Dispersal patterns exhibited by group-living animals play an important role in individual reproductive success and survival, as well as population and social dynamics (Greenwood, 1980; Isbell and van Vuren, 1996; Kappeler and van Schaik, 2002). Dispersing individuals may emigrate voluntarily, or they may be forcibly evicted by other individuals (Pusey and Packer, 1987; Clobert et al. , 2001 ). One cause of individual dispersal is when an extra-group male compels another male to leave a group of females. This phenomenon has been well documented in primates, especially Old World monkey species ( e.g. Colobus vellerosus : Saj and Sicotte, 2005 ; Erythrocebus patas : Ohsawa, 2003 ; Macaca fascicularis : van Noordwiik and van Schaik, 2001).
Although there are some reports that have described primates eating animals,it is unknown whether predation on vertebrates exists in herbivorous leaf-eating primates.We have witnessed firsthand wild Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana)preying on and consuming Eurasian blackbirds(Turdus merula)in the Qinling Mountains of China.This event suggests that R.roxellana,which has previously been described as a herbivorous leaf-eating primate,may be partially carnivorous and the correct classification of this species would be omnivorous.Furthermore,food-share behavior among higher-ranked members occurs in a one-male unit when vertebrate prey is hunted by this species.
For group-living primates, the information on postconflict management is crucial for understanding primate competition and cooperation. However, such information is poorly known for snub-nosed monkeys, especially for wild populations. In this study, from September 2007 to June 2008, we investigated postconflict behavior among adult females Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana within one-male units in a wild, provisioned group in the Qinling Mountains of China by means of the time-rule method and the PC-MC method. We obtained a total of 81 PC-MC pairs and each individual was involved in only 0.004 aggressive behavior per observation hour. The first affiliative behavior was more likely to occur within the first minute after a conflict. The postconflict affiliative behaviors most often seen were contact-sit, embrace and grooming. The affiliative contacts between adult females occur due to selective attraction, i.e. reconciliation. The pattern of postconflict affiliation demonstrates that the R. roxellana belongs to a tolerant species.