| This study was conducted in a free-ranging group of the Golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) located in the Zhouzhi National Nature Reserve on the north slope of the Qinling Mountains, from 17 September 2007 to 20 May 2008. Sampling of the sexual behavior and sexual interference behavior were conducted by using behavior sampling described by Martin and Bateson (2007). During the study period, 148 sexual interferences were recorded among 673 cases of sexual behaviors within One-male unit (OMU). The SI shown higher frequency in mating season (98.65%) than in birth season (1.35%). Adult and sub-adult females performed more SI (75.68%) than any other classes (juveniles, 14.86%; infants 9.46%). Females that would give birth in the following breeding season performed more SI and received less SI than females would not breed in next year (Mann-Whitney tests, z=-2.348, P<0.05). The SI in this species were not intensive, with 89.28% non-contact SI and 10.72% contact SI. The frequency of female SI in wild population was lower than that in captivity. Sexual differences in SI were observed in juveniles but not at infants' stage. Furthermore, 18 SI had been observed among 29 extra-unit solicitations. The extra-unit SI often leaded to termination of sexual behavior (55.17%). With a polygyous basal social structure, females within a unit compete for the single resident male. Our results suggust that SI is an important tactic for female Golden snub-nosed monkeys to maximum their reproductive fitness which support the "sexual competition" hypothesis. |
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