March 2014: True monogamy is rare in the animal kingdom. Even in species that appear to "mate for life," genetic maternity and paternity tests have revealed that philandering often takes place.Yet a new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers shows that Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are unusually faithful. The investigation of 35 offspring born to 17 owl monkey pairs turned up no evidence of cheating.
In addition to this the males were found to be significantly involved in caring for the couple’s young.
"Our study is the first of any primate species, and only the fourth for a pair-living mammal, to show genetic monogamy, or real faithfulness, between partners," said study author Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, an associate professor in Penn Arts and Sciences' Department of Anthropology. "Paternal care in owl monkeys now makes sense. The males are making a huge investment in their own offspring."
The Penn evolutionary anthropologists have been studying a population of these primates in Argentina's Chaco region for 18 years. Previous work had shown that male and female owl monkeys form strong pair-bonds and that males contribute significantly to raising young by carrying them on their bodies, playing with them and feeding them solid foods.
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