Utility of Automated Feeding Data to Detect Social Instability in a Captive Breeding Colony of Rhesus Macaques (): A Case Study of Intrafamily Aggression.

Some captive breeding colonies of rhesus macaques live in large outdoor multimale, multifemale social groups. These groups are composed of several matrilineal families, governed by a clear female dominance hierarchy. Aggression within the same or between different matrilineal families due to social instability can result in trauma and mortality.

Trauma rates and patterns in specific pathogen free (SPF) rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) groups.

There are some predictable patterns of trauma in captive rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) social groups. Several factors have been documented to contribute to these patterns, including group formation of unrelated animals, and the establishment of dominance ranks. Here, we report on how socially induced trauma in groups of rhesus monkeys is influenced by the breeding season, numbers of matrilines per group and matriline size.