2022 - Interactions of Alouatta palliata and Co-Existing Species at La Selva Biological Station - Poster Presentation

Social grouping is rare among most mammals but is extremely routine within primates. With the increase in group living comes the increase in intraspecific foraging competition. However, niche divergence, or the differences in food selection and habitat use, may help mitigate this competition. Interactions between species are a major force in structuring ecological communities because they affect speciation, survival, and phenotypic divergence. In several studies of Alouatta seniculus, found in the Amazon, it was revealed they were absent from many sites compared to Ateles and Lagothrix species, suggesting that Ateles and Lagothrix shared common habitat use in certain sites found in the Amazon where Alouatta seniculus was absent. Because the number of Alouatta differs depending on their habitat location, understanding the coexistence of Alouatta and surrounding primates species is of the utmost importance because of how it affects the surrounding ecosystem. One of the coexisting primates at La Selva, Cebus capuchinus, tends to reside within the middle strata, using the upper canopies for travel, while Alouatta palliata tend to stay within the middle and upper canopies. Because of this slight overlap, I hypothesize both have interactions with one another. Whether those interactions are affiliative or aggressive will be recorded. I will record species, the proximity to the nearest neighbor, sex, and age. This study will be conducted at La Selva Research Station in May of 2022.