Causes for and consequences of winning intergroup encounters in colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus)

Abstract

The outcome of an intergroup encounter depends on the relative competitive abilities of the participating groups and the value of the resource for which they compete. However, few studies have been able to assess the consequences of winning intergroup encounters. We used behavioral and demographic data from 94 adult and subadult individuals in 8 groups of Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana to investigate the factors that predict winning intergroup encounters, and whether intergroup encounter success determines access to food and female reproductive output. In support of the hypothesis that groups with high-quality males would be more likely to win encounters, winning the encounter was best predicted by rates of displays by the alpha male. Food trees that were contested during intergroup encounters were more likely to have young leaves or other higher quality food items and to be important food species. Feeding was more likely to occur during and after the intergroup encounter if the focal animals group had won the encounter. The percentage of encounters won was correlated with the groups dominance rank but not with home range size or the immature-to-female ratio. In populations such as the Boabeng-Fiema colobus in which male quality seems to be associated with winning intergroup encounters and gaining immediate access to food, one of the drivers for female transfer between groups may be differences in alpha male quality between groups and across time.