Female Dominance and Maternal Investment in Strepsirhine Primates

1990/04/01 by Andrew L. Young, Alison F. Richard, Leslie C. Aiello · 11 citations
Psychology · Environmental Science · #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior #Lemur #Biology #Dominance (genetics) #Basal metabolic rate #Litter #Basal (medicine) #Zoology #Gestation #Ecology #Primate #Endocrinology #Pregnancy

paper · doi:10.1086/285057

openalex publication_date 1990/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

Prenatal maternal-investment rate (litter weight divided by gestation) was found to be the best available predictor of female dominance in primates. The female-dominant Malagasy lemurs are unique in their combination of a relatively low basal metabolic rate and a relatively high rate of prenatal maternal investment. The relationship between maternal investment and basal metabolic rate in strep-sirhines supports the hypothesis that lemurs raise their basal metabolic rate during reproduction and suggests that this increase is on the order of 75% or more.

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