Heistermann Michael, Brauch Katrin, Möhle Ulrike, Pfefferle Dana, Dittami John, Hodges Keith
Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, Göttingen, Germany.
Am J Primatol. 2008 Jan;70(1):44-53. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20455.
Although all macaques have a multimale multifemale mating system, the degree of promiscuity shown by the Barbary macaque is considered to be extreme in terms of both mating frequency and number of mating partners. How mating activity is distributed throughout the female menstrual cycle and whether or not copulations are concentrated around the fertile phase as in other members of the genus is, however, not known. To examine this, we collected data on rates of copulation throughout 29 ovarian cycles from 13 free-ranging females of the Gibraltar Barbary macaque population and related them to the time of ovulation and the female fertile phase as determined from fecal hormone analysis. In addition, patterns of male inspection of females and time spent in consortship, both indicators of female attractivity, were also analyzed. The results indicate that both mating behavior and female attractivity vary predictably with ovarian cycle stage. Rates of copulation were found to increase toward the time of ovulation, with a distinct peak of ejaculatory (but not non-ejaculatory) copulations occurring in the fertile phase. Additionally, we show that frequency of inspection of females by males and time spent in consortship were also highest during the fertile phase and that ejaculatory copulations and male pericopulatory behaviors were significantly correlated with levels of female sex hormones. Our findings indicate that the Barbary macaque shows a mating pattern during the cycle similar to that described for other members of the genus. More importantly, however, our study provides clear evidence that despite an extreme degree of promiscuity Barbary macaque males concentrate their reproductive effort to the fertile phase, implying that they are able to discern this period and that thus timing of ovulation is not concealed from them. Estrogen-related cues appear to be involved in the process of recognition of female reproductive status by males, but the exact nature of these cues and how male Barbary macaques use them remains to be clarified.
虽然所有猕猴都拥有多雄多雌的交配系统，但巴巴里猕猴表现出的滥交程度，无论在交配频率还是交配伙伴数量方面，都被认为是极其极端的。然而，交配活动在雌性月经周期中是如何分布的，以及交配是否像该属的其他成员那样集中在排卵期，目前尚不清楚。为了研究这一点，我们收集了直布罗陀巴巴里猕猴种群中13只自由放养雌性猕猴在29个卵巢周期内的交配率数据，并将其与通过粪便激素分析确定的排卵时间和雌性排卵期相关联。此外，还分析了雄性对雌性的检查模式以及陪伴时间，这两者都是雌性吸引力的指标。结果表明，交配行为和雌性吸引力都随卵巢周期阶段而呈现出可预测的变化。发现交配率在排卵时间临近时增加，在排卵期出现射精（而非非射精）交配的明显峰值。此外，我们还表明，雄性对雌性的检查频率和陪伴时间在排卵期也最高，并且射精交配和雄性交配时的行为与雌性性激素水平显著相关。我们的研究结果表明，巴巴里猕猴在周期中的交配模式与该属其他成员所描述的相似。然而，更重要的是，我们的研究提供了明确的证据，即尽管巴巴里猕猴滥交程度极高，但雄性将其繁殖努力集中在排卵期，这意味着它们能够识别这个时期，因此排卵时间对它们而言并非隐蔽的。雌激素相关线索似乎参与了雄性识别雌性生殖状态的过程，但这些线索的确切性质以及巴巴里猕猴雄性如何利用它们仍有待阐明。
