Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history trait in all animal taxa. In pair-living species, parent–offspring competition derived from the offspring’s maturity can motivate the natal dispersal of offspring. However, not much has been known about the dispersal mechanisms of pair-living gibbons. To test food and mate competition as potential reasons for dispersal, we investigated the effect of the offspring age and sex on relationships between parents and offspring in wild Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park, Indonesia. We collected behavioral data for two years between 2016 and 2019. We found that aggression from parents toward offspring increased in both feeding and non-feeding context as the offspring got older. Offspring received more aggression from the parent of the same sex in the general context. While offspring decreased co-feeding and grooming time with parents as they got older, there was no change in the proximity and approach to parents. The results imply the presence of both intra-group food and mate competition which increase with the offspring’s age. We highlight that increased competition between maturing offspring and parents changes their social relationships and peripheralizes offspring from the natal group which will eventually motivate offspring to disperse in Javan gibbons.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 8285 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Scientific Reports |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 22 May 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by POSCO International Corporation, Amore Pacific Academic and Cultural Foundation (AACF), and Ewha Womans University. J.C.C. was supported by SL Corporation (2-2021-1707-001-1). This work was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resource Conservation and Ecotourism at the IPB University (IPB). We thank the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's DG of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem, and the Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park (GHSNP) for the research permissions. We thank Sanha Kim, Yena Kim, and Haneul Jang for their advice on the study. We thank Rahayu Oktaviani for administrative support and coordination in Indonesia. We thank our field assistants, Muhamad Nur, Ri Rudini, Isra Kurnia, and Iyan Sopian for their work in the field.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by POSCO International Corporation, Amore Pacific Academic and Cultural Foundation (AACF), and Ewha Womans University. J.C.C. was supported by SL Corporation (2-2021-1707-001-1). This work was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resource Conservation and Ecotourism at the IPB University (IPB). We thank the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's DG of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem, and the Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park (GHSNP) for the research permissions. We thank Sanha Kim, Yena Kim, and Haneul Jang for their advice on the study. We thank Rahayu Oktaviani for administrative support and coordination in Indonesia. We thank our field assistants, Muhamad Nur, Ri Rudini, Isra Kurnia, and Iyan Sopian for their work in the field.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).