Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Adaptive Radiations of Neotropical Primates pp 489–510Cite as

The Relation between Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus) Troop Size and Population Growth in Two Habitats

  • Chapter

Abstract

No consensus yet exists to explain the diversity of primate social organization. Although ecological and social factors are both involved in the evolution and expression of social organization, they do not necessarily act together and may differ for the two sexes (Wrangham, 1987). Differing social factors usually are rooted in a species mating system— the degree of monopolization of mates by each sex—resulting from the effects of local ecology on the dispersion of the sex investing more in the production of offspring (Emlen and Oring, 1977; Vehrencamp and Bradbury, 1984). However, some features of primate social organization are phylogenetically conservative and resist change in response to varying ecological situations (Di Fiore and Rendall, 1994). At any given point in time, the particular social organization exhibited by a population also reflects recent demographic events (Altmann and Altmann, 1979; Dunbar, 1979). Among these life history variables are birth rates, which may vary directly in response to environmental variation, and sex ratios, which may vary randomly at birth but are affected thereafter by differential mortality (Dunbar, 1987). Social organization, then, is the result of a complex interplay of behavioral responses to ecological conditions, tempered by recent demographic events and constrained by phylogeny (Strier, 1994).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Agoramoorthy, G. 1994. An update on the long-term field research on red howler monkeys, Alouatta seniculus, at Hato Masaguaral, Venezuela. Neotrop. Primates 2: 7–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altmann, S. A., and Altmann, J. 1979. Demographic constraints on behavior and social organization. In I. S. Bernstein and E. O. Smith (Eds.), Primate Ecology and Human Origins, pp. 47–64. Garland STPM Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, J. D., and Baldwin, J. I. 1972. Population density of howling monkeys (Alouatta villosa) in southwestern Panama. Primates 13: 371–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolin, I. 1981. Male parental behavior in black howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata pigra) in Belize and Guatemala. Primates 22: 349–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonvicino, C. R. 1989. Ecologia e comportamento de Alouatta belzebul (Primates: Cebidae) na mata Atlantica. Rev. Nordestina Biol. 6: 149–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, C. R. 1934. A field study of the behavior and social relations of howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata). Comparative Psychology Monographs 10: 1–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, C. R. 1965. The howlers of Barro Colorado Island. In I. DeVore (Ed.), Primate Behavior, pp. 250–291. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C. A. 1990. Ecological constraints on group size in three species of neotropical primates. Folia Primatol. 55: 1–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheney, D. L., and Wrangham, R. W. 1987. Predation. In B. B. Smuts, D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. W. Wrangham, and T. T. Struhsaker (Eds.), Primate Societies, pp. 227–239. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiarello, A. G. 1993. Home range of the brown howler monkey, Alouatta fusca, in a forest fragment of southeastern Brazil. Folia Primatol. 60: 173–175.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chivers, D. J. 1969. On the daily behavior and spacing of howling monkey groups. Folia Primatol. 10: 48–102.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, M. R., and Glander, K. E. 1984. Female reproductive success in a group of free-ranging howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in Costa Rica. In M. F. Small (Ed.), Female Primates: Studies by Women Primatologists, pp. 111–126. Alan R. Liss, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, M. R., and Zucker, E. L. 1994. Survey of the howling monkey population at La Pacifica: a seven-year follow up. Int. J. Primatol. 15: 61–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, M. R., Zucker, E. L., and Scott, N. J. J. 1986. Population trends of the mantled howler groups of La Pacifica, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Am. J. Primatol. 11: 79–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collias, N., and Southwick, C. 1962. A field study of population density and social organization in howling monkeys. Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 96: 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creel, S. R., and Waser, P. M. 1994. Inclusive fitness and reproductive strategies in dwarf mongooses. Behav. Ecol. 5: 339–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M. 1984. Emigration by female red howler monkeys and the case for female competition. In M. F. Small (Ed.), Female Primates: Studies by Women Primatologists, pp. 159–173. Alan R. Liss, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M. 1985. Population studies of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). Nat. Geogr. Res. 1: 264–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M. 1987. Diet, dimorphism and demography: Perspectives from howlers to hominids. In W. G. Kin-zey (Ed.), The Evolution of Human Behavior: Primate Models, pp. 115–135. SUNY Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M, and Eisenberg, J. F. 1987. Howlers: Variations in group size and demography. In B. B. Smuts, D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. W. Wrangham, and T. T. Struhsaker (Eds.), Primate Societies, pp. 54–68. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Janson, C. H. 1993. The costs of sociality in red howler monkeys: infanticide or food competition? Am. J. Primatol

