Infanticide in Nonhuman Primates
The goal of this paper is to examine the question, why does infanticide occur in nonhuman primates? It will look at possible explanations such as the sexual selection hypothesis, the social pathology hypothesis, and other alternative reasons behind infanticide. Cases of observed infanticide will be explored and then given possible reasons for why the infant in each particular case was killed. One of the mysteries in the world of primates is infanticide. Some of the questions pertaining to infanticide are how does it occur, under what circumstances does it occur, and why does it occur? This paper examines different explanations of infanticide by nonhuman primates and possible answers to those questions. The sexual selection hypothesis is used as the primary explanation of infanticide but alternative explanations and hypotheses, such as the social pathology hypothesis and the resource competition hypothesis, will also be taken into account. One reason for infanticide can be explained through the social pathology hypothesis. (Boggess, Curtin, and Dolhinow as cited by Bartlett, Sussman, and Cheverud 1993) Research done by Phyllis J
Nine cases of infanticide were reported and three of those cases were directly observed. Once infant killing began, a usurper would be penalized for not committing infanticide. ay in 1958 at field sites in Orcha and Kaukori concluded that Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) life was very peaceful. In contrast to the sexual selection hypothesis, some species of primates do not reproduce quicker after the death of an infant. 33) Resource competition can be the explanation as to why females exhibit the act of infanticide. By killing an unrelated infant, the males genetic representation is increased while other competing males genetic representations are decreased in the population. First of all, her observations in the field were short and often disrupted by outside events. (Boggess, Curtin, and Dulhinow as cited by Bartlett, Sussman, and Cheverud 1993) Since the area of living for langurs was growing smaller and smaller, the langurs found themselves in closer proximity to one another. (Struhsaker as cited by Bartlett, Sussman, and Cheverud 1993) With the few cases that have been observed, infanticide has been thoroughly studied, but the exact reason as to why it occurs is still unanswered. When the new male succeeds at killing the infant, it enables the mother to conceive another infant sooner. One of the bachelors will then drive out his former allies and establish himself as troop leader. One possible explanation for this may be because the female may actually kill the infant herself out of sexual readiness and excitement over the appearance of a new male. (Hrdy as cited by Rees 2001) Hrdy created a "hypothetical scenario of the life cycle of a langur troop. The male twin suffered from a protruding broken bone and died shortly after. (Sugiyama as cited by Rees 2001) The death of the infants at Dharwar and other sites in India, according to the social pathology hypothesis, were the result of a growing population of people and a declining territory of land in which the langurs lived in.
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