Carola Borries
Biographic Data
| ID | 627056 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Carola Borries |
| GIVEN NAMES | Carola |
| FAMILY NAME | Borries |
| SIGNATURE | BORRIES C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Stony Brook University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5262-1405 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1988 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
The effect of data provenance on estimates of gestation length in African and Asian colobines
OBJECTIVES: It seems to be commonly accepted that gestation length within the subfamily Colobinae lasts several weeks longer in the African tribe (Colobini) than in the Asian tribe (Presbytini) even though closely related taxa of similar body mass should have similar life histories. Suspecting problems with data provenance to cause the difference, we revisited the published records expecting similar gestation lengths in both tribes if based on ve…
The function of geophagy in Nepal gray langurs: Sodium acquisition rather than detoxification or prevention of acidosis
OBJECTIVES: Geophagy has several hypothesized functions, among them (1) detoxification of plant secondary compounds, for example, tannins, (2) buffering stomach pH to alleviate acidosis caused by high sugar intake, and (3) supplementing the diet with mineral nutrients. We tested these hypotheses in Nepal gray langurs (Semnopithecus schistaceus), a foregut fermenter for which fruits and leaves dominate the diet at different times of the year. MATE…
Characteristics of alpha males in Nepal gray langurs
In species with strong male-male competition, access to females in multimale-multifemale groups is usually regulated via a dominance hierarchy. The highest ranking (alpha) male often has priority of access and sires most offspring. The alpha male can change in three basic ways: (i) a recent immigrant or a resident challenges and becomes the new alpha; (ii) formation of a new group; (iii) succession-becoming alpha after higher ranking males have l…
Exaggerated Sexual Swellings and the Probability of Conception in Wild Sanje Mangabeys (Cercocebus sanjei)
Females of several catarrhine primate species exhibit exaggerated sexual swellings that change in size and coloration during the menstrual cycle and, in some species, gestation. Although their function remains under debate, studies indicate that swellings may contain information males could use to discern ovulation and the probability that a cycle will be conceptive. Here we combine visual ratings of swellings with hormonal data for a group of Sa…
Offspring loss after male change in wild siamangs: The importance of abrupt weaning and male care
OBJECTIVES: Infanticide by males is assumed to promote permanent male-female associations, although its importance for social monogamy is still debated. We examined the consequences of male membership change in the largest socially monogamous primate, the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), a species that also forms polyandrous groups and where males may provide offspring care. We examine (a) the potential risk of infanticide by documenting chang…
Transparency, usability, and reproducibility: Guiding principles for improving comparative databases using primates as examples
Recent decades have seen rapid development of new analytical methods to investigate patterns of interspecific variation. Yet these cutting‐edge statistical analyses often rely on data of questionable origin, varying accuracy, and weak comparability, which seem to have reduced the reproducibility of studies. It is time to improve the transparency of comparative data while also making these improved data more widely available. We, the authors, met …
Dominance relationships in male Nepal gray langurs ( S emnopithecus schistaceus )
OBJECTIVES: Reproductive skew is proposed to link to despotism in dominance hierarchies. While studies illustrating male skew are plentiful, demonstrating the link to despotism is rare. Likewise, it is often unknown which factors (e.g., resource holding potential, age, physical condition) affect a male's dominance rank. Here we investigated correlates of male rank and hierarchy characteristics in Nepal gray langurs (Semnopithecus schistaceus), a …
Reproductive characteristics of wild Sanje mangabeys ( Cercocebus sanjei )
An accurate description of reproductive characteristics and ovarian endocrinology is necessary to address questions about the reproductive strategies and life history of a species and for meaningful, cross species analyses. Here we used analysis of fecal estradiol (fE) and behavioral observations to determine for the first time the reproductive characteristics and endocrinology of a wild group (N = 18 adult and 3 adolescent females) of Sanje mang…
The meaning of weaning in wild Phayre's leaf monkeys: Last nipple contact, survival, and independence
