2018 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Infant handling and social integration of infants and juveniles in wild Japanese macaques
| Project/Area Number |
17F17770
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KUBENOVA BARBORA 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-11-10 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | Primatology / social network / infant handling / maternal care / maternal style / social integration |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We focus on the relationship between maternal and non-maternal care and behavior of immature Japanese macaques on Yakushima. It is based on behavioral data collected from two groups of individually-recognized macaques. The project began in December 2017 with a 2-month pilot study, when we prepared the observation methods (i.e. electronic forms and ethogram), chose two groups to study and described and learned how to recognize all 80 individuals in the groups. During FY2018, we collected the majority of the behavioral data (15 hours per individual) and fecal samples (4-6 samples per individual) which will be used to test paternity and investigate whether social relationships are related to parasitism and immunological factors. We also prepared behavior data for social network analysis.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The main aim for the FY 2018 was the collection of behavioral data and fecal samples. During the first field season (March-August 2018) we collected about 12 hours of behavioral data per individual, and during the second season (December 2018-January 2019) we collected about 4 hours per individual. In both seasons, the amount of data we collected exceeded our expectations. We performed DNA extraction and amplification and await final stages of kinship analysis, and we managed much of the behavioral data in preparation for social network analyses, the specific methods for which are currently under consideration. Overall, we maintained our planned schedule for FY2018 and are on track to complete the study as originally conceived in FY2019.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Our aim for FY 2019 is to collect more behavioral data (4 hours per individual) on the same groups of macaques, including infants born in 2019. This will increase our sample size, in addition to giving us multiple annual cycles worth of data, allowing us to investigate several new questions. For example, we want to know whether and how social position of immature individuals changes with time, whether there is a consistency in maternal styles and non-maternal infant care across two birth seasons (i.e. whether individuals tend to care for offspring of the same mothers) and why. We will manage and analyze the data applying social network analysis and start with manuscript preparation.
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Research Products
(3 results)
