Question

Some male primates indirectly enhance their reproductive success by

inbreeding.
fighting with other males.
performing infanticide.
leaving the group.

Answer 1

Male primates can enhance reproductive success through social behaviours such as being friendly with females and cooperating within a complex social life. Strategies include courtship rituals and colourful plumage, which may diminish the male's contribution to parental care. Understanding these behaviours provides a more nuanced view of male reproductive strategies in primate societies.

Step-by-step explanation:

Some male primates increase their chances for reproductive success not through direct competition with other males but through developing strategic social behaviours. Contrary to previous beliefs that male competition was the central feature of primate social life, more recent studies, such as those by Fedigan and Fedigan (1989), have noted that friendliness, cooperation, and forming bonds are also key strategies for male primates. In fact, being friendly with females may be more effective than engaging in physical altercations, and, as noted, cooperation seems to be at the heart of primate society, perhaps even more so than competition. Male primates that engage in behaviors like extensive courtship rituals or develop colourful plumage to attract mates may have less energy available to assist in parental care, a trade-off that varies among species. When considering the details described, the reproductive success of males can depend significantly on their social strategies, the amount of energy invested in attracting mates, and their contributions (or lack thereof) to parental care. This understanding complicates traditional views that emphasized male dominance and competition as the main drivers of reproductive success in primates.

Answer 2

Some male primates indirectly enhance their reproductive success through infanticide, which brings females back into estrus so the male can father his offspring.

Step-by-step explanation:

Some male primates indirectly enhance their reproductive success by performing infanticide. Infanticide by males is a reproductive strategy that is seen in some primate societies. When a new male takes over a group, he may kill the offspring sired by other males to bring the mothers back into estrus sooner. This allows the new male to father his own offspring with those females, thus propagating his genes more rapidly than if he had to wait for the previous offspring to be weaned. It is not a universal behavior among primates but has been observed in certain species.