The effects of infant births on male-female relationships in Cebus capucinus.

Most primates are characterized by cohesive male-female bonds that are maintained year round. While recent studies have addressed the selective pressures influencing the evolution of male-female relationships in primates, we know relatively little about the proximate mechanisms affecting them. It has been demonstrated that newborn white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) attract the attention of other group members and this may be an important mechanism influencing male-female relationships.