Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The variable social organization of hanuman langurs(Presbytis entellus), infanticide, and the monopolization of females

  • Published:
International Journal of Primatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Data from 24 wild populations of hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)in south Asia are used to test hypotheses seeking to explain variation in troop structure and the incidence of infanticide. The occurrence of infanticide is associated with a one-male troop structure and not with a high density. The density, predation, and economic-advantage hypotheses, as explanations for the occurrence of one-male and multimale troops, are not supported by the review. However, the monopolization hypothesis is not contradicted; the number of adult males per troop is significantly correlated with troop size and with the number of adult females per troop. Therefore it is suggested that a one-male troop structure will arise if a male is able to monopolize a group of females, a multimale troop if he cannot. One-male troops may predispose to infanticide because of high variance in male mating success and high intermale competition between groups rather than within troops. If female dispersion determines troop structure, it is speculated that females could manipulate males to form a multimale society if the advantages in terms of infant survival and intertroop conflict exceeded the costs in terms of not producing infanticidal “sexy sons.”

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agoramoorthy, G. (1986). Recent observations on 12 cases of infanticide in hanuman langurs,Presbytis entellus, around Jodhpur, India.Primate Rep. 14: 209–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alatalo, R. V., and Lunberg, A. (1986). The sexy son hypothesis: Data from the pied flycatcherFicedula hypoleuca.Anim. Behav. 34: 1454–1462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich-Blake, P. (1970). Problems of social structure in forest monkeys. In Crook, J. H. (ed.),Social Behaviour in Birds and Mammals, Academic Press, New York, pp. 79–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, R. D. (1974). The evolution of social behavior.Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 5: 325–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andelman, S. J. (1986). Ecological and social determinants of Cercopithecine mating systems. In Rubenstein, D.I., and Wrangham, R. W. (eds.),Ecological Aspects of Social Evolution, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J., pp. 201–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst, W., and Thommen, D. (1977). New data and a discussion of infant-killing in Old World monkeys and apes.Folia primatol. 27: 198–229.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, N. H. (1979). Himalayan langurs: temperate colobines.J. hum. Evol. 8: 251–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, N. H., Hrdy, S. B., Teas, J., and Moore, J. (1981). Measures of human influences in habitats of South Asian monkeys.Int. J. Primatol. 2: 153–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boggess, J. (1979). Troop male membership changes and infant killing in langurs (Presbytis entellus).Folia primatol. 32: 65–107.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boggess, J. (1980). Intermale relations and troop male membership changes in langurs (Presbytis entellus) in Nepal.Int. J. Primatol. 1: 233–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boggess, J. (1984). Infant killing and male reproductive strategies in langurs (Presbytis entellus). In Hausfater, G., and Hrdy, S. B. (eds.),Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Prespectives, Aldine, New York, pp. 283–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, G. J. (1981). The relationship between body and gonadal weights of the dusky leaf monkey (Presbytis obscura).Int. J. Primatol. 2: 351–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butynski, T. M. (1982). Harem male replacement and infanticide in the blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) in the Kibale Forest, Uganda.Am. J. Primatol. 3: 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, N. (1979).Social Behaviour in Primates, Arnold, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, M., and Hausfater, G. (1980). The reproductive consequences of infanticide in langurs: A mathematical model.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 5: 227–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chism, J. B., and Rowell, T. E. (1986). Mating and residence patterns of male patas monkeys.Ethology 72: 31–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T. H. (1974). Primate social organisation and ecology.Nature (London) 250: 539–542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T. H., and Harvey, P. H. (1976). Evolutionary rules and primate societies. In Bateson, P. P. G., and Hinde, R. A. (eds.),Growing Points in Ethology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 195–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T. H., and Harvey, P. H. (1977). Primate ecology and social organisation.J. Zool. (London) 183: 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, A. M., Claud, A. B., and Quick, L. B. (1977). Social organization and food resource availability in primates: A socio-bioenergetic analysis of diet and disease hypotheses.Am. J. phys. Anthropol. 46: 253–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, D. A., Busse, C. A., and Goodall, J. (1984). Infanticide in two populations of savannah baboons. In Hausfater, G., and Hrdy, S. B. (eds.),Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, Aldine, New York, pp. 193–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cords, M. (1984). Mating patterns and social structure in redtailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius).Z. Tierpsychol. 64: 313–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J. H. (1970). The socio-ecology of primates. In Crook, J. (ed.),Social Behavior in Birds and Mammals, Academic Press, New York, pp. 103–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J. H., and Gartlan, J. S. (1966). Evolution of primate societies.Nature (London) 210: 1200–1203.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curtin, R. A. (1977). Langur social behaviour and infant mortality.Kroeber anthropol. Soc. Papers 50: 27–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin, R. A. (1982). Females, male competition and grey langur troop structure.Folia primatol. 37: 216–227.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curtin, R. A., and Dolhinow, P. (1978). Primate social behavior in a changing world.Am. Sci. 66: 468–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, G. F. X., and Ramaswami, L. S. (1971). Reproductive systems of the North Indian langur (Presbytis entellus entellus Dufresne).J. Morphol. 135: 99–130.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Denham, W. W. (1971). Energy relations and some basic properties of primate social organization.Am. Anthropol. 73: 77–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. (1984).Reproductive Decisions; An Economic Analysis of Gelada Baboon Social Strategies, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. (1987).Primate Social Systems, Croom Helm, Beckenham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M., and Dunbar, E. P. (1976). Constraints on social structure among black-and-white colobus monkey groups.Anim. Behav. 24: 84–92.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, J. F., Muckenhirn, N. A., and Rudran, R. (1972). The relation between ecology and social structure in primates.Science 176: 863–874.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emlen, S., and Oring, L. (1977). Ecology, sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems.Science 197: 215–223.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harcourt, A. H., Harvey, P. H., Larson, S. G., and Short, R. V. (1981). Testis weight, body weight and breeding system in primates.Nature (London) 293: 55–57.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hausfater, G., and Hrdy, S. B. (1984).Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, Aldine, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausfater, G., and Vogel, C. (1982). Infanticide in langur monkeys (GenusPresbytis): Recent research and a review of hypotheses. In Chiarelli, A. B., and Corruccini, R. S. (eds.),Advanced Views in Primate Biology, Springer, Berlin, pp. 160–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausfater, G., Aref, S., and Cairns, S. J. (1982). Infanticide as an alternative male reproductive strategy in langurs: A mathematical model.J. theor. Biol. 94: 391–412.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy, S. B. (1977).The Langurs of Abu: Female and Male Strategies of Reproduction, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy, S. B. (1979). Infanticide among animals: A review, classification, and examination of the implications for the reproductive strategies of females.Ethol. Sociobiol. 1: 13–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hrdy, S. B. (1982). Positivist thinking encounters field primatology, resulting in agonistic behavior.Soc. Sci. Inform. 21: 245–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jay, P. (1965). The common langur of North India. In Devore, I. (ed.),Primate Behavior, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, pp. 197–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kankane, P. L. (1980). Studies on the hanuman langur (Presbytis entellus (Dufresne)) at Kanha National Park, M.P.Proceedings, Wildlife Workshop, Dehra Dun, pp. 61–71.

