Spatial patterns within gelada monkey one male units at Guassa, Ethiopia
Loading...
Date
2016
Authors
Erskine, Sarah
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Psychology
Abstract
I used repeated, accurate positional data, collected between October 2013 and
January 2014, on all adult members of nine gelada monkey One-Male Units (OMUs)
living at Guassa, Ethiopia to investigate the consequences of a modular, multilevel social
organization for the spatial associations of individuals. The results indicate that distances
between individuals within OMUs did not change with increasing group size, such that
larger OMUs necessarily occupied more space. Unit males were significantly more likely
to be in the vanguard. The group geometry of OMUs was distinctive in that all groups,
being stretched along the axis of travel, were best described as files. The extent of
conformity to a file was best explained by activity and travel speed, rather than by
demographic or ecological factors. These results are interpreted in the context of the
optimization of foraging by OMU members living in the immediate proximity of other
OMUs.
Description
Keywords
inter-individual distances , nearest neighbour distances , spatial associations , axis of travel , spatial patterns , modular social organization , socio-spatal coordination , group structure