Dispersal patterns in Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys

Wancai Xia; Fan Wang; Dali Wang; Xiaoqin Zeng; Chan Yang; Ali Krzton; Baoping Ren; Dayong Li

doi:10.1093/cz/zoab067

Dispersal patterns in Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys

Curr Zool. 2021 Aug 13;68(3):265-273. doi: 10.1093/cz/zoab067. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Authors

Wancai Xia^{1

2}, Fan Wang^{1

2}, Dali Wang^{1

2}, Xiaoqin Zeng^{1

2}, Chan Yang^{1

2}, Ali Krzton³, Baoping Ren^{4

5}, Dayong Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong City, Sichuan 637009, China.
² Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong City, Sichuan 637009, China.
³ Auburn University Libraries, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
⁴ Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands (Ministry of Education), Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan 571158, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan 571158, China.

Abstract

Sex-biased dispersal is common in group-living animals. Due to differences in local demographic and environmental factors, sex-biased dispersal presents many irregular patterns. In this study, a habituated, individually identified Yunnan snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti group was observed over 9 years; 192 dispersal events, including 97 male dispersal events (25 natal dispersal and 72 secondary dispersal) and 95 female dispersal events (34 natal dispersal and 61 secondary dispersal) were observed. Males and females showed different dispersal paths, dispersal ages, and dispersal patterns. Females had 2 dispersal paths, whereas males had 4 paths. In terms of age of dispersal, the male age of natal dispersal was younger than for females. Males prefer single dispersal, whereas females prefer parallel dispersal. Our study indicates that the dispersal pattern of R. bieti should be classified as a bisexual dispersal pattern. The differences in dispersal path, average age at dispersal, and dispersal path pattern indicate that Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys may still retain a loose matrilineal social system.

Keywords: Rhinopithecus bieti; bisexual dispersal; dispersal; parallel dispersal.