  • Kankane, P. L. (1984). Studies on the hanuman langur,Presbytis entellus, at the Madhav National Park, Shivpuri (M.P., India). In Roonwal, M. L., Mohnot, S. M., and Rathore, N. S. (eds.),Current Primate Researches, Zoology Department, University of Jodhpur, Jodhpur, pp. 23–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, M. (1985). Evolution of female choice and male parental investment in polygynous species: demise of the “sexy son.”Am. Nat. 125: 788–810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurup, G. U. (1984). Census survey and population ecology of hanuman langur,Presbytis entellus (Dufresne 1797), in south India.Proc. Indian Natl. Sci. Acad. B50: 245–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laws, J. W., and Vonder Haar Laws, J. (1984). Social interactions among adult male langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary.Int. J. Primatol. 5: 31–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leland, L., Struhsaker, T. T., and Butynski, T. M. (1984). Infanticide by adult males in three primate species of the Kibale Forest, Uganda: A test of hypotheses. In Hausfater, G., and Hrdy, S. B. (eds.),Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, Aldine, New York, pp. 151–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makwana, S. C. (1979). Infanticide and social change in two groups of the hanuman langur,Presbytis entellus, at Jodhpur.Primates 20: 293–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makwana, S. C., and Advani, R. (1981). Social changes in the hanuman langurPresbytis entellus around Jodhpur, India.J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 78: 152–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, C. W. (1979). Comparative aspects of social organisation in the Tana River red colobus,Colobus badius rufomitratus.Z. Tierpsychol. 51: 337–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maynard-Smith, J. (1976). Group selection.Q. Rev. Biol. 51: 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohnot, S. M. (1971). Some aspects of social changes and infant-killing in the hanuman langur,Presbytis entellus (Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Western India.Mammalia 35: 175–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohnot, S. M., Gadgil, M., and Makwana, S. G. (1981). The dynamics of the hanuman langur populations of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.Primates 22: 182–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. (1985).Demography and Sociality in Primates, Ph.D. thesis, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muckenhirn, N. A. (1972).Leaf Eaters and their Predators in Ceylon: Ecological Roles of Grey Langurs, Presbytis entellus,and Leopards, Ph.D. thesis, University of Maryland, College Park.

