When population growth intensifies intergroup competition, female colobus monkeys free-ride less.

ABSTRACT: Intergroup aggression often results in the production of public goods, such as a safe and stable social environment and a home range containing the resources required to survive and reproduce. We investigate temporal variation in intergroup aggression in a growing population of colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) to ask a novel question: "Who stepped-up to produce these public goods when doing so became more difficult?". Both whole-group encounters and male incursions occurred more frequently as the population grew. Males and females were both more likely to participate in whole-group encounters when monopolizable food resources were available, indicating both sexes engaged in food defence. However, only females increasingly did so as the population grew, suggesting that it was females wh

SUBMITTER: Arseneau-Robar TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11192885 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature