Mechanisms and effectiveness of predator detection by capuchin monkeys

卷尾猴捕食者检测的机制和有效性

• 批准号: 0811108
• 负责人: Charles Janson
• 金额: $ 6.41万
• 依托单位: University of Montana
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-15 至 2009-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0811108&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanisms; effectiveness; predator; detection; capuchin

This study is designed to fill in critical gaps in our understanding of primate-predator relationships. One of the most widely quoted reasons that primates live in groups is to reduce the risk of predation. However, some primates that suffer high predation rates nevertheless forage alone or in very small groups. This observation and the predictions of several theoretical models suggest that high predation risk can favor either very small or very large groups. Which outcome occurs depends on 1) the method and effectiveness of detection of the predator by the primate prey in groups of different sizes, and 2) the relative ability of prey and predator to detect each other. Despite many studies of vigilance behavior in primates, there is only fragmentary knowledge for any species on how effective vigilance is in detecting predators, at what average distance detection occurs, and the variables that affect the chance of detection. Even less is known about the hunting behavior and detection ability of the predators of primates.To measure the important variables that explain group size in animals as a function of predation risk, five different-sized groups of wild brown capuchin monkeys in Argentina will have live (tethered) and model predators placed in their home ranges. Observers will follow individual monkeys and record a set of context variables (individual's sex and age, distance to the 'predator', monkey's height in the forest, direction the monkey is looking, etc.), along with whether or not the monkey detects the predator, as signaled by alarm calls or a sudden prolonged and fixed stare directly at the predator. Each live tethered bird of prey will be video-taped as a group of monkeys approaches; the distance at which it detects the group and whether the detection is by sight or sound will be determined from the video tape and associated verbal commentary. The detail and sample size of observations will improve greatly on prior studies because the use of model and captive predators permits greater control of the detection process, including systematic variation of detection conditions and recording observations both before and after detection occurs. The results of this study will address an important question about the origins of social living in human ancestors, and thus may help to explain the form of current human societies. The project will also contribute to biodiversity conservation by: 1) continuing the long-term presence of researchers in the study site to discourage poachers, 2) contributing to the long-term database on group demography of this long-lived species, 3) continued monitoring of long-term changes in local ecology due to invasive species and climate change. The research will help train at least one U.S. graduate student, several college undergraduates, and one or more Argentine biologists. Data from this project will be contributed to a large-scale meta-database for animal behavior, to allow easy online access to current and future researchers. Genetic material sampled from the monkey population will be placed in a public biomaterials repository for future access.

这项研究旨在填补我们对灵长类动物关系关系的理解中的关键空白。 提出依据的最广泛的原因之一是降低捕食风险。 但是，某些灵长类动物单独或很小的小组中遭受高捕食率的较高的捕食率。 这种观察结果和几种理论模型的预测表明，高捕食风险可以有利于很小或非常大的群体。 结果发生的结果取决于1）在不同大小的组中，灵长类动物猎物对捕食者检测的方法和有效性，以及2）猎物和捕食者相互检测的相对能力。 尽管对灵长类动物的警惕行为进行了许多研究，但对于任何物种，关于在检测掠食者，平均距离检测以及影响检测机会的变量时，只有零碎的知识。 关于灵长类动物捕食者的狩猎行为和检测能力的了解较少。为了测量重要的变量，这些变量可以解释动物的群体大小是捕食风险的函数，阿根廷的五个不同大小的野生棕色卷尾猴猴子将具有现场直播（Tethered）和放置在其家居范围内的模型捕食者。 观察者将跟随各个猴子，并记录一组上下文变量（个体的性别和年龄，与“捕食者”的距离，猴子在森林中的高度，猴子的方向等），以及猴子是否检测到捕食者，是由警报呼叫还是突然延长并直接凝视着捕食者。 随着一群猴子接近，每只活着的猎物鸟都会被视频。它检测到该组的距离以及是否通过视力或声音检测将从录像带和相关的口头评论确定。 观察结果的细节和样本量将在先前的研究中大大改善，因为使用模型和圈养捕食者允许对检测过程进行更大的控制，包括检测条件的系统变化以及在检测前后的记录观察结果。 这项研究的结果将解决有关人类祖先社会生活的起源的一个重要问题，因此可能有助于解释当前的人类社会的形式。 该项目还将通过以下方式为生物多样性保护做出贡献：1）继续研究现场的研究人员长期存在以阻止偷猎者，2）为长期数据库促进这种长期寿命的物种的长期数据库，3）继续监测由于侵入性物种和气候变化而导致的当地生态学的长期变化。 这项研究将有助于培训至少一名美国研究生，几名大学本科生和一名或多名阿根廷生物学家。 该项目的数据将为动物行为的大规模元数据库提供贡献，以便于在线访问当前和未来的研究人员。从猴子种群中采样的遗传物质将放置在公共生物材料存储库中，以供将来进入。