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Pope, T. 1988. Inferring patterns of aggression from red howler monkey injuries. Am. J. Primatol. 15:289–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Pope, T. R. 1993. Consequences of sex differences in dispersal for juvenile red howler monkeys. In M. E. Pereira and L. A. Fairbanks (Eds.), Juvenile Primates: Life History, Development and Behavior, pp. 104–118. Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Rudran, R. 1987a. Red howler monkey birth data I: Seasonal variation. Am. J. Primatol. 13: 347–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Rudran, R. 1987b. Red howler monkey birth data II: Interannual, habitat, and sex comparisons. Am. J. Primatol. 13: 369–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, C. M., and Sekulic, R. 1984. Infanticide in red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). In G. Hausfater and S. B. Hrdy (Eds.), Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives, pp. 173–191. Aldine, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Fiore, A., and Rendall, D. 1994. Evolution of social organization: A reappraisal for primates by using phyloge-netic methods. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 9941–9945.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. 1979. Population demography, social organization, and mating strategies. In I. S. Bernstein and E. O. Smith (Eds.), Primate Ecology and Human Origins, pp. 67–88. Garland STPM Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. 1987. Demography and reproduction. In B. B. Smuts, D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. W. Wrangham, and T. T. Struhsaker (Eds.), Primate Societies, pp. 240–249. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eason, P. 1989. Harpy eagle attempts predation on adult howler monkey. The Condor 91: 469–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, J. F. 1979. Habitat, economy, and society: Some correlations and hypotheses for the Neotropical primates. In I. S. Bernstein and E. O. Smith (Eds.), Primate Ecology and Human Origins, pp. 215–262. Garland STPM, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emlen, S. T., and Oring, L. W. 1977. Ecology, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. Science 197: 215–223.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, A. 1982. Survey and census of howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in the rain forest of“Los Tuxtlas,” Veracruz, Mexico. Am. J. Primatol. 2: 363–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedigan, L. M. 1986. Demographic trends in the Alouatta palliata and Cebus capucinus populations of Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. In J. G. Else and P. C. Lee (Eds.), Primate Ecology and Conservation, pp. 285–293. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Froehlich, J. W., and Thorington, R. W. 1982. The genetic structure and socioecology of howler monkeys (Alouattapalliata) on Barro Colorado Island. In J. E. G. Leigh, A. S. Rand, and D. M. Windsor (Eds.), The Ecology of a Tropical Forest: Seasonal Rhythms and Long-term Changes, pp. 291–305. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galetti, M. 1994. Infanticide in the brown howler monkey, Alouatta fusca. Neotrop. Primates 2: 6–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaulin, S. J. C, Knight, D. H., and Gaulin, C. K. 1980. Local variance in Alouatta group size and food availability on Barro Colorado Island. Biotrop. 12: 137–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glander, K. E. 1992. Dispersal patterns in Costa Rican mantled howling monkeys. Int. J. Primatol. 13: 415–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heltne, P. G., Turner, D. C, and Scott, N. J. 1976. Comparison of census data on Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica and Panama. In R. W. Thorington and P. G. Heltne (Eds.), Neotropical Primates: Field Studies and Conservation, pp. 10–19. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horwich, R. H., and Gebhard, K. 1983. Roaring rhythms in black howler monkeys (Alouattapigra) of Belize. Primates 24: 290–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell, L. A. 1991. Contest and scramble competition: patterns of female aggression and ranging behavior among primates. Behav. Ecol. 2: 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell, L. A., Cheney, D. L., and Seyfarth, R. M. 1990. Costs and benefits of home range shifts among vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 27: 351–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Izawa, K., and Lozano M., H. 1991. Social changes within a group