Social dynamics of captive western lowland gorillas living in all-male groups
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Abstract
Male mammals show considerable variation in their association (e.g. single-male, multi-male, all-male groups) and relationship (e.g. affiliative versus intolerant) patterns. Although a number of primates have been observed to form all-male groups, studies of the social dynamics of these groups are limited. This study examined the social interactions of 25 male western lowland gorillas living in nine captive all-male groups. Over 1,300 hours of data were collected using group scan and all-occurrence sampling methodologies. Groups were cohesive, with males spending approximately one-third of their time within 5 meters of another individual. Although complete linear dominance hierarchies within a group were not observed, dominance relationships between individuals were evident for the majority (66%) of dyads. Social interactions varied as a function of age, with subadults engaging in more affiliative behavior and less non-contact aggression than either blackbacks or silverbacks. Visual/olfactory access to females increased non-contact aggression between males. Such results are similar to those found for all-male groups of mountain gorillas in the wild and demonstrate that all-male groups can be a cohesive social unit in this species. They also raise the questions of why all-male groups have rarely been observed in wild populations and how social, ecological and anthropogenic factors influence male sociality.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1352 | 245 | 19 |
| Full Text Views | 290 | 19 | 0 |
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Social dynamics of captive western lowland gorillas living in all-male groups
In: BehaviourSearch for other papers by T.S. Stoinski in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by C.W. Kuhar in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by K.E. Lukas in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by T.L. Maple in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Male mammals show considerable variation in their association (e.g. single-male, multi-male, all-male groups) and relationship (e.g. affiliative versus intolerant) patterns. Although a number of primates have been observed to form all-male groups, studies of the social dynamics of these groups are limited. This study examined the social interactions of 25 male western lowland gorillas living in nine captive all-male groups. Over 1,300 hours of data were collected using group scan and all-occurrence sampling methodologies. Groups were cohesive, with males spending approximately one-third of their time within 5 meters of another individual. Although complete linear dominance hierarchies within a group were not observed, dominance relationships between individuals were evident for the majority (66%) of dyads. Social interactions varied as a function of age, with subadults engaging in more affiliative behavior and less non-contact aggression than either blackbacks or silverbacks. Visual/olfactory access to females increased non-contact aggression between males. Such results are similar to those found for all-male groups of mountain gorillas in the wild and demonstrate that all-male groups can be a cohesive social unit in this species. They also raise the questions of why all-male groups have rarely been observed in wild populations and how social, ecological and anthropogenic factors influence male sociality.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1352 | 245 | 19 |
| Full Text Views | 290 | 19 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 330 | 40 | 0 |
