Sexual maturation of female Saguinus oedipus oedipus
This study is an examination of the process of female sexual maturation in the cotton-top tamarin, Saguinus oedipus oedipus, a South-American primate of the family, Callitrichidae. Two types of questions are addressed. The first question is whether the type of social grouping in which a young female lives affects the rate of her sexual maturation. Specifically, is there a difference between the maturation rate of a female housed with a strange adult male and a female housed with her natal group (i.e., her parents and various siblings). Second, the effect of sexual maturation on various social interactions is examined. Specifically are male-female interactions in mated pairs and mother-daughter interactions in natal groups changed by the sexual maturation of the young females. The mother's presence was not related to the daughter's maturation age. However, whether the natal group, as a whole, inhibited maturation, or unrelated males accelerated maturation, or both, remains unknown. Most of the behavioral interactions involving maturing females were unchanged by maturation. There was some indication that certain behaviors were affected by maturation, but only if a strange unrelated male was present.
- Research Organization:
- Michigan State Univ., East Lansing (USA). Dept. of Zoology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76OR00033
- OSTI ID:
- 6943699
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NBM-1050; ON: DE83002999
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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