of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). III. Field Studies of New World Monkeys, La Macarena, Colombia 5: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Izawa, K., and Lozano M., H. 1994. Social changes within a group of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). V. Field Studies of New World Monkeys, La Macarena, Colombia 9: 33–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janson, C. H., and Goldsmith, M. in press. Predicting group size in primates: foraging costs and predation risks. Behav. Ecol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. B. 1980. The functions of status in the mantled howler monkey, Alouatta palliata GRAY: Intraspecific competition for group membership in a folivorous Neotropical primate. Primates 21: 389–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. B. 1994. Injury and disease of the mantled howler monkey in fragmented habitats. Neotrop. Primates 2: 4–5.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leighton, M., and Leighton, D. R. 1982. The relationship of size and feeding aggregate to size of food patch: howler monkeys (Alouattapalliata) feeding in Trichilia cipo fruit trees on Barro Colorado Island. Biotrop. 14: 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mendes, S. L. 1989. Estudo ecologico de Alouatta fusca (Primates: Cebidae) na Estacao Biologica de Caratinga, MG. Rev. Nordestina Biol 6: 71–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milton, K. 1982. Dietary quality and demographic regulation in a howler monkey population. In J. E. G. Leigh, A. S. Rand, and D. M. Windsor (Eds.), The Ecology of a Tropical Forest: Seasonal Rhythms and Long-term Changes, pp. 273–289. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milton, K., and Mittermeier, R. A. 1977. A brief survey of the primates of Coiba Island, Panama. Primates 18: 931–936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. 1992. Dispersal, nepotism, and primate social behavior. Int. J. Primatol. 13: 361–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neves, A. M. S., and Rylands, A. B. 1991. Diet of a group of howling monkeys, Alouatta seniculus, in an isolated forest patch in central Amazonia. A Primatologia no Brasil 3: 263–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neville, M. K. 1972. The population structure of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in Trinidad and Venezuela. Folia Primatol. 18: 56–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neville, M. K., Glander, K. E., Braza, F., and Rylands, A. B. 1988. The howling monkeys, genus Alouatta. In R. A. Mittermeier, A. B. Rylands, A. F. Coimbra-Filho, and F. A. B. da Fonseca (Eds.), Ecology and Behavior of Neotropical Primates, Volume 2, pp. 349–453. World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peetz, A., Norconk, M. A., and Kinzey, W. G. 1992. Predation by jaguar on howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in Venezuela. Am. J. Primatol. 28: 223–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope, T. R. 1989. The influence of mating system and dispersal patterns on the genetic structure of red howler monkey populations. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pope, T. R. 1992. The influence of dispersal patterns and mating system on genetic differentiation within and between populations of the red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus). Evolution 46: 1112–1128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pusey, A. E. 1992. The primate perspective on dispersal. In N. C. Stenseth and W. Z. Lidicker (Eds.), Dispersal: small mammals as a model, pp. 243–259. Chapman — Hall,.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pusey, A. E., and Packer, C. 1987. The evolution of sex-biased dispersal in lions. Behaviour 101: 275–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rettig, H. L. 1978. Breeding behavior of the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). The Auk 95: 629–643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G. 1979. Progress report 2: Smithsonian Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G. 1986. Seasonal variation in use of time and space by the wedge-capped capuchin monkey Cebus olivaceus: Implications for foraging theory. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G. 1988a. Demography and group structure in wedge-capped capuchin monkeys, Cebus olivaceus. Behaviour 104: 202–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G. 1988b. Group size in wedge-capped capuchin monkeys Cebus olivaceus and the reproductive success of males and females. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 23: 187–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G. pers. comm..