In primates and other mammals, weaning is an equivocal concept, as is reflected in the numerous ways it is measured: a) first intake of solid food, b) conflict over access to the nipple, c) ability to survive without mother, d) maternal resumption of cycling, or e) the cessation of nipple contact. The lack of a consistent definition means that weaning age, although it falls between gestation (fetal growth) and age at first reproduction (most ener…
Intra‐ and interspecific variation in macaque molar enamel thickness
Enamel thickness has played an important role in studies of primate taxonomy, phylogeny, and functional morphology, although its variation among hominins is poorly understood. Macaques parallel hominins in their widespread geographic distribution, relative range of body sizes, and radiation during the last five million years. To explore enamel thickness variation, we quantified average and relative enamel thickness (AET and RET) in Macaca arctoid…
Juggling Priorities: Female Mating Tactics in P hayre's Leaf Monkeys
Extended sexual receptivity in primates is thought to facilitate paternity confusion, thus decreasing the risk of infanticide. However, females might also provide some indication of ovulation to attract preferred males during fertile periods. We examined female mate preferences across defined receptive periods ( N = 59) in a group of wild P hayre's leaf monkeys ( T rachypithecus phayrei crepusculus ) at P hu K hieo W ildlife S anctuary (February–…
Demography of Simakobu ( Simias concolor ) and the Impact of Human Disturbance
Asian colobines typically live in small one‐male groups ( OMG s) averaging five adult females, but S imias concolor (simakobu or pig‐tailed langur) is considered an exception because mostly adult male–female pairs have been reported. However, based on their phylogenetic position and marked sexual dimorphism, simakobu are also expected to form OMG s with multiple females. The preponderance of small groups could be the result of human disturbance (…
Annual Variation in Ecology and Reproduction of Wild Simakobu (Simias concolor)
Hominoid dispersal patterns and human evolution
Recent advances in DNA and isotope analyses have allowed tentative reconstructions of dispersal strategies of Plio-Pleistocene hominins.1, 2 Comparing their findings to dispersal patterns of some extant apes and humans suggested groups of related males and unrelated females in Neandertals indicating patrilocality2 and Pan-like male philopatry in australopiths.1 Here we review the demographic, ethnographic, and genetic evidence of dispersal patter…
Seasonality of group size, feeding, and breeding in wild red‐shanked douc langurs (Lao PDR)
In Asian colobines, small one‐male groups (OMG) seem to predominate alongside all‐male groups (AMG), while larger multimale groups (MMG) are rare, but are reported for Hanuman langurs and red‐shanked douc langurs. Recently, however, it has been speculated that the genus Pygathrix could have multilevel societies based on (1) a theoretical extension of the multilevel societies found in Rhinopithecus to all odd‐nosed colobines and (2) first data for…
Primate life histories and dietary adaptations: A comparison of Asian colobines and Macaques
Primate life histories are strongly influenced by both body and brain mass and are mediated by food availability and perhaps dietary adaptations. It has been suggested that folivorous primates mature and reproduce more slowly than frugivores due to lower basal metabolic rates as well as to greater degrees of arboreality, which can lower mortality and thus fecundity. However, the opposite has also been proposed: faster life histories in folivores …
Reproductive characteristics of wild female Phayre's leaf monkeys
Understanding female reproductive characteristics is important for assessing fertility, interpreting female behavior, and designing appropriate conservation and captive management plans. In primate species lacking morphological signs of receptivity, such as most colobines, determination of reproductive parameters depends on the analysis of reproductive hormones. Here, we use fecal hormone analysis to characterize cycle patterns ( N =6 females) an…
Selection of sleeping trees in pileated gibbons ( Hylobates pileatus )
Selection and use patterns of sleeping sites in nonhuman primates are suggested to have multiple functions, such as predation avoidance, but they might be further affected by range defense as well as foraging constraints or other factors. Here, we investigate sleeping tree selection by the male and female members of one group of pileated gibbons ( Hylobates pileatus ) at Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Data were collected on 113 ni…
Andreas Paul, 1951-2010
Patterns of reproduction in Malayan silvered leaf monkeys at the Bronx Zoo
Within phylogenetic limits reproductive characteristics of a given species may vary between populations in response to ecological and social factors. For instance, in environments where high quality nutrition is readily available, the onset and speed of reproduction are often accelerated. Other influencing factors might be maternal experience or the sex of the infant. Here we present data on reproductive characteristics for the silvered leaf monk…
