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Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni)

Publication ,  Journal Article
Smith, LW; Link, A; Cords, M
Published in: American Journal of Physical Anthropology
November 2008

The adaptive function of cheek pouches in the primate subfamily Cercopithecinae remains unresolved. By analyzing the circumstances of cheek pouch use, we tested two hypotheses for the evolution of cercopithecine cheek pouches proposed in earlier studies: (1) cheek pouches reduce vulnerability to predation, and (2) cheek pouches increase feeding efficiency by reducing competition. We studied two groups of wild blue monkeys () in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya, conducting focal observations of feeding individuals. Monkeys were less exposed while emptying their cheek pouches than filling them, supporting the predation‐avoidance hypothesis. We investigated several measures of competitive threat, but only one supported the competition‐reduction hypothesis: when the nearest neighbor's rank increased, subjects were more likely to increase than to decrease cheek pouch use. Overall, our findings supported the predation‐avoidance hypothesis more strongly than the competition‐reduction hypothesis. We suggest that variation in cheek pouch use may reflect differing behavioral strategies used by cercopithecines to mitigate competition and predation, as well as factors such as resource size and distribution, home range size, and travel patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Published In

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

DOI

EISSN

1096-8644

ISSN

0002-9483

Publication Date

November 2008

Volume

137

Issue

3

Start / End Page

334 / 341

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 1601 Anthropology
  • 0603 Evolutionary Biology
 

Citation

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MLA
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Smith, L. W., Link, A., & Cords, M. (2008). Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 137(3), 334–341. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20879
Smith, Lindsey W., Andres Link, and Marina Cords. “Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni).” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 137, no. 3 (November 2008): 334–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20879.
Smith LW, Link A, Cords M. Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni). American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 2008 Nov;137(3):334–41.
Smith, Lindsey W., et al. “Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni).” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 137, no. 3, Wiley, Nov. 2008, pp. 334–41. Crossref, doi:10.1002/ajpa.20879.
Smith LW, Link A, Cords M. Cheek pouch use, predation risk, and feeding competition in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni). American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Wiley; 2008 Nov;137(3):334–341.
Journal cover image

Published In

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

DOI

EISSN

1096-8644

ISSN

0002-9483

Publication Date

November 2008

Volume

137

Issue

3

Start / End Page

334 / 341

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 1601 Anthropology
  • 0603 Evolutionary Biology