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Maternal Condition Does Not Influence Birth Sex Ratios in Anubis Baboons (Papio anubis)

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  • Joan B Silk
  • Shirley C Strum

Abstract

Trivers and Willard predicted that when parental condition has differential effects on the fitness of male and female offspring, parents who are in good condition will bias investment toward the sex that benefits most from additional investment. Efforts to test predictions derived from Trivers and Willard's model have had mixed results, perhaps because most studies have relied on proxy measures of parental condition, such as dominance rank. Here, we examine the effects of female baboons condition on birth sex ratios and post-natal investment, based on visual assessments of maternal body condition. We find that local environmental conditions have significant effects on female condition, but maternal condition at conception has no consistent relationship with birth sex ratios. Mothers who are in poorer condition at the time of conception resume cycling significantly later than females who are in better condition, but the sex of their infants has no effect on the time to resumption of cycling. Thus, our findings provide strong evidence that maternal condition influences females' ability to reproduce, but females do not facultatively adjust the sex ratio of their offspring in relation to their dominance rank or current condition.

Suggested Citation

  • Joan B Silk & Shirley C Strum, 2010. "Maternal Condition Does Not Influence Birth Sex Ratios in Anubis Baboons (Papio anubis)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(9), pages 1-7, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0012750
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012750
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jacinta C. Beehner & Daphne A. Onderdonk & Susan C. Alberts & Jeanne Altmann, 2006. "The ecology of conception and pregnancy failure in wild baboons," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 17(5), pages 741-750, September.
    2. Gabriele Schino, 2004. "Birth sex ratio and social rank: consistency and variability within and between primate groups," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 15(5), pages 850-856, September.
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