The strategic use of sex in wild female western gorillas
Human females, unlike most mammals, are sexually active outside of fertile periods. This decoupling of sexual behavior from its conceptive function has had an enormous impact on human social relationships, and yet we know little about why there was selection for nonconceptive mating. Here we examine one form of nonconceptive mating, the mating that occurs during pregnancy or post‐conceptive (PC) mating, in wild western gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla …
The lost dream of ecological determinism: Time to say goodbye? … Or a White Queen's proposal
“‘What is the matter?’ she [Alice] said, as soon as there was a chance of making herself heard. ‘Have you pricked your finger?’ ‘I haven't pricked it yet ,’ the [White] Queen said, ‘but I soon shall – oh, oh, oh!’” (emphasis as in 1:82 )
How Reliable are Density Estimates for Diurnal Primates
Genital swellings in silvered langurs: What do they indicate
The occurrence of genital swellings was examined in adult female silvered langurs ( Trachypithecus cristatus ). In contrast to the exaggerated swellings found in cercopithecines and apes, genital swellings in silvered langurs are confined to the vulva and the surrounding perineum, but they may nevertheless convey information similar to that of exaggerated swellings (i.e., correlate with the receptive period and fertility). If so, genital swelling…
What Hanuman langur males know about female reproductive status
In species with a high risk of infanticide, a conflict of interest exists between the sexes over the amount of paternity information that is available to males. While females are expected to keep males unaware of their reproductive status in order to confuse paternity, selection should favor those male traits that enhance the males' assessment of female status and consequently of paternity probability. In Hanuman langurs ( Semnopithecus entellus …
Intra‐ and interspecific variation in macaque molar enamel thickness
Enamel thickness has played an important role in studies of primate taxonomy, phylogeny, and functional morphology, although its variation among hominins is poorly understood. Macaques parallel hominins in their widespread geographic distribution, relative range of body sizes, and radiation during the last five million years. To explore enamel thickness variation, we quantified average and relative enamel thickness (AET and RET) in Macaca arctoid…
The meaning of weaning in wild Phayre's leaf monkeys: Last nipple contact, survival, and independence
In primates and other mammals, weaning is an equivocal concept, as is reflected in the numerous ways it is measured: a) first intake of solid food, b) conflict over access to the nipple, c) ability to survive without mother, d) maternal resumption of cycling, or e) the cessation of nipple contact. The lack of a consistent definition means that weaning age, although it falls between gestation (fetal growth) and age at first reproduction (most ener…
Primate life histories and dietary adaptations: A comparison of Asian colobines and Macaques
Primate life histories are strongly influenced by both body and brain mass and are mediated by food availability and perhaps dietary adaptations. It has been suggested that folivorous primates mature and reproduce more slowly than frugivores due to lower basal metabolic rates as well as to greater degrees of arboreality, which can lower mortality and thus fecundity. However, the opposite has also been proposed: faster life histories in folivores …
Hominoid dispersal patterns and human evolution
Recent advances in DNA and isotope analyses have allowed tentative reconstructions of dispersal strategies of Plio-Pleistocene hominins.1, 2 Comparing their findings to dispersal patterns of some extant apes and humans suggested groups of related males and unrelated females in Neandertals indicating patrilocality2 and Pan-like male philopatry in australopiths.1 Here we review the demographic, ethnographic, and genetic evidence of dispersal patter…
How Reliable are Density Estimates for Diurnal Primates
Weaving a tight social net: Allogrooming in free-ranging female langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Grooming site preferences in female langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Patterns of grandmaternal behaviour in free-ranging Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Sex Differential Behavior of Immature Hanuman Langurs (Presbytis entellus) in Ramnagar, South Nepal
Homosexual mounting in free-ranging female Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Annual Variation in Ecology and Reproduction of Wild Simakobu (Simias concolor)
Exaggerated Sexual Swellings and the Probability of Conception in Wild Sanje Mangabeys (Cercocebus sanjei)
