Natal emigration by both sexes in the La Pacifica population of mantled howlers: when do some stay?
Abstract
We have reported previously that all male and female mantled howlers emigrate from
natal groups at Hacienda La Pacifica, Costa Rica. In the years since that report,
a small number of juveniles have stayed in the natal group without experiencing a
solitary phase. Here, we present a post hoc analysis on juvenile emigration in six
groups of howlers under observation for varying amounts of time between 1972 and 2005.
Our records revealed 139 juveniles for whom emigration status was certain, and 125
of these did emigrate. There was a significant association between presence of mother
and emigration: juveniles without mothers were more likely to remain in their natal
group (chi(1)(2) = 53.1, P<.0001). The mean age of emigration for all juveniles (n
= 125) was 2.47 years (SD = 0.9, range = 1.5-6.5). There was no difference in age
of emigration by adult male composition (one-male, multi-male, both), but juveniles
of unknown sex emigrated younger than either known males or females (F(2,116) = 4.4,
P<.02). For emigrating juveniles of known sex (n = 99), both males and females without
mothers left at a later age than those with mothers (F(1,95) = 6.5, P<.02). Although
philopatry or delayed emigration occurs in a few motherless animals, most males and
females do emigrate from their natal groups at ages consistent with those reported
for other species of howlers.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6236Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1002/ajp.20473Publication Info
Clarke, Margaret R; & Glander, Kenneth E (2008). Natal emigration by both sexes in the La Pacifica population of mantled howlers: when
do some stay?. Am J Primatol, 70(2). pp. 195-200. 10.1002/ajp.20473. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6236.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kenneth Earl Glander
Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Anthropology
Primate ecology and social organization: the interaction between feeding patterns
and social structure; evolutionary development of optimal group size and composition;
factors affecting short and long-term demographic changes in stable groups; primate
use of regenerating forests.

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