Experimental Design. Allyn & Bacon, Inc., Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowell, T., 1972.Social Behaviour of Monkeys. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, Middlesex.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————,R. A. Hinde, &Y. Spencer-Booth, 1964. Aunt-infant interaction in captive rhesus monkeys.Anim. Behav., 12(2, 3): 219–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sade, D. S., 1965. Some aspects of parent-offspring and sibling relations in a group of rhesus monkeys with a discussion of grooming.Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., 23: 1–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, S., 1956.Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer-Booth, Y., 1968. The behavior of group companions towards rhesus monkey infants.Anim. Behav., 16: 541–557.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Struhsaker, T. T., 1971. Social behaviour of mother and infant vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops).Anim. Behav., 19: 233–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trivers, R. L., 1971. The evolution of reciprocal altruism.Quar. Rev. Biol., 46(4): 35–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1974. Parent-offspring conflict.Am. Zool., 14: 249–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O., 1975.Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. The Belknap Press, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Candace Johnson

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Neuropsychiatric Institute, The Center for the Health Sciences, 760 Westwood Plaza, 90024, Los Angeles, California, USA

  2. Cathy Koerner & Marty Estrin

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 90024, Los Angeles, California, USA

  3. Deanna Duoos

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of California, Davis, 95616, Davis, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Los Angeles

    Candace Johnson

  2. Sepulveda Veterans Administration Hospital, USA

    Cathy Koerner & Marty Estrin

  3. Behavioral Science Foundation, USA

    Deanna Duoos

Authors
  1. Candace Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cathy Koerner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marty Estrin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Deanna Duoos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Johnson, C., Koerner, C., Estrin, M. et al. Alloparental care and kinship in captive social groups of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus). Primates 21, 406–415 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390469

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390469

Keywords

Search

Navigation