Capuchins

The social groups of capuchin monkeys vary in size from small groups with three members, to groups of 30 or more. There are usually more females in the group than males, and half of the members of these social groups are infants and adolescents. While there is a dominant male and female in each group, there is little evidence of any other hierarchy within the group, except that dominant males exhibit different degrees of tolerance among the various members of the group. This is particularly evident when the group is foraging for food.

The dominant male does not mingle much with other members of the group, but does play a role in defending the group from intruders. The dominant female establishes a special relationship with the dominant male and tries to keep others away from him.

Capuchins are polygamous, and it is the females who do the courting. Their methods of luring males include raising their eyebrows, gesturing, and making sounds. If a male is interested, he will mimic her gestures and sounds, follow her, and mate. Females give birth to one infant at a time, about every two years. Gestation is about five months, and infants are completely dependent on their mothers during the first three weeks of life.

Pastime activities among capuchins differ by age and gender. During the first few months, sisters especially take an interest in an infant sibling. After the third month of birth, the infant will also seek out the company of younger members of the group. A main social activity of male capuchins includes fighting games, while females spend a good deal of time sitting close together and in mutual grooming, particularly those parts of their bodies which are hard to reach or which they cannot see. Relationships among capuchins extend not only to siblings and their mothers, but to other relatives within the group as well.