Aggressive competition between males , female - controlled polygyny and sexual monomorphism in a Malagasy primate

The evolutionary determinants of sexual dimorphism among primates continue to be debated. This paper uses field observations ofa Malagasy primate, Propithecus uerreauxi, to argue that one problem underlying this debate is the unrecognized heterogeneity of mating system categories used in comparative analyses investigating the importance of sexual selection in determining sexual dimorphism. It is suggested that at least one new mating system category warrants recognition, that offemale-controlled polygyny, with predictions for sexual dimorphism that are in contrast to those ofmale-controlled polygyny.