Mating systems of old world monkeys
The term ‘Mating system’ refers to an aggregate set of features for a species or population related to mating and reproduction. Across animal taxa, these features sort in predictable ways, resulting in only a handful of different types of mating systems, each of which is an emergent property determined by the extent to which the interests of females and the interests of males converge or conflict. Situated within this broader context of animal mating systems - and in contrast to New World monkeys and apes - Old World monkeys display relatively little variation in mating system; almost all species fall along a spectrum from polygynous to polygynandrous. That is, the typical pattern for Old World monkeys is that males vary tremendously in the number of mates they obtain, while females show relatively little or not variation in the number of mates that they obtain. Four characteristics of Old World monkey mating systems are especially relevant for understanding the biology of this group of primates: male-male competition, the permanence of female-male associations, female sexual receptivity, and female multiple mating. Future research focused on female competition and mate choice (both female and male) will enhance the current knowledge about the biology of mating systems in Old World monkeys.