    Google Scholar 

  • Napier, J. R., and Napier, P. H. (1967).A Handbook of Living Primates, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, P. N. (1984).The Ecology and Social Organisation of Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus,Dufresne 1797) in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Central Indian Highlands, D.Phil. thesis, University of Oxford, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, P. N. (1985). The behavioural ecology of forest hanuman langurs.Tigerpaper 12: 3–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, P. N. (1986). Infanticide in an undisturbed forest population of hanuman langurs,Presbytis entellus. Anim. Behav. 34: 785–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newton, P. N. (1987). The social organization of forest hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus).Int. J. Primatol. 8: 199–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer, J. R. (1977).Presbytis entellus, the hanuman langur. In Rainer, H. R. H., and Bourne, G. H. (eds.),Primate Conservation, Academic Press, New York, pp. 469–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahaman, H. (1973). The langurs of the Gir Sanctuary (Gujerat)— A preliminary survey.J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 70: 294–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridley, M. (1986). The number of males in a primate troop.Anim. Behav. 34: 1848–1858.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roonwal, M. L., and Mohnot, S. M. (1977).Primates of South Asia: Ecology, Sociobiology and Behavior, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudran, R. (1973). Adult male replacement in one-male troop of purple-faced langurs (Presbytis senex senex) and its effect on population structure.Folia primatol. 19: 166–192.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert, G. (1982). Infanticide by usurper hanuman langur males: A sociobiological myth.Soc. Sci. Inform. 21: 199–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, S. (1956).Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, McGraw-Hill Kogakusha, Tokyo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer, V., and Mohnot, S. M. (1985). New observations of infanticide among hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) near Jodhpur (Rajasthan/India).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 16: 245–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Starin, D. (1978). A preliminary investigation of home range use in the Gir Forest langurs.Primates 19: 551–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Struhsaker, T. T. (1977). Infanticide and social organisation in the redtail monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti) in the Kibale Forest, Uganda.Z. Tierpsychol. 45: 75–84.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Struhsaker, T. T., and Leland, L. (1979). Socioecology of five sympatric monkey species in the Kibale Forest, Uganda. In Rosenblatt, J., Hinde, R. A., Shaw, E., and Beer, C. (eds.),Advances in the Study of Behavior (Vol. 9), Academic Press, New York, pp. 158–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Struhsaker, T. T., and Leland, L. (1985). Infanticide in a patrilineal society of red colobus monkeys.Z. Tierpsychol. 69: 89–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, Y. (1964). Group composition, population density and some sociological observations of hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus).Primates 5: 7–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, Y. (1965). On the social change of hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) in their natural conditions.Primates 6: 381–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, Y. (1967). Social organization of hanuman langurs. In Altmann, S. (ed.),Social Communication Among Primates, Chicago University Press, Chicago, pp. 221–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, Y. (1976). Characteristics of the ecology of the Himalayan langurs.J. hum. Evol. 5: 249–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, Y. (1984). Some aspects of infanticide and intermale competition among langurs,Presbytis entellus, at Dharwar, India.Primates 25: 423–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terborgh, J. (1983).Five New World Primates, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terborgh, J. (1986). The social systems of New World primates: An adaptionist’s view. In Else, J., and Lee, P. (eds.),Primate Ecology and Conservation, University of Cambridge Press, Cambridge, pp. 199–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsingalia, H. M., and Rowell, T. E. (1984). The behaviour of adult male blue monkeys.Z. Tierpsychol. 64: 253–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P., and van Hooff, J. A. R. A. M. (1983). On the ultimate causes of primate social systems.Behaviour 85: 91–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, C. (1973). Hanuman as a research object for anthropologists — field studies of social behaviour among the grey langurs of India.German Schol. India Contrib. Indian Stud. 1: 349–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, C. (1977). Ecology and sociology ofPresbytis entellus. In Prasad, M. R. N., and Kumar, T. C. A. (eds.),Use of Non-human Primates in Biomedical Research, Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, pp. 24–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, C. (1979). Der Hanuman-Langur (Presbytis entellus), ein Parade-Exempel für die the-oretischen Konzepte der ‘Soziobiologie’?Verh. Dtsch. zool. Ges. 72: 73–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, C., and Loch, H. (1984). Reproductive parameters, adult male replacements and infanticide among free ranging langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Jodhpur, India. In Hausfater, G., and Hrdy, S. B. (eds.),Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, Aldine Press, New York, pp. 237–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weatherhead, M., and Robertson, R. J. (1979). Offspring quality and the polygyny threshold: The “sexy son hypothesis.”Am. Nat. 113: 201–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wittenberger, J. F. (1980). Group size and polygyny in social mammals.Am. Nat. 115: 197–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfheim, J. H. (1983).Primates of the World, University of Washington Press, Seattle.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrangham, R. W. (1979). On the evolution of ape social systems.Soc. Sci. Inform. 18: 335–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrangham, R. W. (1980). An ecological model of female bonded primate groups.Behaviour 75: 262–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshiba, K. (1968). Local and intertroop variability in ecology and social behavior of common Indian langurs. In Jay, P. (ed.),Primate Studies in Adaptation and Variability, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, pp. 217–242.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology Research Group, OX1 3PS, Oxford, England

    Paul N. Newton

Authors
  1. Paul N. Newton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Newton, P.N. The variable social organization of hanuman langurs(Presbytis entellus), infanticide, and the monopolization of females. Int J Primatol 9, 59–77 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02740198

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02740198

Key words

Search

Navigation