Complexities of Understanding Female Dispersal in Primates

Abstract

Female, as opposed to male, dispersal from the natal (birth) unit at adolescence or prior to the onset of breeding has persisted in being considered as phylogenetically rare, especially among the non-human primates. Furthermore, the evolution of female dispersal has been harder to model when female kin units provide robust social and genetic mechanisms for ensuring individual survival and reproductive success. Here, we consider explanations for the distribution of female dispersal across primate taxa, and the utility of conventional socio-ecological models for understanding patterns and processes of female dispersal. Using a perspective that focuses on the costs of reproduction, and how and when these costs can be shared with other group members provides insight into the kinds of questions that we need to answer in order to more fully understand the “riddle” of female dispersal.