Abstract
Inferring the latent structures of social organisations is a central theme in animal ecology. Sophisticated theoretical frameworks underpin the study of various primate social systems. Single-file movements, defined as serially ordered patterns of animals, reflect intra-group social relationships and provide a key to understanding social structures. Here, we analysed automated camera-trapping data on the order of progression of single-file movements in a free-ranging group of stump-tailed macaques to estimate the social structure of the group. The sequence of single file movements showed some regularities, particularly for adult males. Social network analysis identified four community clusters (subgroups) corresponding to the social structures reported for these stumptailed macaques, i.e. males that had copulated more frequently with females were spatially clustered with females, but males that had copulated less frequently were spatially isolated from females. Our results suggest that stumptailed macaques move in regular, socially determined patterns that reflect the spatial positions of adult males and are related to the social organisation of the species.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Chuchat Choklap, the superintendent of the Khao Krapuk Khao Taomor Non-Hunting Area; Phanlerd Inprasoet, Wanchai Inprasoet and Napatchaya Techaatiwatkun for providing valuable support that ensured the success of our fieldwork; Y. Kawamoto for support in the genetic analysis; Y. Hamada, I. Adachi and T. Nishimura for their support of our research. This study was funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) (nos. 16J0098 and 22K13802 to AT, no. 19KK0191 to IM); a Young Science Explorer Grant of the National Geographic Foundation for Science and Exploration–Asia (to AT); the Kyoto University Foundation (to AT); a Japan Science Society Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant (to AT); the Cooperation Research Programs of the Wildlife Research Center and Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University (to AT); Japan Science and Technology Agency Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology 17941861 (no. JPMJCR17A4); and a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas no. 4903 (Evolinguistics) 17H06380.
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All data acquisitions and procedures carried out during the fieldwork were approved by the National Research Council of Thailand (no. 0002/6910) and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand.
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Toyoda, A., Maruhashi, T., Malaivijitnond, S. et al. Macaque progressions: passing order during single-file movements reflects the social structure of a wild stump-tailed macaque group. Primates 64, 351–359 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-023-01055-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-023-01055-y