Löttker Petra, Huck Maren, Zinner Dietmar P, Heymann Eckhard W
Department of Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, German Primate Centre, Göttingen, Germany.
Am J Primatol. 2007 Oct;69(10):1159-72. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20411.
Grooming is the most common form of affiliative behavior in primates that apart from hygienic and hedonistic benefits offers important social benefits for the performing individuals. This study examined grooming behavior in a cooperatively breeding primate species, characterized by single female breeding per group, polyandrous matings, dizygotic twinning, delayed offspring dispersal, and intensive helping behavior. In this system, breeding females profit from the presence of helpers but also helpers profit from staying in a group and assisting in infant care due to the accumulation of direct and indirect fitness benefits. We examined grooming relationships of breeding females with three classes of partners (breeding males, potentially breeding males, (sub)adult non-breeding offspring) during three reproductive phases (post-partum ovarian inactivity, ovarian activity, pregnancy) in two groups of wild moustached tamarins (Saguinus mystax). We investigated whether grooming can be used to regulate group size by either "pay-for-help" or "pay-to-stay" mechanisms. Grooming of breeding females with breeding males and non-breeding offspring was more intense and more balanced than with potentially breeding males, and most grooming occurred during the breeding females' pregnancies. Grooming was skewed toward more investment by the breeding females with breeding males during the phases of ovarian activity, and with potentially breeding males during pregnancies. Our results suggest that grooming might be a mechanism used by female moustached tamarins to induce mate association with the breeding male, and to induce certain individuals to stay in the group and help with infant care.
梳理毛发是灵长类动物中最常见的亲和行为形式，除了具有卫生和享乐方面的益处外，还为进行梳理毛发行为的个体带来重要的社会益处。本研究考察了一种合作繁殖的灵长类物种的梳理毛发行为，该物种的特征是每组有单一雌性繁殖、多雄交配、双合子孪生、后代延迟扩散以及强烈的帮助行为。在这个系统中，繁殖雌性从帮手的存在中获益，而帮手也因直接和间接适合度益处的积累而从留在群体中协助照顾幼崽中获利。我们在两组野生髭狨（Saguinus mystax）的三个生殖阶段（产后卵巢静止期、卵巢活动期、孕期），研究了繁殖雌性与三类伙伴（繁殖雄性、潜在繁殖雄性、（亚）成年非繁殖后代）之间的梳理毛发关系。我们调查了梳理毛发是否可通过“以帮助换回报酬”或“为留下而付出代价”机制来调节群体规模。繁殖雌性与繁殖雄性及非繁殖后代之间的梳理毛发行为比与潜在繁殖雄性之间更为频繁和平衡，且大多数梳理毛发行为发生在繁殖雌性的孕期。在卵巢活动期，繁殖雌性对繁殖雄性的梳理毛发投入更多；在孕期，则对潜在繁殖雄性的梳理毛发投入更多。我们的研究结果表明，梳理毛发可能是髭狨雌性用来促使与繁殖雄性建立配偶关系，并促使某些个体留在群体中帮助照顾幼崽的一种机制。
