Pick a mate before it’s too late. July through October marks the mating season for Mandrills. Mandrills are primates of the Old World Monkeys. The species is sexually dimorphic and they have one of the most interesting mate selection rituals of most primates. Mandrills are typically olive green or dark grey with black bands and a white belly. Males have distinctive characteristics- such as a red stripe down the middle of their muzzle and blue ridges along the sides. The areas surrounding their genitals and anus are multicoloured with; red, pink, blue, scarlet, and purple. The dominant males have more vibrant coloration around their genitals and that is one way female Mandrill select their mate.
In a study done by Joanna Setchell, she researched whether female Mandrills prefer brighter colored Male mandrills with high saturation of color around their genitals as opposed to lighter colored mandrills. Setchell observed a group of 14 mandrills during their mating season, 5 males and 9 females. From an isolated tower, she would observe the behavior of both male and female mandrills. She limited observation for female mandrills during their periovulatory period when they exhibited sexual swelling (usually a 6-day period). Setchell would observe and study mating selection. Which she described as grooming, grinning, following and examining the female genital, mounting, and attempting to mount and ejaculate. She found that male mating success was not significantly correlated with brightness and
She found that male mating success was not significantly correlated with brightness and coloration or dominance rank (exhibited by the quantity of guarded resources). However, she did find a partial correlation between mating success and coloration holding dominance constant. Meaning that mating success or observed ejaculation is a correlation with coloration. Coloration is related to health and vitality in male Mandrills.
In the study, she also found that female mandrills spend more time in close proximity to brighter colored males, groomed only the brightest male, and avoided the brighter males less. The brightness in coloration of males and an evolutionary adornment that female mandrills have learned to prefer. Mandrills mate in a polygynous system- meaning the more brightly colored males will mate with multiple female mandrills and be responsible for a high percentage of mating success, in Setchell study about 64%.
Setchell, J. M. (2008). Do Female Mandrills Prefer Brightly Colored Males? International Journal of Primatology, 26(4), 715-735. doi:10.1007/s10764-005-5305-7
