Presenter: Leslie Gotuaco
Faculty Mentor: Colin M. Brand, Frances J. White
Presentation Type: Poster 16
Primary Research Area: Science
Major: Environmental Science
Many lemur species are well known for exhibiting female dominance where there is a single, top-ranking female. These species are often female philopatric, thus females remain in their natal group resulting in matrilines. Previous research has detailed targeted aggression among females, often during birth season and between these matrilines. Here, we present a case study that describes the social behavior, specifically targeted aggression, of a troop of ring- tailed lemurs following the death of the dominant female. Behavioral observations were collected during 46 hours on 7 lemurs on St. Catherine’s Island, located off the coast of Georgia. Observations used all occurrence sampling and focal animal sampling of social behavior. We calculated the percentage of targeted aggression that occurred between all individuals. We found that one female received 33% of the total aggression during the observation period. A more dominant female directed 65% of her aggression toward this lower ranking female. These results highlight that targeted aggression plays a significant role in the aftermath following a dominant female’s death and contribute to understanding the complexity of lemur sociality.