Research
sheds light on social drivers of animal dispersal
Date: April 2, 2019
Source: Kyoto University
Why would
males and females choose different reproductive strategies? For golden lion
tamarins in the Brazilian rain forest, the answer may offer clues to help save
this neotropical primate.
For
conservationists, gaining an understanding of the ecology and behaviors of an
animal population is vital for creating an optimal preservation strategy. But
there are still many unexplored motives affecting the ways of life of a
particular animal.
One major
question researchers ask regards the dispersal patterns and social drivers of
'natal emigration': leaving a birthplace or group. Population dispersal is a
crucial behavioral trait in animal societies, helping maintain the viability of
each species.
To
investigate, a research team from Japan and Brazil analyzed the dispersal
patterns of the endangered golden lion tamarin, or GLT. Their study appears in
the American Journal of Primatology.
First
author Valéria Romano of Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute explains
that GLTs live in small family groups, each averaging seven individuals. There
is a reproductive pair at the center, and older offspring help care for younger
siblings.
However,
this system leaves subordinate members with only limited options for
reproduction: waiting for a breeding opportunity within the group, or
'emigrating' out to search for potential mates.
Emigration
can increase reproductive opportunities, but also entails risks, such as facing
predators and starvation.
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