Monogamy and Paternal Care in Primates of Argentina and Ecuador

A comparative study of the behavior, ecology and genetics of three monogamous primates.

Where

Formosa Province, Argentina and Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador

Researchers

• Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, University of Pennsylvania
• Anthony Di Fiore, New York University

Project Overview

Sakis, titis, and owl monkeys, the three monogamous genera show some fascinating differences in their degree of physicalsexual dimorphism, the extent of affiliation between partners and in the amount of paternal care provided. Thus, they constitute an excellent group to evaluate alternative hypotheses for the evolution and maintenance of monogamy in primates and early humans. The Owl Monkey Project and the Comparative Socioecology of Monogamous Primates Project are providing invaluable data to examine those questions through field research in the Education Amazon and the Argentinean Chaco.

Additional Sponsors

• Leakey Foundation
• Wenner-Gren Foundation
• National Geographic Society