Dr. Caitlin O'Connell
Post-Doctoral Scholar/Teaching Fellow, USC, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Research Profile
The Costs and Benefits of Sociality Explored in the Semi-Solitary Orangutan
Monday, Nov. 18, 12 PM, AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)
Abstract: Social relationships are an integral part of primate life for humans and nonhumans
alike, but the extent to which a primate devotes its time and energy to
socializing can vary tremendously within and between species. With a semisolitary
social system, orangutans present a unique opportunity to examine both
social and solitary conditions within a single population to test predictions
regarding the costs and benefits of sociality. While the socioecological model
predicts that orangutans display reduced sociality compared to other apes, this
should affect individuals differently across life history stages. This research
examines the variation in social behavior among age-sex classes in wild
orangutans using social interactions, behavioral and hormonal indicators of stress,
and intestinal parasites to evaluate the reasons orangutans socialize or remain
solitary at different times. Adolescent females were found to socialize the most, to
suffer the lowest physiological cost from socializing, and to employ unique
behavioral strategies to mitigate potentially risky social situations. My findings
highlight the adolescent period as behaviorally distinct and socially rich for
female orangutans who face unique challenges as members of a socially dispersed
species with high levels of sexual coercion.
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