Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39436033›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of primatology2025

Assessing Variance in Male Reproductive Skew Based on Long-Term Data in Free-Ranging Rhesus Macaques.

Anja Widdig, Lisa Engel, Angelina Ruiz-Lambides, Constance Dubuc, Brigitte M Weiß

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of primatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Anja WiddigDepartment of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Research Group of Primate Behavioral Ecology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1772-8770
Lisa EngelResearch Group of Behavioral Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Angelina Ruiz-LambidesDepartment of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Research Group of Primate Behavioral Ecology, Leipzig, Germany.
Constance DubucDepartment of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
Brigitte M WeißDepartment of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Research Group of Primate Behavioral Ecology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6316-5636

Funding

Translational Science InitiativeP40OD012217 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · PI CARLOS A SARIOL · 2012 to 2026
$40.4M
NIH HHS P40 OD012217This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant/Award Numbers Wi 1808/1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 3-1, 5-1) and the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (Grant/Award Number P40OD012217).
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The unequal share in male reproduction (male reproductive skew) has been reported across primate species. To explain the distribution of male reproduction within groups various skew models have been applied to primates, however the "dynamic tug-of-war" model first accounted for the specifics of primate sociality. This model assumes that an increase in the number of competing males, a high degree of female cycle synchrony and their interaction will result in a lower degree of male reproductive skew. Here, we first tested the predictors of this model in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) using long-term demographic and genetic data (up to 9 groups over 22 seasons) of the Cayo Santiago population (Puerto Rico). We also tested an extended version including group size and sex ratio and their interaction with female cycle synchrony. Finally, we investigated which male attributes determine the probability to become a top sire (highest paternity share per group and season). Confirming studies, male rhesus macaques exhibited low to medium degrees of reproductive skew based on the multinomial index, M. Unlike predicted, reproductive skew was higher in groups with more males. The extended analysis suggested that reproductive skew increased with group size in more male-biased groups, but decreased with group size in female-biased groups indicating that the numbers of male and female group members matter. We detected no effect of female cycle synchrony on the variance of reproductive skew. Finally, only maternal rank predicted the probability to become a top sire as long as males resided in their natal group. Together, our results did not support predictions by the dynamic skew model in rhesus macaques, but strengthen studies suggesting that other factors in addition to male-male competition predict male reproductive output in rhesus macaques. Future skew studies should consider female choice and alternative male mating strategies.

Indexed as

Macaca mulattaReproductionSexual Behavior, AnimalAnimalsFemaleMalePuerto RicoSex RatioSocial Behaviordynamic tug‐of‐war modelmale reproductive skewmultinomial (M) indexprimatesrhesus macaquestop sire

Identifiers

PMID39436033
PMCPMC11792436

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.