Inter- and Intraspecific Behavioral Variation in Primates and Its Consequences for Ecosystem Functions

• Grant number: 24/15187-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Raul Costa Pereira
• Grantee: João Victor de Amorim Verçosa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Throughout their lives, animals make a myriad of behavioral decisions about (i) where to obtain energy and nutrients, (ii) with whom and how to interact socially, and (iii) when and where to move. These behaviors emerge from decisions made by individuals and can vary both within and between species. Intrinsic factors (e.g., type of diet) and extrinsic factors (e.g., environmental seasonality) can influence behavioral variations, but we still know little about the causes and consequences of this variation among individuals and species. In this context, the project's goal is to comprehensively understand the causes of intraspecific behavioral variation (for a species of neotropical primate) and interspecific variation (for primates in general) and to understand the consequences of this variation on a key ecosystem service, seed dispersal. We will use the titi monkey Callicebus nigrifrons as our study model, considering social groups as the unit of collective decision-making. We aim to answer four main questions: (1) How does the behavior of titi monkeys vary between groups over time? (2) How do intra- and inter-group variations in the three dimensions of behavioral decision-making (movement, feeding, and interaction) combine to determine the total behavioral variation of titi monkeys? (3) Can temperature, precipitation, diet, and social organization predict behavioral variation among primate species? (4) What is the degree of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal effectiveness among groups of titi monkeys? To answer the questions concerning titi monkeys, we will use a two-year time series of monthly behavioral data obtained through scan sampling, continuous tracking, and fecal collection from three groups of titi monkeys in the Serra do Japi (SP). At a global scale, to understand how these behaviors vary among different species, we will conduct a meta-analysis. We hope that this project will generate innovative tools and concepts to foster integrative approaches in ecology, evolution, and conservation.