Abstract
Monogamous primates maintain exclusive use of their ranges by regularly defining and reinforcing the conventional location of boundaries.Callicebus moloch males often call alone during the first morning bout, when groups are near boundaries but usually separated by more than 100m. Depending on the location and proximity of neighboring animals, groups might begin duetting and approaching one another. Duetting requires close vocal and spatial coordination of the mated pair, and stimulates the approach of neighboring pairs. At the boundary, vocalizations which keep the pair together and those associated with withdrawal from the boundary increase in proportion. To determine the effect of different calls, I played back recordings of six different vocalizations during two playback experiments, holding location and proximity constant. The responses supported hypotheses generated in the normalistic study, and suggested that at the boundary aggression is primarily intrasexual. Vocalizations and their effects in specified contexts constitute the mechanisms regulating spacing. The resulting spacing patterns maintain resource availability and exclusive access to a mate.
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Robinson, J.G. Vocal regulation of inter- and intragroup spacing during boundary encounters in the titi monkey,Callicebus moloch . Primates 22, 161–172 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382607
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382607