Ecological and reproductive drivers of fission-fusion dynamics in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) inhabiting a montane forest

In species with flexible grouping dynamics (i.e., fission-fusion), party (or subgroup) size is often shaped by available resources. Food resources are thought to limit party size in a range of mammalian species, reflecting a strategy of reducing feeding competition. In montane habitats, where food i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral ecology and sociobiology 2021-01, Vol.75 (1), p.1-9, Article 23
Main Authors: Matthews, Jaya K., Ridley, Amanda, Kaplin, Beth A., Grueter, Cyril C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Ecology
Availability
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Chimpanzees
Competition
Ecological effects
Estrus
Females
Fission
Food
Food availability
Food resources
Fruit trees
Fruits
Habitats
Life Sciences
Montane environments
Mountain forests
National parks
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii
Species
Subgroups
Zoology
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Summary:In species with flexible grouping dynamics (i.e., fission-fusion), party (or subgroup) size is often shaped by available resources. Food resources are thought to limit party size in a range of mammalian species, reflecting a strategy of reducing feeding competition. In montane habitats, where food is highly seasonal, we may expect to see strong effects of ecological constraints on party size. In the montane forest of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, we quantified changes in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) party size. We used path analysis to analyze the direct and indirect effects of (i) ecological variables and (ii) a reproductive variable (estrous females) on party size. Our path analysis adds precision and directionality to the hypothesis that food availability and estrous females influence party size. We found that the presence of estrous females had the strongest effect on party size. Interestingly, the availability and distribution of important and preferred fruits did not directly influence party size but did influence the presence of estrous females. These findings indicate that fruit distribution may be the ecological precondition that attracts estrous females, which is the main driver of larger parties. Party size was, however, positively correlated with patch size, indicating that specific fruit species may be of particular importance to the ecology of these chimpanzees.
ISSN:0340-5443
1432-0762
DOI:10.1007/s00265-020-02964-4