Post-Weaning Resource Competition and Sex Ratios in Spider Monkeys

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Abstract
In this study we examine the applicability of the resource competition hypothesis to explain both the existence of a skewed sex ratio in the spider monkey (Ateles spp.) where females disperse, and the variation in sex ratio among geographically separated sites and neighboring sites of varying productivity. The resource competition hypothesis would predict that when females disperse, animals should attempt to reduce the effect of intraspecific competition by limiting the number of male offspring produced by the community. This prediction is in agreement with the observed female biased sex ratio in spider monkeys. The observed variability in sex ratios between populations suggests that when the potential for post-weaning resource competition is high (i.e. in habitats with low productivity), the community will limit the production of the non-dispersing males more than in highly productive habitats.