Abstract
During a 10-year long term study, 6 eye-witnessed and 1 pressumed cases of abortions occurred in 3 one-male bisexual troops of free ranging langurs (Presbytis entellus) near Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The age of the unborns varied from 35 to about 200 days. The subsequent birth interval ranged between 7.1–21.1 months. 2 miscarriages occurred during stable periods of residency of a single male. 5 cases occurred prior to or after infanticide in connection with male changes. In one case a female was attacked by the new male before she aborted. In one case a female presumably aborted after attacks on her semiweaned infant. Most of the reproductive losses hence seem to be related to psychical and physical stress exerted by new males on pregnant females. As part of their reproductive strategy, males reduce their waiting time to insemination in this way. Abortions may likewise represent an adaptive reproductive strategy of females, who prefer to abort instead of investing in a foetus which is likely to be killed after birth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agoramoorthy G. &Mohnot S. M., 1988.Infanticide and juvenilicide in Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) around Jodhpur, India. Human Evolution, 3: 279–296.
Berger J., 1983.Induced Abortion and Social Factors in Wild Horses. Nature, 303: 59–61.
Bruce H. M., 1960.A Block to Pregnancy in the House Mouse caused by the Proximity of Strange Males. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 1: 96–103.
Fossey D., 1983.Gorillas in the Mist. Richard Clay Ltd, Bungay.
Goodall J., 1986.The Chimpanzees of Gombe. Patterns of Behavior. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Hrdy S. B., 1974.Male-Male Competition and Infanticide among the Langurs (Presbytis entellus) of Abu, Rajasthan. Folia primatologica, 22: 19–58.
Labov J. B., 1984.Infanticidal Behaviour in Male and Female Rodents: Sectional Introduction and Directions for Future Research. In: G. Hausfater and S. B. Hrdy, eds. Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, pp. 237–255. Aldine Publishing Company, New York.
Makwana S. C., 1979.Infanticide and Social Change in Two Groups of the Hanuman langur (Presbytis entellus) at Jodhpur. Primates, 20: 293–300.
Mohnot S. M., 1971.Some Aspects of Social Changes and Infant-Killing in the Hanuman langur, Presbytis entellus (Primates: Cercopithecidae), in western India. Mammalia, 35: 175–198.
Mohnot S. M., Agoramoorthy G. &Rajpurohit L. S., 1986.Male Takeovers inducing Abortions in the Hanuman langur, Presbytis entellus. Primate Report, 14: 208.
Nash L. T., 1974.Parturition in a Feral Baboon. Primates, 15: 279–285.
Newton P., 1986.Infanticide in an Undisturbed Forest Population of Hanuman langurs, Presbytis entellus. Animal Behaviour, 34: 785–789.
Packer C. &Pusey A. E., 1984.Infanticide in carnivores. In: G. Hausfater and S. B. Hrdy, eds. Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, pp. 237–255. Aldine Publishing Company, New York.
Parthasarathy M. D. & Rahaman H. 1974.Infant Killing and Dominance Assertion among the Hanuman langurs. Vth Congress of the International Primatological Society, August 21–24, 1974, in Nagoya, Japan: 35 (abstract).
Paul A. &Küster J., 1987.Sex Ration Manipulation in a Seasonally Breeding Primate Species: Evidence from the Barbary Macaque Population at Affenberg Salem. Ethology, 74: 117–132.
Pereira M. E., 1983.Abortion following-the Immigration of an Adult Male Baboon (Papio cynocephalus). American Journal of Primatology, 4: 93–98.
Ramaswami L. S., 1975.Some Aspects of the Reproductive Biology of the Langur Monkey Presbytis entellus entellus Dufresne. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, B41: 1–30.
Sackett G. P., Holm R. A., Davis A. E. &Fahrenbruck C. E., 1975.Prematurity and Low Birth Weight in Pigtail Macaques: Incidence, Prediction and Effects on Infant Development. In: S. Kondo, M. Kawai; A. Ehara and S. Kawamura eds. Proceedings from the Symposia of the Fifth Congress of the International Primatological Society, pp. 189–205. Japan Science Press, Tokyo.
Shostak M., 1981.The Life and Words of a Kung Woman. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Small M. S., 1982.Reproductive Failure in Macaques. American Journal of Primatology, 2: 137–148.
Sommer V., 1987.Infanticide among Free-Ranging Langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Jodhpur (Rajasthan/India): Recent Observations and a Reconsideration of Hypotheses. Primates, 28: 163–197.
Sommer V., 1988.Male Competition and Coalitions in Langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Jodhpur, Rajastan, India. Human Evolution, 3: 261–278.
Sommer V. &Mohnot S. M., 1985.New Observations on Infanticides among Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) near Jodhpur (Rajasthan/India). Behavioral ecology and Sociobiology, 16: 245–248.
Sugiyama Y., 1965a.Behavioural Development and Social Structure in two Troops of Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus). Primates, 6: 213–247.
Sugiyama Y., 1965b.On the Social Change of Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) in their Natural Condition. Primates, 6: 381–418.
Sugiyama Y., 1966.An Artificial Social Change in a Hanuman langur troop (Presbytis entellus). Primates, 7: 41–72.
Vogel C. &Loch H., 1984.Reproductive Parameters, Adult-Male Replacements, and Infanticide among Free-Ranging Langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Jodhpur (Rajasthan), India. In: G. Hausfater and S. Blaffer Hrdy, eds. Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, pp. 237–256. Aldine Publishing Company, New York.
Vom Saal F. S., 1984.Proximate and Ultimate Causes of Infanticide and Parental Behavior in Male House Mice. In: G. Hausfater and S. Blaffer Hrdy, eds. Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, pp. 401–424. Aldine Publishing Company, New York.
Winkler P., 1981.Zur Öko-Ethologie freilebender Hanuman-Languren (Presbytis entellus entellus Dufresne, 1797) in Jodhpur (Rajasthan). Indien. Unpublished Ph. D. thesis. University of Göttingen, Göttingen.
Winkler P., Loch H. &Vogel C., 1984.Life History of Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus): reproductive Parameters, Infant Mortality, and Troop Development. Folia primatologica, 43: 1–23.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Agoramoorthy, G., Mohnot, S.M., Sommer, V. et al. Abortions in free ranging Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) — a male induced strategy?. Hum. Evol. 3, 297–308 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435859
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435859