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Primates (2007) 48:6472 DOI 10.1007/s10329-006-0002-5
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Non-reproductive copulation behavior among Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Huangshan, China
Jinhua Li Huabao Yin Lizhi Zhou
Received: 25 June 2004 / Accepted: 28 March 2006 / Published online: 23 September 2006 Japan Monkey Centre and Springer-Verlag 2006
Abstract Non-reproductive copulation, which takes place outside of the mating season and does not result in conception and birth, was studied in a free-ranging group of Tibetan monkeys (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, China, in the birth seasons of 1992 and 1997. We employed all occurrence and focal animal samplings to record sexual and related behaviors and afliation interactions, respectively. Compared with sexual behavior in mating season, non-reproductive copulation occurred at a lower frequency, with less frequent ejaculation, less harassment, shorter mount duration, and an absence of pause with vocalization. It often took place in a situation in which non-lactating females were involved in social conict or approached males for mating. Neither pregnant nor lactating females were observed to mate in the birth seasons. Copulation during the birth season did not increase a sexually receptive females delivery the next year, nor was it associated with increased proximity, grooming, or agonistic aid for the mating pair. However, copulated pairs spent more time co-feeding, presumably reecting an increased tolerance on the part of the male. Adolescent males, who rarely copulated in the mating season, engaged in mating activity in birth seasons as well. Therefore, though birth-season copulation had no reproductive functions, it may have
fullled social functions for females, such as post-aggression appeasing by males or gaining access to resources. This also offered good opportunities for adolescent males and females to develop their sexual skills for later competition.
Keywords Birth season Macaca thibetana Non-reproductive copulation Social function
Introduction
Sexual behavior in nonhuman primates is assumed to function primarily for reproductive purposes (Nigi et al. 1990). However, sexual behavior may also occur in non-reproductive contexts and fulll a variety of functions in socio-sexual communication (Dixson 1998). Copulations usually occur in situations in which males are able to produce sperm and females are able to produce fertile ova. Mature primate females experience menstruation, and ovulation occurs only during a few days near the mid-cycle of a menstruation. Since primate females do not store sperm...