Spatial pattern in the foraging group of Sichuan golden monkeys

One of the major social-biological characteristics in the genus Rhinopithec us is that the animals live in large groups of tens to hundreds of individu als. Study of the distribution pattern of various age-sex classes in the fo raging Sichuan golden monkey troop has revealed that the spatial pattern of the Sichuan golden monkey group is an ellipse with its vertical axes longe r than the horizontal axes. Most members are concentrated in the center and the center-back. Adult males gather in the front, the center and the back of the troop; adult females and the young assemble in the center and near-c enter; sub-adult males are mainly distributed in the center-back and back, but some are also seen in the front, front-center and center; sub-adult fem ales are more or less uniformly dispersed. The spatial distribution of vari ous age-sex classes seems well correspondent with their status and role in the group, This result indicates that the spatial distribution strategy ado pted by Sichuan golden monkeys is ecologically adaptive.