Borries C, Launhardt K, Epplen C, Epplen J T, Winkler P
Abteilung Verhaltensforschung und Okologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Göttingen, Germany.
Proc Biol Sci. 1999 May 7;266(1422):901-4. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0721.
Although the killing of dependent infants by adult males is a widespread phenomenon among primates, its causes and consequences still remain hotly debated. According to the sexual selection hypothesis, infanticidal males will gain a reproductive advantage provided that only unrelated infants are killed and that the males increase their chances of siring the next infants. Alternatively, the social pathology hypothesis interprets infanticide as a result of crowded living conditions and, thus, as not providing any advantage. Based on DNA analyses of wild Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) we present the first evidence that male attackers were not related to their infant victims. Furthermore, in all cases the presumed killers were the likely fathers of the subsequent infants. Our data, therefore, strongly support the sexual selection hypothesis interpreting infanticide as an evolved, adaptive male reproductive tactic.
尽管成年雄性杀害依赖其生存的幼崽在灵长类动物中是一种普遍现象，但其成因及后果仍备受激烈争论。根据性选择假说，杀婴雄性若仅杀害与其无亲缘关系的幼崽，且能增加自己成为下一胎幼崽父亲的几率，便会获得繁殖优势。另一种观点，即社会病理学假说，则将杀婴行为解释为拥挤生活条件导致的结果，因而不具有任何优势。基于对野生哈努曼叶猴（食叶猴）的DNA分析，我们首次提供证据表明雄性攻击者与它们的幼崽受害者并无亲缘关系。此外，在所有案例中，推定的杀手很可能是后续幼崽的父亲。因此，我们的数据有力地支持了性选择假说，该假说将杀婴行为解释为一种进化而来的、适应性的雄性繁殖策略。
