Mating Systems and Female–Female Competition in the Common Marmoset, Callithrix jacchus

Abstract

Mating systems in callitrichids are flexible, but usually only one female breeds. Reproductive skew models suggest that either dominant individuals can control the incidence of subordinate reproduction, and that when subordinates breed, it represents a concession from the dominant individual (Optimal Skew Model (OSM)), or alternatively, that subordinates breed because dominants are unable to control them (Incomplete Control Model (ICM)). We present data both from a captive study and a long term field study to test which model better explains mating systems and female-female competition in Callithrix jacchus. A 10-year study of a wild population allowed us to identify three possible mating systems occurring in groups: monogyny, monogyny with breeding attempts from subordinates (pseudopolygyny), and polygyny. Comparison of interbirth intervals and time to produce a surviving offspring indicated that polygyny is costly to females, suggesting that females should benefit from monopolization of reproduction. Data from an experimental captive study indicated that dominant females are not always able to physiologically and/or behaviorally suppress subordinate females' reproduction. The literature suggests that helpers are necessary to ensure the survival of dominant females' offspring; however, our field data show that not all adults help equally. A few individuals, mostly adult males, participate significantly more in infant care than other helpers, suggesting that dominant females gain little by retaining subordinate females in their groups. These results indicate that dominant females are not able to control subordinates' reproduction, suggesting that the flexibility of C. jacchus mating systems is better explained by ICM than by OSM.