Macaque monkeys assume and excel in the paternal role - Berber monkey males exhibit a paternal instinct
Barbary Macaques at Affenberg-Salem Monkey Park in Germany Take a Unique Role in Paternal Care
Male Barbary macaques in the Affenberg-Salem monkey park, located on Lake Constance, show a distinctive paternal role, according to park director Roland Hilgartner. Despite the unclear paternity among the males due to their promiscuous mating system, they actively engage in the care of the young.
Shortly after birth, the offspring spend most of their time with their mother, but fathers are often nearby. "Male Barbary macaques exhibit loving care for the babies and offer relief for the mothers," explained Hilgartner. The father's presence in the infants' lives also serves as a connection point between the males.
The enclosure housing the Barbary macaques in Salem spans a roughly 20-hectare forested area and is considered Germany's largest monkey enclosure. Up to 200 Barbary macaques call this park home. Four monkey babies have been born in the park since April, as reported by Hilgartner.
Barbary macaques, though, do not form traditional nuclear families. Instead, they live in larger social groups, with females maintaining a central role within this matrilineal society. Expert Hilgartner notes that this is why questioned paternity is a common occurrence.
Despite this uncertainty, the males dutifully provide care to the infants within the troop. The park is expecting more infant Barbary macaques even after Father's Day. Hilgartner anticipates two to three monkey babies by year's end, with the sex of the animals only determinable over time.
Each year, between five and fifteen monkey babies are born in the park, according to Hilgartner. The pregnancies are often challenging to detect because the females consume young leaves and shoots in the spring, which may cause a bloated belly, making it difficult to establish whether a female is pregnant.
Matrilineal societies, where Barabary macaques reside, thrive on the care provided by females and even other group members through a practice known as alloparenting. This behavior strengthens social bonds and helps younger females gain experience in caring for the young. As such, male Barbary macaques play a significant but unconventional role in their communities.
- The unique paternal care exhibited by male Barbary macaques in Affenberg-Salem monkey park transcends the unclear paternity among the males, as they actively engage in the care of the young, providing relief for the mothers.
- The park's enclosure, which is home to up to 200 Barbary macaques, includes a forested area of approximately 20 hectares, fostering a healthcare-and-wellness-oriented environment for the monkeys, promoting family-health and parenting in the community.
- In the science of primatology, Barbary macaques are recognized for their matrilineal social structure, where females hold a central role, but the men display unusual involvement in nurturing their families, contributing to an intertwined, mixed-martial-arts-like hierarchy within their community.
- The exercise of alloparenting, common among matrilineal societies like Barbary macaques, ensures the well-being and growth of the young, enhancing fitness-and-exercise and promoting emotional bonds between group members.
