DEEP in the Atlantic forests of Brazil lives the 鈥� the world鈥檚 most peaceful and egalitarian primate. Or is it? The cuddly reputation of the 鈥渉ippy monkey鈥� has taken a battering after a gang of six were spotted attacking and killing an adult male.
The victim, an old male, died an hour after receiving savage bites to his face, body and genitals. The observations, published this week in the American Journal of Primatology (), show how lifestyles may dramatically alter the behaviour of a species.
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鈥淭he victim was an old male who received savage bites to his face, body and genitals鈥�
The muriqui鈥檚 peaceful reputation stems mainly from northern populations that feed on abundant leaves, and where males patiently queue to mate with females.
But in the southern population where the attack took place, fruit is more widely available than in the north, and this may provide a clue to the assault, says Mauricio Talebi of the Federal University of S茫o Paulo-Diadema, Brazil, who led the research.
Because fruit is widely dispersed, females detach from the main group to locate it, making them less available for sex with the males than in the north where everyone stays together to eat leaves.
Lacking ready mates, males may become frustrated, creating mutual tension and aggression. Also, muriqui males bond closely for life with male siblings and relatives. Filippo Aureli of Liverpool John Moores University, UK, says that this facilitates 鈥済ang鈥� attacks, as closely bonded males are in a strong position to victimise an individual.
