RESEARCH ARTICLE Extra-Pair Paternity Confirmed in Wild White-Handed Gibbons

摘要: Knowledge of the genetic mating system animal species is essential for our understanding evolutionofsocial systems andindividualreproductivestrategies.Inrecentyears,genetic methodshave uncovered an unexpected diversity ofpaternal contributions across diverse social systems, but particularly in pair‐living species. In most birds, example, and behavioral observations have confirmed a previously unknown significance extra‐pair copulations (EPCs) paternity. Among mammals, white‐handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) are also known to live pairs traditionally believed be single‐male single‐female breeders. However, at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, occurrence both EPCs functional multi‐male grouping, knowledge about still unavailable. this study, we genotyped 89 population based on fecal samplings were able determine paternity 41 offspring through short tandem repeat analysis. We found that females’ stable partners sired majority (90.5%) (N ¼ 38), while only few (7.1%) (n 2 cases; n 1 inferred case) conceived with extra‐ pair partners. The one remained inconclusive (2.4%), because offspring’s genotype did not mismatch genotypes two potential sires. Like other predominantly pair‐ livingspecies,gibbonsappeartofollowamixed‐reproductivestrategy.Thegeneticmatingsystemofwild best described as flexible, primarily monogamous opportunistically promiscuous. Am. J. Primatol. 75:1185–1195, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.