Females of several catarrhine primate species exhibit exaggerated sexual swellings that change in size and coloration during the menstrual cycle and, in some species, gestation. Although their function remains under debate, studies indicate that swellings may contain information males could use to discern ovulation and the probability that a cycle will be conceptive. Here we combine visual ratings of swellings with hormonal data for a group of Sa…
Offspring loss after male change in wild siamangs: The importance of abrupt weaning and male care
OBJECTIVES: Infanticide by males is assumed to promote permanent male-female associations, although its importance for social monogamy is still debated. We examined the consequences of male membership change in the largest socially monogamous primate, the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), a species that also forms polyandrous groups and where males may provide offspring care. We examine (a) the potential risk of infanticide by documenting chang…
Patterns of grandmaternal behaviour in free-ranging Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Dominance, age, and reproductive success in free-ranging female hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Homosexual mounting in free-ranging female Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Cycles, sexuality, and conception in free‐ranging langurs ( Presbytis entellus )
Reproductive parameters and sexual behavior of free‐ranging Hanuman langurs ( Presbytis entellus ) were studied over a 13‐year period at Jodhpur, India in a population that breeds throughout the year. Long‐term monitoring of individually identified females living in one‐male‐multi‐female troops revealed a mean cycle length of 24.1 days (n = 113), a mean gestation of 200.3 days (n = 31), menarche at 29.0 months (n = 10), first conception at 35.0 m…
Grooming site preferences in female langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Weaving a tight social net: Allogrooming in free-ranging female langurs (Presbytis entellus)
Ecology, nutrition, and timing of reproductive events in an Asian primate, the Hanuman langur ( Presbytis entellus )
Ecological conditions, feeding and ranging behaviour as well as physical condition of female Hanuman langurs ( Presbytis entellus ) were studied in order to analyse the major influences on the timing of reproductive events. The langurs inhabited a semi‐evergreen forest dominated by Sal trees ( Skorea robusta ). The climate was dominated by the summer monsoon lasting from May to September. Availability of plant phytophases was markedly seasonal, w…
Sex Differential Behavior of Immature Hanuman Langurs (Presbytis entellus) in Ramnagar, South Nepal
Infanticide by Males and its Implications
Male primates, carnivores and rodents sometimes kill infants that they did not sire. Infanticide by males is a relatively common phenomenon in these groups, but tends to be rare in any given species. Is this behavior pathological or accidental, or does it reflect a conditional reproductive strategy for males in certain circumstances? In this book, case studies and reviews confirm the adaptive nature of infanticide in males in primates, and help t…
Socioecology of Hanuman langurs: The story of their success
Agonistic behavior and dominance relationships in female phayre's leaf monkeys – preliminary results
Socioecological theory suggests a link between the strength of competition for food/safety, rates of agonism, structure of dominance hierarchies, and dispersal among group‐living females. This study presents preliminary data on agonistic behavior and dominance relationships for female Phayre's leaf monkeys ( Trachypithecus phayrei ), a species in which females routinely disperse. Behavioral observations were conducted on two groups (four adult fe…
From nest to nest—influence of ecology and reproduction on the active period of adult Gombe chimpanzees
The time spent between sleeping periods, which is called the active period, has to accommodate all essential activities, including feeding, resting, social behavior, and reproduction. To minimize costs in terms of, e.g., predation risk, suboptimal foraging, or sleep deficiency, the active period of diurnal animals should be less than or equal to the daylight period. Thus, the active period of an animal should be shaped by local environmental cond…
What Hanuman langur males know about female reproductive status
In species with a high risk of infanticide, a conflict of interest exists between the sexes over the amount of paternity information that is available to males. While females are expected to keep males unaware of their reproductive status in order to confuse paternity, selection should favor those male traits that enhance the males' assessment of female status and consequently of paternity probability. In Hanuman langurs ( Semnopithecus entellus …
How important are affiliation and cooperation? A reply to Sussman et al