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudran, R. 1979. The demography and social mobility of a red howler (Alouatta seniculus) population in Venezuela. In J. F. Eisenberg (Ed.), Vertebrate Ecology in the Northern Neotropics, pp. 107–126. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rumiz, D. I. 1990. Alouatta caraya: Population density and demography in northern Argentina. Am. J. Primatol. 21:279–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumiz, D. I. 1992. Effects of Demography, Kinship, and Ecology on the Behavior of the Red Howler Monkey, Alouatta seniculus. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarmiento, G. 1984. The Ecology of Neotropical Savannas (O. Solbrig, Trans.). Harvard University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaller, G. B. 1983. Mammals and their biomass on a Brazilian ranch. Arquivos de Zoologia 31: 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlichte, H.-J. 1978. A preliminary report on the habitat utilization of a group of howler monkeys (Alouatta vil-losapigra) in the National Park of Tikal, Guatemala. In G. G. Montgomery (Ed.), The Ecology of Arboreal Folivores, pp. 551–559. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzkopf, L., and Rylands, A. B. 1989. Primate species richness in relation to habitat structure in Amazonian rainforest fragments. Biol. Conserv. 48: 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sekulic, R. 1981. The significance of howling in the red howler monkey Alouatta seniculus. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Maryland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekulic, R. 1982a. Behavior and ranging patterns of a solitary female red howler (Alouatta seniculus). Folia Primatol. 38:217–232.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sekulic, R. 1982b. Daily and seasonal patterns of roaring and spacing in four red howler Alouatta seniculus troops. Folia Primatol. 39: 22–48.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sekulic, R. 1982c. The function of howling in red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). Behaviour 81: 38–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sekulic, R. 1983. Male relationships and infant deaths in red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). Zeitschriftfur Tierpsycholgie 61: 185–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, P. T. 1991. Harpy eagle predation on a red howler monkey. Folia Primatol 56: 53–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silk, J. B. 1993. The evolution of social conflict among female primates. In W. A. Mason and S. P. Mendoza (Eds.), Primate Social Conflict, pp. 49–83. State University of New York Press, Albany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smuts, B. B., Cheney, D. L., Seyfarth, R. M., Wrangham, R. W., and Struhsaker, T. T. (eds.). 1987. Primate Societies. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoner, K. E. 1994. Population density of the mantled howler monkey (Alouattapalliata) at La Selva Biological Reserve, Costa Rica: A new technique to analyze census data. Biotrop. 26: 332–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strier, K. B. 1994. Myth of the typical primate. Yrbk. Phys. Anthropol. 37: 233–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, B. T. 1979. The birds of a ranch in the Venezuelan llanos. In J. F. Eisenberg (Ed.), Vertebrate Ecology in the Northern Neotropics, pp. 213–232. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorington, R. W. J., Rudran, R., and Mack, D. 1979. Sexual dimorphism of Alouatta seniculus and observations on capture techniques. In J. F. Eisenberg (Ed.), Vertebrate Ecology in the Northern Neotropics, pp. 97–106. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troth, R. G. 1979. Vegetational types on a ranch in the central llanos of Venezuela. In J. F. Eisenberg (Ed.), Vertebrate Ecology in the Northern Neotropics, pp. 17–30. Smithsonian, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Schaik, C. P. 1983. Why are diurnal primates living in groups? Behaviour 87: 120–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vehrencamp, S. L., and Bradbury, J. W. 1984. Mating systems and ecology. In J. R. Krebs and N. B. Davies (Eds.), Behavioural Ecology, 2nd ed., pp. 251–278. Sinauer, Sunderland, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velleman, P. F. 1993. Data Desk: The New Power of Statistical Vision. Data Description Inc., Ithaca, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrangham. 1987. Evolution of social structure. In B. B. Smuts, D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. W. Wrangham, and T. T. Struhsaker (Eds.), Primate Societies, pp. 282–296. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrangham, R. W. 1980. An ecological model of female-bonded primate groups. Behaviour 75: 262–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zunino, G. E., Chalukian, S. C, and Rumiz, D. I. 1986. Infanticidio e desaparicion de infantes asociados al reemplazo de macho en grupos de Alouatta caraya. A Primatol. Brasil 2: 185–190.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Primate Research Center Box 357330, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-7330

    Carolyn M. Crockett

  2. National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20008

    Carolyn M. Crockett

Authors
  1. Carolyn M. Crockett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

    Marilyn A. Norconk

  2. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

    Alfred L. Rosenberger

  3. University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

    Paul A. Garber

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Crockett, C.M. (1996). The Relation between Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus) Troop Size and Population Growth in Two Habitats. In: Norconk, M.A., Rosenberger, A.L., Garber, P.A. (eds) Adaptive Radiations of Neotropical Primates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8770-9_28

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8770-9_28

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-4686-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-8770-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation