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Primates (2008) 49:143145 DOI 10.1007/s10329-007-0067-9
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Observed case of maternal infanticide in a wild group of black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons)
Cristiane Casar Eduardo Silva Franco Gabriela de Castro Nogueira Soares Robert John Young
Received: 1 May 2007 / Accepted: 24 August 2007 / Published online: 16 October 2007 Japan Monkey Centre and Springer 2007
Abstract A maternal infanticide was observed in a group of unprovisioned wild black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons). An approximately 3-day-old male infant was killed by his mother. A post-mortem revealed the infant to be clinically healthy. We considered various hypotheses to explain why this behavior occurred (e.g., reproductive advantage, stress, nutritional, infant viability and population density). It is noteworthy that the mother and not the father killed the infant, since in this species the father provides considerable infant care from a few hours after birth.
Keywords Black fronted-titi monkey
Callicebus nigrifrons Maternal infanticide Post-mortem
Introduction
In non-human primates infanticide may occur for a number of different reasons such as reproductive advantage (Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1988). Infanticide may also occur as a response to stress caused by factors such as overcrowding, human disturbance or social pathology (Debyser 1995; Moore 1999). Furthermore, infanticide may occur when an infant shows signs of physical abnormalities or clinical signs of disease (Herrera et al. 2000). In the majority of observed cases of infanticide in non-human primates, it is
committed by unrelated adult males with the ultimate cause being reproductive advantage (Hiraiwa-Hasegawa and Hasegawa 1994; Crockett 2003). Female infanticide has been reported in cases of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with deviant personalities (Buirski and Plutchik 1991) and in groups of common marmosets where several females breed (Callithrix jacchus) (Bezerra et al. 2007). Cases of maternal infanticide are rare in non-human primates, and few published studies exist, mostly reporting cases in humans. The main reasons given for maternal infanticide in humans are post-partum mental health problems (Spinelli 2004). In one documented case in non-human primates, a female saddle-back tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis) killed her infant due to its low viability (Herrera et al. 2000).
Callicebus nigrifrons, the black-fronted titi monkey, is a relatively unknown species that lives in the Atlantic forest. Most of the behavioral and ecological data relating to this species comes from inferences based on studies of its...