The general term for micro-habitats in nature to which populations of organisms adapt. They are usually seen in terms of being food getting opportunities in the environment. | ecological niches |
The general term for a non-captive group of primates or other animals that is living in its natural habitat, largely free from constraints imposed by humans. | free-ranging population |
The study of primates and their behavioral patterns. People who do this usually carry out long-term field studies of free-ranging populations. | primatology |
A term referring to the active defense by community members of their shared home range or territory. In the case of many species of non-human primates, scent marking, loud vocalizations, or threat gestures are used to defend their territories against incursions by others. | territorial defense behavior |
A mating pattern in which one female has more than one male mate. This is rare among nonhuman primates. It is seen only among marmosets and tamarins. It also occurs in a few small human societies. | polyandry or polyandrous mating |
A mating pattern in which one male has more than one female mate. This is common among nonhuman primates and occasionally occurs among humans. | polygyny or polygynous mating |
A mating pattern in which an individual has only one mate. This is rare among nonhuman primates but it is common for humans. | monogamy or monogamous mating |
A term for the relative ranking of individuals in a group. In some non-human primate species, each community has a separate ranking order for males and females--every individual is ranked relative to all other community members of the same gender. | dominance hierarchy |
The social group composition pattern of chimpanzees. | fission-fusion society |
The social group composition pattern of savanna baboons, macaques. | multimale-multifemale group |
The social group composition pattern of gorillas. | one-male-several-female group |
The social group composition pattern of marmosets and tamarins. | polyandrous family group |
The social group composition pattern of gibbons and siamangs. | monogamous family group |
The social group composition pattern of orangutans. | single female and her offspring |
Recognizing family ties between mothers and their children. This is the only kind of descent that non-human primates know—individuals know who their mother is but not their father. Socially recognized paternity is unimportant or non-existent for them. | matrilineal descent |
The period of time when female animals are sexually excited and receptive to mating. This occurs around the time of ovulation in many species. | estrus |
The social group composition pattern in which the group size and composition changes throughout the year with different activities and situations. | fission-fusion society |
The social group composition pattern in which there are no stable heterosexual bonds--both males and females have a number of different mates. This is the most common social group pattern among semi-terrestrial primates. | multimale-multifemale group |
The social group composition pattern in which one male regularly mates with more than one female. It is not a promiscuous mating pattern. Rather, the male and his female mates form a distinct mating and child rearing group. | one-male-several-female group |
The term for adult male and female members of a community who are at the peak of their gender based dominance hierarchies. Non-human males and females who have this status usually mate more frequently and have greater access to food. | alpha male and alpha female |