Project/Area Number |
09041144
|
Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A).
|
Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
生態
|
Research Institution | MIYAGI UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION |
Principal Investigator |
IZAWA Kosei Faculty of Education, Miyagi University of Education, 教育学部・環境教育実践研究センター, 教授 (70072676)
|
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KOBAYASHI Mikio Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 農学部, 教授 (80111392)
KIMURA Koshin Faculty of Culture and Human Resources, Nagoya gakuin University, 経済学部, 教授 (50167376)
NISHIMURA Akisato Faculty of Biological Laboratory, Doshisya University, 理工学研究所, 教授 (00027492)
TSUCHIYA Akio Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, 総合科学部, 助手 (00263632)
TAKEHARA Akihide Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Iwate University, 人文社会科学部, 助教授 (40216932)
|
Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1999
|
Keywords | spider monkeys / patrilineal society / fission and fusion society / parties / seed dispersal / patroll behavior / forest formation / forest structure |
Research Abstract |
We made a three-years studies of wild spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in the rain forest at Macarena, Colombia. It is known that the group of spider monkeys in patrilineal and the members move in smaller and temporal aggregations called parties which repeat fission and fusion. We could succeed to know this unique grouping pattern of spider monkeys much clearer than before by employing an epoch-making method: simultaneous observation of plural groups and parties in a group by plural observers after complete identification of the group members. At the same time, adaptive significance of the grouping was made clearer in relation with forest environment from the studies of foodmenu and consumption, plant phenology of Ficus and Oenocarpus, which are among the most important foods, seed dispersal, and other plant ecological studies. The following are the most important results obtained from this study. 1. Relation between seasonal change of fruits production and grouping pattern. 2. Significance of difference in utilized area in a group home range between males and females. 3. Patroll behavior of males and the peculiar affinitivenes among them around the frontier of the group range. 4. Frequency and function of long calls in relation with grouping pattern. 5. Agonistic interaction between groups. 6. Relation between female transfer and sexual maturity or reproduction in the patrilineal society. 7. Seasonality of "salado" usage and peculiar grouping at "salado". 8. "merits and demerits" in seed dispersal of Ficus and Oenocarpus by spider monkeys. 9. Extension of home range in relation with forest formation on the newly-formed sandbank. 10. Reration between forest structure and traveling routes or sleeping sites of the monkeys.
|