Abstract
Darwin referred to the adult male mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) as the most brightly coloured of all mammals, citing the brilliant red and blue pigmentation of the face, rump, and genitalia as extreme examples of evolution by sexual selection. Considerable controversy exists concerning possible effects of sexually selected phenotypes via intermale competition on reproductive success. Behavioural and genetic studies of a large, semi-free ranging mandrill colony in Gabon have now demonstrated that clear-cut relationships exist between male secondary sexual development, social dominance, copulatory behaviour, and reproductive success in this primate species. Two morphological variants of adult male were identified; “fatted” males, with maximum secondary sexual coloration, which occupied dominant positions in the social group, and “non-fatted” males, with muted secondary sexual adornments, smaller testes and lower plasma testosterone levels, which lived as peripheral/solitary individuals. DNA fingerprinting analyses on infants born over five successive years showed that only the two most dominant, fatted males in the group had fathered offspring. Throughout the annual mating season these males attempted to mate-guard and copulate with females during periods of maximal sexual skin tumescence. Male rank and mating success were strongly positively related and the alpha male sired 80 – 100% of the resulting offspring during three consecutive years. Non-fatted adult males and group associated subadult males engaged in infrequent, opportunistic matings and did not guard females. Loss of alpha status resulted in a fall in reproductive success, but the effect was gradual; the deposed alpha male continued to father 67% and 25% of infants born during the next two years. Thus, whilst claims that male dominance determines mating success and paternity in primates have caused considerable debate, these results on mandrills provide unequivocal evidence for the existence of such effects.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Altmann, S. A., 1962. A field study of the sociobiology of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 102: 338–435.
Bercovitch, F. B., 1986. Male rank and reproductive activity in savanna baboons.Int. J. Primatol., 7: 533–550.
Bernstein, I. S., 1976. Dominance, aggression and reproduction in primate societies.J. Theor. Biol., 60: 459–472.
Burke, T., G. Dolf, A. J. Jeffreys, &R. Wolff (eds.), 1991.DNA Fingerprinting: Approaches and Applications. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel.
Chism, J. &T. E. Rowell, 1986. Mating and residence patterns in male patas monkeys.Ethology, 72: 31–39.
Clutton-Brock, T. H. &S. D. Albon, 1979. The roaring of red deer and the evolution of honest advertisement.Behaviour, 69: 145–170.
Colishaw, G. &R. I. M. Dunbar, 1991. Dominance rank and mating success in male primates.Anim. Behav., 41: 1045–1056.
Crook, J. H., 1966. Gelada baboon herd structure and movement: a comparative report.Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond., 18: 237–258.
Darwin, C., 1871.The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex. John Murray, London.
de Ruiter, J. R., W. Scheffrahn, G. J. J. M. Trommelen, A. G. Uitterlinden, R. D. Martin, &J. A. R. A. M. van Hooff, 1992. Male social rank and reproductive success in wild long-tailed macaques. In:Paternity in Primates: Genetic Tests and Theories,R. D. Martin,A. F. Dixson, &E. J. Wickings (eds.), Karger, Basel, pp. 175–190.
Dunbar, R. I. M., 1979. Structure of gelada baboon reproductive units: I. stability and social relationships.Behaviour, 69: 72–87.
Feistner, A. T. C., 1989. The behaviour of a social group of mandrills. Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Stirling.
Goldizen, A. W., 1987. Facultative polyandry and the role of infant carrying in wild saddleback tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 20: 99–109.
Harrison, M. J. S., 1988. The mandrill in Gabon's rainforest: ecology, distribution and status.Oryx, 22: 218–228.
Hoshino, J., A. Mori, H. Kudo, &M. Kawai, 1984. Preliminary report on the grouping of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in Cameroon.Primates, 25: 295–307.
Jeffreys, A. J., V. Wilson, &S. L. Thein, 1985. Hypervariable “minisatellite” regions in human DNA.Nature, 314: 67–73.
Jouventin, P., 1975. Observations sur la socio-écologie du mandrill.Terre et Vie, 29: 493–532.
Keverne, E. B., 1979. Sexual and aggressive behaviour in social groups of talapoin monkeys. In:Sex Hormones and Behaviour Ciba Found Symp., Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 62: 271–286.
Kudo, H., 1987. The study of vocal communication in wild mandrills in Cameroon in relation to their social structure.Primates, 28: 289–308.
Kummer, H., 1968.The Social Organization of Hamadryas Baboons. Karger, Basel.
le Boeuf, B. J., 1974. Male-male competition and reproductive success in elephant seals.Amer. Zoologist, 14: 163–176.
Martin, R. D., A. F. Dixson, &E. J. Wickings (eds.), 1992.Paternity in Primates: Genetic Tests and Theories. Karger, Basel.
McMillan, C. A., 1989. Male age, dominance and mating success among rhesus macaques.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 80: 83–89.
Ménard, N., W. Scheffrahn, D. Vallet, C. Zidane, &C. Reber, 1992. Application of blood protein electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting to the analysis of paternity and social characteristics of wild Barbary macaques. In:Paternity in Primates: Genetic Tests and Theories,R. D. Martin,A. F. Dixson, &E. J. Wickings (eds.), Karger, Basel, pp. 155–174.
Smuts, B. B., 1985.Sex and Friendship in Baboons. Aldine, New York.
Sussman, R. W. &P. A. Garber, 1987. A new interpretation of the social organization and mating system of the Callitrichidae.Int. J. Primatol., 8: 73–92.
Wickings, E. J. &A. F. Dixson, 1992. Development from birth to sexual maturity in a semi-free-ranging colony of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in Gabon.J. Reprod. Fertil., 95: 129–138.
Wildt, D. E., U. Doyle, S. C. Stone, &R. M. Harrison, 1977. Correlation of perineal swelling with serum ovarian hormone levels, vaginal cytology and ovarian follicular development during the baboon reproductive cycle.Primates, 18: 261–270.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Dixson, A.F., Bossi, T. & Wickings, E.J. Male dominance and genetically determined reproductive success in the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx). Primates 34, 525–532 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382663
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382663