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Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zipple, MN; Grady, JH; Gordon, JB; Chow, LD; Archie, EA; Altmann, J; Alberts, SC
Published in: Proceedings. Biological sciences
January 2017

Sexually selected feticide-the death of infants in utero as a result of male behaviour-has only rarely been described or analysed, although it is presumed to be favoured by the same selective pressures that favour sexually selected infanticide. To test this hypothesis, we measured the frequency of feticide and infanticide by male baboons of the Amboseli basin in Kenya, and examined which characteristics of a male and his environment made him more likely to commit feticide and/or infanticide. We found a dramatic increase in fetal and infant death rates, but no increase in death rates of 1- to 2-year-old individuals, following the immigration of males who stood to benefit from feticide and infanticide. Specifically, fetal and infant death rates were highest following immigrations in which: (i) the immigrant male rapidly attained high rank, (ii) that male remained consistently resident in the group for at least three months, (iii) food availability and social group range overlap was relatively low and (iv) relatively many pregnant females and/or dependent infants were present. Together, these results provide strong evidence for the existence of both sexually selected feticide and infanticide in our population, and they indicate that feticide and infanticide are conditional male behavioural strategies employed under particular circumstances.

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Published In

Proceedings. Biological sciences

DOI

EISSN

1471-2954

ISSN

0962-8452

Publication Date

January 2017

Volume

284

Issue

1847

Start / End Page

20162561

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Pregnancy
  • Papio
  • Male
  • Kenya
  • Female
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Animals
  • Aggression
 

Citation

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Zipple, M. N., Grady, J. H., Gordon, J. B., Chow, L. D., Archie, E. A., Altmann, J., & Alberts, S. C. (2017). Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 284(1847), 20162561. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2561
Zipple, Matthew N., Jackson H. Grady, Jacob B. Gordon, Lydia D. Chow, Elizabeth A. Archie, Jeanne Altmann, and Susan C. Alberts. “Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons.Proceedings. Biological Sciences 284, no. 1847 (January 2017): 20162561. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2561.
Zipple MN, Grady JH, Gordon JB, Chow LD, Archie EA, Altmann J, et al. Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons. Proceedings Biological sciences. 2017 Jan;284(1847):20162561.
Zipple, Matthew N., et al. “Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons.Proceedings. Biological Sciences, vol. 284, no. 1847, Jan. 2017, p. 20162561. Epmc, doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.2561.
Zipple MN, Grady JH, Gordon JB, Chow LD, Archie EA, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Conditional fetal and infant killing by male baboons. Proceedings Biological sciences. 2017 Jan;284(1847):20162561.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings. Biological sciences

DOI

EISSN

1471-2954

ISSN

0962-8452

Publication Date

January 2017

Volume

284

Issue

1847

Start / End Page

20162561

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Pregnancy
  • Papio
  • Male
  • Kenya
  • Female
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Animals
  • Aggression