Paternity determination in two groups of Eulemur fulvus mayottensis: Implications for understanding mating strategies

We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to determine paternity in t wo groups of brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus mayottensis). We analyzed the res ults in relation to behavioral data on observed copulations, dominance rela tionships among adult males, and female behavior The association between pa ternity determination and behavioral sampling shows that paternity determin ation is a crucial tool for understanding the mating strategies and reprodu ctive success in the studied species. In brown lemurs, dominance relationsh ips between males are correlated with reproductive success, but male social dominance could be altered by female choice as suggested by the ability of subordinate males to sire offspring in the presence of a dominant male.