Wolovich Christy K, Tapanes Elizabeth, Evans Sian
Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, USA.
Folia Primatol (Basel). 2017;88(6):483-496. doi: 10.1159/000485134. Epub 2018 Jan 10.
Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are socially monogamous, yet allogrooming is reported to be rare. Because Aotus are nocturnal and arboreal, allogrooming is difficult to observe in natural settings. We observed 21 male-female pairs of captive Aotus nancymaae during 2 nonconsecutive study periods in order to describe the details of allogrooming between mates (partner grooming). We found that grooming bouts are brief and consist of tugging the hair or skin with flexed fingers and/or the mouth. Males groomed females most often, and their rates of partner grooming were negatively related to age. Partner grooming occurred regardless of mating behavior. Camera trap data revealed that the rate of partner grooming (1.50 bouts/h) is greater than that recorded from our direct observations in the early evenings (0.51 bouts/h, in 2013; 0.37 bouts/h in 2003) given that most bouts occurred later in the night. A positive relationship between the rates of the parents' partner grooming and those of their offspring later in life suggests intergenerational transmission. This relationship is influenced by the fathers' rates of partner grooming. We conclude that allogrooming in Aotus is a normal part of their behavioral repertoire that likely serves social functions similar to those in other pair-bonded primates.
夜猴（夜猴属）在社交上是一夫一妻制，但据报道相互梳理毛发的行为很少见。由于夜猴是夜行性和树栖性动物，在自然环境中很难观察到它们相互梳理毛发的行为。我们在两个不连续的研究期间观察了21对圈养的南氏夜猴雌雄配对，以描述配偶之间相互梳理毛发（伴侣梳理）的细节。我们发现梳理毛发的时间很短，包括用弯曲的手指和/或嘴巴拉扯毛发或皮肤。雄性最常为雌性梳理毛发，它们的伴侣梳理频率与年龄呈负相关。无论交配行为如何，都会发生伴侣梳理行为。相机陷阱数据显示，伴侣梳理的频率（每小时1.50次）高于我们在傍晚直接观察到的频率（2013年为每小时0.51次；2003年为每小时0.37次），因为大多数梳理行为发生在深夜。父母的伴侣梳理频率与他们后代成年后的频率之间存在正相关，这表明存在代际传递。这种关系受父亲的伴侣梳理频率影响。我们得出结论，夜猴的相互梳理毛发行为是它们行为模式的正常组成部分，可能具有与其他成对结合的灵长类动物类似的社会功能。
