調査地は宮城県金華山島と鹿児島県屋久島である。2006年7月から9月に金華山島のA群とB1群、2007年1月から3月に屋久島のKawahara-Z群とNina-A-1群をそれぞれ調査した。金華山の2群は、屋久島の2群よりも個体密度が低く、採食パッチ間の距離が長い(Yamagiwa et al, 1998)。つまり金華山の方が屋久島よりも凝集性が低い。各群れから高順位、中順位、低順位のオトナメスを2頭ずつ選び、1個体につき10時間ずつ、個体追跡をした。記録にはデジタルビデオカメラを用いた。特に2m以上離れていた個体が接近後に始めた毛づくろいに注目し、交代して行われた場合には、2回目以降の毛づくろいは分析から除外した。
勝山ニホンザル集団におけるマターナル・モニタリング行動
Maternal visual monitoring of the infant in a free-ranging group of Japanese monkeys at Katsuyama
サル類を対象とした母子関係の研究において、母子が離れた場面はほとんど注目されてこなかった。しかし、母ザルが自分から離れたところにいる子ザルに対してどのように関わるのかは、母子関係を考える上で重要である。本研究では、母ザルが子ザルを見る行動であるマターナル・モニタリング行動 (Maternal visual monitoring of the infant) に注目 し、母子が離れた場面における、母ザルの子ザルへの関わり方を明らかにするために、以下の2点について検討する。
山田 一憲(大阪大学大学院 人間科学研究科 比較発達心理学研究分野) Kazunori YAMADA
Department of Comparative and Developmental Psychology, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
Mother-offspring interactions and social development of offspring in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques at Katsuyama.
Japanese macaque infants are not always allowed to contact their mothers’ nipple during the weaning period. Mothers often actively reject nipple contact attempts (NCA) made by their infants in order to prevent them from suckling. In the first study, data from fifteen mother-infant (yearling) pairs in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques were collected and used to examine the relationship between maternal activities and NCA by infants. A mother was more likely to allow her infant to put her nipple in the mouth when the mother was grooming her infant (i.e. taking care of her infant) and when the mother was being groomed by other group members (i.e. receiving hygienic and hedonistic benefits from conspecifics). A mother’s movement to reject NCA by her infant tended to interrupt grooming being received from conspecifics. Thus, mothers generally seemed to tolerate NCA by her infant to maintain grooming by conspecifics. Mothers rejected almost all NCA when the mothers were feeding. However, infants tried to put their mother’s nipple in the mouth when the mother was grooming her infant and when she was being groomed by other members more frequently than would be expected by chance. Infants seldom tried to make nipple contact when mothers were feeding. These findings indicated that the infant could attempt nipple contact in the appropriate context by monitoring maternal activities. By seeking compromise in the weaning conflict with its mother, the infant may construct a developmental base for dealing with social challenges.
In the second study, I examined grooming relationships of adolescent females in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques. To assess whether the loss of the mother influenced the grooming relationships of 26 adolescent females, we compared the time spent in grooming interactions and the number of grooming partners among the following three groups: 6 adolescent orphans with sisters, 9 adolescent orphans without sisters, and 11 adolescent non-orphans with surviving mothers. In Japanese macaques, grooming most frequently occurs between mothers and their daughters. Therefore, it is expected that if the mother is lost, orphans will devote less time to grooming interactions than non-orphans. However, the time spent in overall grooming interactions did not differ among the three groups. While non-orphans maintained grooming relationships with their mothers, orphans acquired alternative grooming relationships with other group members. Orphans adopted two kinds of tactics to compensate for the loss of the mother. First, adolescent orphans with sisters developed more affiliative grooming relationships with their sisters than non-orphans with sisters. Secondly, adolescent orphans without sisters spent more time in grooming interactions with same-aged females and non-related adult females. Moreover, orphans without sisters had a larger number of grooming partners than non-orphans. These results indicated that adolescent females have enough flexibility to develop their grooming network after the loss of their mothers, and that the lack of the mother and sisters might accelerate socialization of adolescent females and enable them to be integrated in reciprocal adult grooming relationships.
Crop damage by a wild Japanese macaque troop and damage management in the northern area of Mt. Fuji, Japan
We examined current crop damage by Japanese macaques and evaluated the control methods that are employed. The frequency of crop damage was highest in winter, followed by summer, autumn, and spring. Wild Japanese macaques primarily consumed leafy and stem vegetables in winter and spring, fruit vegetables in summer, and fruits in autumn. In winter, the distance between the forest edge and farmland areas receiving crop damage increased, and the maximum distance recorded was 180 m. Japanese macaques also fed on crop residue and waste in winter. These observations suggest low food availability in the forest habitat; thus, to reduce crop damage in winter, food availability in the forest habitat should be augmented. Moreover, to reduce crop damage in farmland, it is necessary to properly dispose of raw crop waste and crop residue, and it is critical to educate the local communities. There was no management strategy to limit crop damage in most areas in which damage occurred. Damage prevention, by constructing net walls to exclude macaques, was exercised at only eight sites (2.9%). However, of the 81 days when wild Japanese macaques were observed in residential areas or surrounding farmland, residents chased them off on only 28 days (34.6%), and the average number of people who participated in this artificial exclusion management procedure was only 1.6 per event. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a cooperative management system that includes the participation of women from local communities to reduce crop damage.
川本芳・川合静・齊藤梓・川本咲江(京都大学霊長類研究所 集団遺伝分野) Kawamoto Y, Kawai S, Saito A, Kawamoto S
(Population Genetics Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University)
On the applicability of Y chromosomal microsatellite polymorphism to the
studies of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Variations of the microsatellite DNAs have been revealed on the Y
chromosome of Japanese macaques. We have explored the applicability of
those new genetic markers to the study of wild populations. In this
poster presentation, we will introduce tentative results of studies for
1) quantification of the degree of isolation and qualification of
historical background of a local population, 2) evaluation of
hybridization with an introduced foreign species and 3) assessment of
temporal change in reproductive performance, in order to discuss with
attendants for the use of this approach in future. We will present
those tentative results of 1) comparison of Shimokita or Koshima
population with its surrounding populations, 2) assessment of
hybridization for a rhesus population at Boso peninsula, and 3)
evaluation of male reproductive dynamics in the groups at Takasakiyama.