SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ADULT MALE AND FEMALE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS IN THE WILD

Social relationships between adult males and females in two groups of wild mountain gorilla are described. Each group contained about five, largely unrelated sub-adult and adult females, a peripheral near-adult male, and one fully mature male. Females were clearly attracted to the dominant male, and those with young offspring spent the most time near him. Also, when a female came into oestrus her time near the dominant male increased temporarily. Not all females engaged in grooming with this male, and those that did were judged to have the less stable, i.e. less potentially long-lasting, relationships with him. The relevance of affinitive behaviour to acquisition of benefits and to establishment and maintenance of relationships, plus the influence of competition on maintenance of relationships are discussed. © 1979.