Genital swellings in silvered langurs: What do they indicate
The occurrence of genital swellings was examined in adult female silvered langurs ( Trachypithecus cristatus ). In contrast to the exaggerated swellings found in cercopithecines and apes, genital swellings in silvered langurs are confined to the vulva and the surrounding perineum, but they may nevertheless convey information similar to that of exaggerated swellings (i.e., correlate with the receptive period and fertility). If so, genital swelling…
How Reliable are Density Estimates for Diurnal Primates
Patterns of reproduction in Malayan silvered leaf monkeys at the Bronx Zoo
Within phylogenetic limits reproductive characteristics of a given species may vary between populations in response to ecological and social factors. For instance, in environments where high quality nutrition is readily available, the onset and speed of reproduction are often accelerated. Other influencing factors might be maternal experience or the sex of the infant. Here we present data on reproductive characteristics for the silvered leaf monk…
The strategic use of sex in wild female western gorillas
Human females, unlike most mammals, are sexually active outside of fertile periods. This decoupling of sexual behavior from its conceptive function has had an enormous impact on human social relationships, and yet we know little about why there was selection for nonconceptive mating. Here we examine one form of nonconceptive mating, the mating that occurs during pregnancy or post‐conceptive (PC) mating, in wild western gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla …
The lost dream of ecological determinism: Time to say goodbye? … Or a White Queen's proposal
“‘What is the matter?’ she [Alice] said, as soon as there was a chance of making herself heard. ‘Have you pricked your finger?’ ‘I haven't pricked it yet ,’ the [White] Queen said, ‘but I soon shall – oh, oh, oh!’” (emphasis as in 1:82 )
Reproductive characteristics of wild female Phayre's leaf monkeys
Understanding female reproductive characteristics is important for assessing fertility, interpreting female behavior, and designing appropriate conservation and captive management plans. In primate species lacking morphological signs of receptivity, such as most colobines, determination of reproductive parameters depends on the analysis of reproductive hormones. Here, we use fecal hormone analysis to characterize cycle patterns ( N =6 females) an…
Selection of sleeping trees in pileated gibbons ( Hylobates pileatus )
Selection and use patterns of sleeping sites in nonhuman primates are suggested to have multiple functions, such as predation avoidance, but they might be further affected by range defense as well as foraging constraints or other factors. Here, we investigate sleeping tree selection by the male and female members of one group of pileated gibbons ( Hylobates pileatus ) at Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Data were collected on 113 ni…
Andreas Paul, 1951-2010
Seasonality of group size, feeding, and breeding in wild red‐shanked douc langurs (Lao PDR)
In Asian colobines, small one‐male groups (OMG) seem to predominate alongside all‐male groups (AMG), while larger multimale groups (MMG) are rare, but are reported for Hanuman langurs and red‐shanked douc langurs. Recently, however, it has been speculated that the genus Pygathrix could have multilevel societies based on (1) a theoretical extension of the multilevel societies found in Rhinopithecus to all odd‐nosed colobines and (2) first data for…
Primate life histories and dietary adaptations: A comparison of Asian colobines and Macaques
Primate life histories are strongly influenced by both body and brain mass and are mediated by food availability and perhaps dietary adaptations. It has been suggested that folivorous primates mature and reproduce more slowly than frugivores due to lower basal metabolic rates as well as to greater degrees of arboreality, which can lower mortality and thus fecundity. However, the opposite has also been proposed: faster life histories in folivores …
Juggling Priorities: Female Mating Tactics in P hayre's Leaf Monkeys
Extended sexual receptivity in primates is thought to facilitate paternity confusion, thus decreasing the risk of infanticide. However, females might also provide some indication of ovulation to attract preferred males during fertile periods. We examined female mate preferences across defined receptive periods ( N = 59) in a group of wild P hayre's leaf monkeys ( T rachypithecus phayrei crepusculus ) at P hu K hieo W ildlife S anctuary (February–…
Biology (34 works) · Primate Behavior and Ecology (34 works) · Demography (23 works) · Ecology (23 works) · Animal Behavior and Reproduction (22 works) · Zoology (21 works) · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior (16 works) · Population (16 works) · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (13 works) · Psychology (9 works)