| Abstract: | The intertroop agonistic behavior of a troop of Macaca mulatta villosa was studied in both forested and urban areas. Intertroop contacts lasted longer and were more likely to involve aggression in the town than in the forest. In particular, adult males and adult females when in urban areas showed a significantly higher rate of the most extreme forms of agonism, such as attacks, chases, and fights, than when in the forest. Data are explained in relation to feeding patterns and environmental differences and show the great flexibility of social behavior in these primates. Genetic selection for a high level of aggression in an urban population of macaques is not considered likely. |
