| This dissertation examines the social behavior and development of wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) in northwestern Costa Rica. The 11-month study was carried out in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Santa Rosa, from January to December 1998.; Data were collected on two habituated study groups of capuchins using focal, scan, and ad libitum sampling techniques. Additional information on the socioecology of this species, such as group movement patterns, diet, intergroup encounters, and predator interactions was also documented.; Information on the social behavior and development of young C. capucinus in the wild is limited. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on immature (infant and juvenile) behavior in this species, and is the first long-term study on interactions between immatures and adult males. This dissertation documents a broad range of behavioral interactions between immatures and adult male white-faced capuchins. Analyzed data from affiliative, agonistic, and play behaviors are presented and the behavioral mechanisms and possible theoretical explanations of social interactions between immatures and adult males are discussed. In particular, the factors which drew the attention of immatures to certain adult males are examined: the male's rank in the dominance hierarchy, the nature of the relationship between the young animal's mother and individual adult males in the group, the age of the young animal, and kin recognition.; Several conclusions are presented. First, immature interactions with adult males are customary and essential. Second, theoretical reasons for this type of social interaction are plural and not mutually exclusive. Third, kin selection and recognition are not the primary reasons for such interactions (i.e. genetic relatedness, or lack of it, doesn't adequately explain certain behavioral patterns). Finally, adult male dominance rank and the immature's familiarity with certain adult males are more important factors in the formation of these relationships.; This study explores the nature of immature and adult male interactions in wild white-faced capuchins, and considers the possible reasons behind them. Studies of this kind are important for the development of theories regarding male parental care, affiliation, and social development in both nonhuman and human primates. |
