Male-Male Competition, Synchronous Estrus, and Reproductive Skew in Multimale-Multifemale Primate Groups

In recent years, paternity assessments utilizing DNA testing of primate populations have yielded valuable iriformation regarding reproductive skew, male-male competition and synchronous estrus. In this paper, genetic data and demographic factors of multimale multifemale primate groups including West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus), bonobos (Pan paniscus), savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus), mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), and mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) are examined and compared The revealed patterns of paternity in multi-male groups are shown to support the priority-ol-access model. The role of malemale competition in attracting females to the group is considered, as is the function of synchronous estrus in constraining reproductive skew. The importance of the interplay between male-male competition, female reproductive synchrony and dominance in hominid evolution is discusse