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Intersexual food transfer among orangutans: do females test males for coercive tendency?

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Abstract

Tolerated transfer of food among adults is rare among primates, except in humans. Here, we present data on a consistent pattern of tolerated intersexual transfer of food (held in hand, foot, or mouth by the owner) among adult orangutans, in two different natural populations (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii), based on ca. 9,000 h of focal observation per site. Although rare, intersexual food transfers were disproportionately from males to sexually active females and involved food that was equally available to both sexes. There was no evidence for direct trading of food for social favors (mating, grooming, or agonistic support) or for sharing under pressure of harassment. However, females frequently protested with loud screams when males, especially unflanged ones, attempted to take food they possessed, and also when males responded aggressively to their taking attempt. Since associations ended sooner when the female emitted noisy calls, a male who did not allow a female to take food from him risked losing the association. These findings support the hypothesis that by taking food, a sexually active female may test the male's tendency toward violence. Thus, intersexual food taking in orangutans is based on female leverage, resulting in a species-wide female entitlement to male “generosity”. The inhibition of food defense required for this kind of transaction may also form the basis for sharing patterns among species in which nutritional benefits have become important, such as chimpanzees and perhaps human foragers.

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Acknowledgments

We especially thank Sri Suci Utami Atmoko for information on food transfer in orangutans in Ketambe. We are grateful to the Indonesian government, LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Science), and PHKA (Indonesian Department of Forestry and Nature Conservation) for the permission for long-term research projects in Indonesia. We appreciate the sponsorship and support from and long-term collaboration with Universitas Nasional, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Syah Kuala, Leuser Management Unit, BOS Jakarta, and BOS-MAWAS Palangkaraya. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support for field work and data analysis from the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society of New York, Duke University, A.H. Schultz Stiftung, and Universität Zürich. We thank all participants in data collection in both sites, in particular Beth Fox, Ibrahim, Idrusman, Ian Singleton, Bahlias, Samsuar, Abdussammad, Arnold Sitompul, Serge Wich, Ganda, Nadi, Linandi, Rahmatd, Yandi, and all students who worked at Tuanan. We thank Adrian Jaeggi, Katharin Pieta, Karin Isler, David Watts, and anonymous reviewers for discussion and comments. Research was conducted within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNAS and Duke University and later between UNAS and the University of Zurich. Observation protocols were in compliance with Indonesian laws.

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  1. Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    Maria A. van Noordwijk & Carel P. van Schaik

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  1. Maria A. van Noordwijk
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Correspondence to Maria A. van Noordwijk.

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Communicated by D. Watts

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van Noordwijk, M.A., van Schaik, C.P. Intersexual food transfer among orangutans: do females test males for coercive tendency?. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63, 883–890 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0728-3

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