Matrilineal Behavioral and Physiological Changes following the Death of a Non-Alpha Matriarch in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta).

ABSTRACT: In many species, the loss of alpha matriarchs is associated with a number of negative outcomes such as troop fission, eviction, wounding, and reduced vitality. However, whether the dramatic consequences of their loss are due to their role as an old experienced figure or to their alpha status remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that in a semi-free ranging colony of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), the death of a non-alpha matriarch, who had a large set of kin, would lead to changes in behavior and physiological stress within her matriline. Following her death, her matriline increased in aggression, vigilance, and social grooming. Additionally, hierarchical stability, measured by levels of rank changes, decreased within her matriline, and levels of intense aggression by high-ranking a

SUBMITTER: Wooddell LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4898773 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature