Produção Nacional
Revisado por pares
First record of potential twins and cooperative parental care in the threatened caatinga howler monkey (Alouatta ululata) (Primates)
2025; Brill; Volume: 162; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1163/1568539x-bja10295
ISSN1568-539X
AutoresRobério Freire Filho, Bruna Marcela Teixeira de Andrade, Thabata Cavalcante, Sanjay Veiga, Bruna M. Bezerra,
Tópico(s)Amphibian and Reptile Biology
ResumoAbstract Twins are relatively rare in medium- and large-sized primates. It is often a reproductive strategy of small Callithrix species with cooperative social systems to cope with the twin’s care demands. This study reports the first potential record of twins in caatinga howler monkeys and describes parental care related to them. We observed the animals between October 2018 and January 2020 in São Miguel do Tapuio, Piauí, Brazil. The presumed twins were first observed in October 2018. An adult female carried one infant ventrally and the other on the side of her body or on her back. The presumed twins were approx. 1/8 of the female’s body size and estimated to be 5 days old when first detected. The group’s alpha male was vigilant and often remained close to the female and the twins. In February 2019, the size of the infants reached approximately 1/6 of the female’s size and the number of records of infant back carrying reduced by 40% (decreasing from 100 to 60% of records). Nevertheless, when the infants were not being carried, they remained within a few meters of their presumed mother. In February 2019, we observed the alpha male carrying one of the infants while traveling and resting; this suggests that caatinga howler monkey may use cooperative parental care to cope with multiple infants in a group, possibly facilitating their development and survival. When carrying the infants, the presumed mother rested more than the other females in the group. We stopped seeing adults carrying the infants one year after their initial sighting. Their process of gaining independence was gradual.
Referência(s)