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Male life history in natural populations of Japanese macaques: Migration, dominance rank, and troop participation of males in two habitats

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Abstract

This paper compares male life history parameters of two populations of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata Blyth, 1875), studied without provisioning: Yakushima (M. f. yakui), a subtropical forest habitat in southwestern Japan, and Kinkazan (M. f. fuscata), a temperate, deciduous forest habitat in northeastern Japan. The males of the two sites experienced similar life histories with respect to several traits. Age at natal dispersal was at about 5 years. Average troop residence was about three years. Most males joined troops at the bottom of the rank order, although a few males joined troops at the top rank. Dominance ranks of males tended to rise with the death or departure of higher ranking males. Visiting males accounted for about 41% of observed mating at both sites. However, the two sites differed in the sex ratio of troops, partly because a larger proportion of males apparently lived outside of troops in the Kinkazan site compared to Yakushima. In particular, non-natal young males were absent from the main study troop at Kinkazan. Large within-species variation may exist in the degree to which males associate with troops.

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Author notes

  1. David S. Sprague

    Present address: Rural Ecosystem Dynamics Laboratory, National Institute of Agro-environmental Sciences, 305-0856, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

  2. Shigeru Suzuki & Hiroyuki Takahashi

    Present address: Kyoto University, 606-8502, Kyoto, Japan

  3. Shizue Sato

    Present address: Makki International Academy, Aoba, 980-0813, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

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  1. University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    David S. Sprague

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  1. David S. Sprague
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Sprague, D.S., Suzuki, S., Takahashi, H. et al. Male life history in natural populations of Japanese macaques: Migration, dominance rank, and troop participation of males in two habitats. Primates 39, 351–363 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02573083

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