THE SOCIAL GROOMING OF CAPTIVE FEMALE RHESUS-MONKEYS - EFFECTS OF THEBIRTHS OF THEIR INFANTS

We observed the grooming interactions of 13 female rhesus monkeys (Mac aca mulatta) before and for 12 weeks after the births of their infants . Mothers groomed for similar amounts of time before and after the bir th of their infants, but after the birth, the grooming they directed t o their infants may have been at the expense of that directed to other partners. Lactating females did not receive more grooming from other females but were approached more often, suggesting that they were more attractive. Mothers that groomed their infants most groomed others ka st, as if grooming time was limited for each mother or as if she was t rying to compensate for avoiding interactions with other partners. Mot hers of male infants groomed others more than mothers with female infa nts did, which might be due to mothers with daughters receiving more a ggression and therefore avoiding interaction. Experienced and high-ran king mothers groomed their newborn infants considerably more than prim iparous mothers did in the 24 hr following birth. Grooming was prefere ntially directed at close kin before the births of the infants. Mother s tended to groom higher-ranked partners more than they were groomed b y therm, and they tended to receive more grooming from lower-ranked pa rtners than they gave, as suggested in models of rank attractiveness.