Jones CB (March, 1996) Relative Reproductive Success [RRS] in the mantled howler monkey: implications for conservation. Neotropical Primates 4(1): 21-23.
First Paragraph of Brief Communication: The structure of primate groups is thought to result from the tendency of females to select rich patches of food and that of males to select large aggregations of females (Wittenberger 1980; Emlen & Oring 1977). Because patch richness and the consequent number and quality of females may vary, the relative reproductive success (RRS) of females may also vary over space and time. RRS is a population parameter, since it is one characteristic of demographic or life history traits describing subunits of a species within and between environmental regimes (see Vehrencamp & Bradbury 1984). RRS is important to the field of conservation biology since an increase in the variance of reproductive success in a population reduces effective population size (Primack 1993). Information about RRS facilitates viability analysis of population fluctuations required for recovery from environmental perturbations.
Methods: This report analyzes relative reproductive success (RRS--Method via Sandy Vehrencamp, Cornell University, ~1976) of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata palliata Gray) in two Central American forests as the mean number of juveniles plus infants (J+I) per female group size per site. This report uses data from several studies...at two research sites where mantled howler monkeys have been studied most intensively....Mantled howler monkeys, large cebids [n.b., now classified Atelidae]....
References
Emlen ST, Oring L (1977) Ecology, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. Science 197: 215-223.
Primack RB (1993) Essentials of conservation biology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.
Vehrencamp SL, Bradbury JW (1984) Mating systems and ecology. In Behavioural ecology: an evolutionary approach. JR Krebs, NB Davies (eds.). pp. 251-278. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Wittenberger JF (1980) Group size and polygyny in social mammals. Am Nat. 115: 197-222.
First Paragraph of Brief Communication: The structure of primate groups is thought to result from the tendency of females to select rich patches of food and that of males to select large aggregations of females (Wittenberger 1980; Emlen & Oring 1977). Because patch richness and the consequent number and quality of females may vary, the relative reproductive success (RRS) of females may also vary over space and time. RRS is a population parameter, since it is one characteristic of demographic or life history traits describing subunits of a species within and between environmental regimes (see Vehrencamp & Bradbury 1984). RRS is important to the field of conservation biology since an increase in the variance of reproductive success in a population reduces effective population size (Primack 1993). Information about RRS facilitates viability analysis of population fluctuations required for recovery from environmental perturbations.
Methods: This report analyzes relative reproductive success (RRS--Method via Sandy Vehrencamp, Cornell University, ~1976) of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata palliata Gray) in two Central American forests as the mean number of juveniles plus infants (J+I) per female group size per site. This report uses data from several studies...at two research sites where mantled howler monkeys have been studied most intensively....Mantled howler monkeys, large cebids [n.b., now classified Atelidae]....
References
Emlen ST, Oring L (1977) Ecology, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. Science 197: 215-223.
Primack RB (1993) Essentials of conservation biology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.
Vehrencamp SL, Bradbury JW (1984) Mating systems and ecology. In Behavioural ecology: an evolutionary approach. JR Krebs, NB Davies (eds.). pp. 251-278. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Wittenberger JF (1980) Group size and polygyny in social mammals. Am Nat. 115: 197-222.