Maternal rank affects reproductive success of male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus): evidence from DNA fingerprinting

Summary Paternity determination by oligonucleotide fingerprinting confirms that maternal rank affects the reproductive success of male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). High-born males began to reproduce significantly earlier and sired significantly more infants surviving to at least 1 year of age during the first 4 years of their reproductive career than low-born males. This relation was independent of the natal/non-natal status of the males, and was not affected by external conditions such as the level of intrasexual competition or the number of fertilizable females. Since high-ranking females in this population produced significantly more male offspring than low-ranking females, the data on sex ratio adjustment and comparative breeding success of sons and daughters are consistent with the predictions of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis. Offprint requests to: A. Paul