Aggression in pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) breeding groups affects pregnancy outcome. 2011

James C Ha, and Hayley Alloway, and Adrienne Sussman
National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jcha@u.washington.edu

Past research has shown that aggressive behaviors can affect female reproductive outcome in nonhuman primate captive breeding programs. In this study, aggressive behaviors were recorded in a colony of pigtailed macaque monkeys (Macaca nemestrina) and related to pregnancy outcome. For 22 weeks, behavioral data were collected from nine breeding groups, consisting of zero to one male (some males were removed after a cycle of conceptions for husbandry reasons) and four to eight females. Observations included all occurrences of 11 aggressive behaviors during 15 min observation sessions, 1-3 times a week. Mean weekly aggression levels during the study period were determined for each group as well as for each pregnancy. Aggression data were summarized with Principal Components Analyses. Results indicate that pigtailed macaque aggression falls into five distinctive categories: warn, engage, threaten, pursue, and attack. Breeding groups differed in their levels of aggression, even after controlling for group size, presence of a sire, and group stability. Levels of the five aggression categories were found to affect the probability that a pregnancy ended in either a natural birth of a live infant, a clinical intervention producing a live infant, or a nonviable outcome. The predictive value of aggression was significant when clinical interventions were included as possible reproductive outcomes. Behavioral observation of captive groups could identify "risk" conditions affecting pregnancy outcome and the requirement for clinical intervention.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008254 Macaca nemestrina A species of the genus MACACA which inhabits Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is one of the most arboreal species of Macaca. The tail is short and untwisted. M. leonina,Macaca nemestrina leonina,Macaca nemestrina pagensis,Macaca nemestrina siberu,Macaca siberu,Monkey, Pig-Tailed,Pagai Macaque,Pig-Tail Macaque,Pig-Tailed Macaque,Pig-Tailed Monkey,M. pagensis,Macaca pagensis,Monkey, Pigtail,Monkey, Pigtailed,Pigtail Macaque,Macaque, Pagai,Macaque, Pig-Tail,Macaque, Pig-Tailed,Macaque, Pigtail,Monkey, Pig Tailed,Pagai Macaques,Pig Tail Macaque,Pig Tailed Macaque,Pig Tailed Monkey,Pig-Tail Macaques,Pig-Tailed Macaques,Pig-Tailed Monkeys,Pigtail Macaques,Pigtail Monkey,Pigtail Monkeys,Pigtailed Monkey,Pigtailed Monkeys
D008297 Male Males
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011256 Pregnancy Outcome Results of conception and ensuing pregnancy, including LIVE BIRTH; STILLBIRTH; or SPONTANEOUS ABORTION. The outcome may follow natural or artificial insemination or any of the various ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUES, such as EMBRYO TRANSFER or FERTILIZATION IN VITRO. Outcome, Pregnancy,Outcomes, Pregnancy,Pregnancy Outcomes
D011270 Pregnancy, Animal The process of bearing developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero in non-human mammals, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Animal Pregnancies,Animal Pregnancy,Pregnancies, Animal
D012044 Regression Analysis Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable. Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D005260 Female Females
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D025341 Principal Component Analysis Mathematical procedure that transforms a number of possibly correlated variables into a smaller number of uncorrelated variables called principal components. Analyses, Principal Component,Analysis, Principal Component,Principal Component Analyses

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