Data from: Costs and benefits of group living in primates: an energetic perspective

Group size is a fundamental component of sociality, and has important consequences for an individual's fitness as well as the collective and cooperative behaviours of the group as a whole. This review focuses on how the costs and benefits of group living vary in female primates as a function of group size, with a particular emphasis on how competition within and between groups affects an individual's energetic balance. Because the repercussions of chronic energetic stress can lower an animal's fitness, identifying the predictors of energetic stress has important implications for understanding variation in survivorship and reproductive success within and between populations. Notably, we extend previous literature on this topic by discussing three physiological measures of energetic balance—glucocorticoids, c-peptides and thyroid hormones. Because these hormones can provide clear signals of metabolic states and processes, they present an important complement to field studies of spatial and temporal changes in food availability. We anticipate that their further application will play a crucial role in elucidating the adaptive significance of group size in different social and ecological contexts.Raw for AnalysesTotal number of individuals, biomass (kg), and energetic demand (kg3/4) for 14 baboon social groups from 1990-2014 hydrological years (Nov-Oct). Analyses included only group-hydrological years in which the focal group was censused every calendar month during the hydrological year. Data provided by ABRP.Raw for Figure 2Percent contribution by age-sex class to group's total number of individuals, biomass (kg), and energetic demand (kg3/4) for 14 baboon social groups from 1990-2014 hydrological years (Nov-Oct). Analyses included only group-hydrological years in which the focal group was censused every calendar month during the hydrological year. Data provided by ABRP.Funding provided by: National Science FoundationCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001Award Number: IBN-0322613; IOS-091920