2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

(Hymenoptera: Eumenidae) and its three host-specific brood parasites
(Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) serve as a model of a multi enemy / single target system.
We compare the CHC profiles and predict that a brood parasite whose intrusion is
detectable by the host should develop chemical mimicry. The host in return should
establish counterstrategies. Competition between parasites may fuel the perfection
of mimicry or the development of completely new intrusion strategies.
We find two chemotypes of the host that differ greatly in their CHC composition. The
split could allow part of a population to escape one parasite?s mimicry. But two
parasite species have evolved a close match in CHC composition ? one for each
chemotype. The third parasite produces its very own CHC profile ? it has developed a
new strategy for invading host nests and can no longer be fended off by the host.
����109 Dietmar Zinner
Pleistocene mosaic of savannah refugia in East Africa: insights from baboon mtDNA
Authors: Dietmar Zinner 1 , Christina Keller 1 , Christian Roos 1
Affiliation: 1 German Primate Center
Genetic studies of African savannah ungulates as well as palynological,
palaeovegetation and fossil studies have suggested the presence a Pleistocene
savannah mosaic of refugia in East Africa. Beside ungulates, a few primate taxa are
primarily savannah species, including humans and baboons (Papio spp.). We
therefore expected to find a similar genetic signature in baboons supporting the
savannah mosaic of refugia hypothesis. Baboons occur in large parts of sub-Saharan
Africa and our previous molecular studies using mitochondrial DNA sequence data
indicated two major phylogeographic lineages - a southern and a northern, which
diverged around 2 mya. In addition several local lineages had been detected in East
Africa. To further investigate the phylogeography of these lineages, we collected
faecal samples at more than 50 sites from Kenya to Malawi with special focus on
Tanzania. We used complete cytochrome b and ‘Brown region’ sequences to further
elucidate the phylogeography of baboons in East Africa. We estimated fossil
calibrated divergence times by applying Bayesian coalescent-based methods.
Preliminary results suggest the occurrence of at least 7 phylogeographic baboon
lineages which split from each other during the Pleistocene. Our data is consistent
with the hypothesis of Pleistocene mosaic refugia in East Africa.
����110 Antje Engelhardt
Towards a theoretical framework for understanding the variation in female sexual
traits among anthropoid primates
Authors: Antje Engelhardt 1 , James P. Higham 1 , Constance Dubuc 1
Affiliation: 1 German Primate Center
Female sexually selected traits usually evolve to attract mates in species with sex-role
reversal. In many anthropoid primates females exhibit sexually selected traits, mostly
signals, without any sex role reversal. The functions of these traits thus seem to
deviate from those of other taxa. Primate female sexual signals occur more
commonly in polygynandrous species, but with marked variation in prevalence, form,
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