Visual monitoring in social groups of talapoin monkeys (Miopithecus talapoin)

Abstract

Visual monitoring has been recorded in four social groups of Talapoin monkeys. In single sex groups, low ranking individuals monitor other monkeys in the group more frequently than high ranking individuals. Levels of visual monitoring increase in mixed-sex groups with the dominant individuals paying proportionately more attention to the opposite sex and subordinates more attention to their own sex. If this is analysed in relationship to the ongoing behaviour, then animals receiving high levels of aggression show high levels of monitoring, and vice-versa for monkeys receiving low levels of aggression. However, those individuals receiving most attention are not necessarily the most aggressive, but they are high ranking. Sexual behaviour is the prerogative of dominant males and they receive more monitoring from females than subordinates, while those females receiving sexual attention receive proportionately more of the dominant male's monitoring than subordinate females.