Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zhang, Peng
• Li, Bao-guo
• Qi, Xiao-guang
• MacIntosh, Andrew J. J.
• Watanabe, Kunio

Titel

A Proximity-Based Social Network of a Group of Sichuan Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana)

Ist Teil von

• International journal of primatology, 2012-10, Vol.33 (5), p.1081-1095

Ort / Verlag

Boston: Springer US

Erscheinungsjahr

2012

Quelle

SpringerLink

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Studies of spatial proximity between individuals are important for an understanding of social structure because animals are more likely to interact with individuals in close spatial proximity. Here, we apply social network analysis to proximity data collected between 2001 and 2003 from an individually identified, provisioned, free-ranging band of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys ( Rhinopithecus roxellana ) in the Qinling Mountains, central China. We aimed to quantify the social network structure and to gain insight into each individual’s position within the social network. The overall network connectivity of the study band was sparse, with a low group density of 0.17. We identified nine one-male-multifemale units (OMUs) in the study band using hierarchical cluster analysis, which confirms that this species forms a multilevel society in its natural habitat. Based on sex differences in eigenvector and betweenness centralities, adult females have more important social roles than males. Among females, lactating females scored higher betweenness and eigenvector centralities than other females. However, our results do not suggest the existence of key individual(s) in the social network of the study band. The global clustering coefficient characteristic of the band was 0.3 ± 0.1, with little variation between individuals, suggesting that the removal or death of any specific individual would not significantly disrupt its general network structure. Our results also show that proximity commonly occurs among unit members, but can also occur between females of different OMUs. These observations suggest that snub-nosed monkeys have a loose-knit or fluid rather than a rigid female-bonded social system, which may be a common trend for species living in multilevel societies.