The parameters and pattern of copulation behaviors in Taihangshan ma-caque(Macaca mulatta tcheliensis),Jiyuan,China
Survival and reproduction are the nature of animals,and copulation is the key process of sexually reproducing animals,which could be shaped by natural selection and sexual selection.However,it is difficult to observe copulation in the wild,and therefore there is lack of quantitative analyses of wildlife'copulation.In this study,a troop of free-rang-ing Taihangshan macaques(Macaca mulatta tcheliensis)was assigned as the study object,and the data of copulation was collected through focal-animal sampling and analyzed within the Macaca genus.The results showed that,(1)the social grooming(49.8％)was the dominant pre-copulation behavior and initiated by adult females(61.8％);(2)a copulation cycle was composed of 12 mounting bouts and a successful ejaculation,lasting(719.4±43.3)s on average,and the cop-ulation pattern of Taihangshan macaque could be classified as multiple-mount-to-ejaculation pattern;(3)social grooming(19.4％)and resting(18.1％)were the main behaviors during the post-copulation period,and the copulation bond could last(2.1±2.03)d;(4)the copulation patterns of used macaque species were consistent with the phylogenetic relation-ship and the traditional taxonomic classification rather than with social style,while the copulatory parameters varied among species.This study quantitatively analyzed the copulatory behaviors,and the copulation patterns of macaque spe-cies were relatively conserved according to the phylogenetic relationship and traditional taxonomic classification.
万方数据
维普
