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Soliloquy #1
Submission Techniques
"The Form"


of the social structure in this multi-male, multi-female sexual strategy.  
The main morphological trait that species of this sexual strategy display is 
swelling of the genital tissue of females during estrus.  Found in many 
species, such as chimpanzees and baboons, these swellings serve as a 
visual cue to a female's readiness to mate.  With this type of sexual 
strategy, group size would seem to be difficult to control.  As is found in 
savanna baboons and Hanuman langurs, both of which display this type of 
sexual strategy, however, two competing forces regulate group size.  
There is competition within the group for sexual partners and food, which 
results in the dominance hierarchies and tends to reduce the group size.  
There is also competition with other species, mostly predators, which 
conversely encourages a large group size to aid in the protection of the 
group.  These two forces balance at different points in different species 
and even at different places within species, depending upon environmental 
factors.
	The third type of sexual strategy found in primates, and the 
strategy that is by far the most prevalent "state of nature," is composed of 
one actively mating adult male, multiple adult females and all dependent 
young.  This type of polygyny is found in gorillas, guenons, patas, some 
spider monkeys and some pottos.  Two striking similarities are found 
among species that practice polygyny.  The first is a marked sexual 
dimorphism.  Males are, on the average, considerably larger than females.  
Males of the Gorilla gorilla species generally weigh 400 pounds, while 
females generally weigh approximately 200 pounds.  Orangutans also 
display this strong sexual dimorphism of males being roughly twice the 
size of females.  This is an evolutionary development to allow the males to 
defend their harem of females.  The second similarity is that in a 
polygynous social structure, males, once they reach adulthood must leave 
the group, much like the dispersion found in the organization with 
multiple adult males and females.  Because only one actively mating adult 
male is allowed per female group, usually called a troop, there is an excess 
of males.  These males often form a bachelor group of their own that loses 
and gains members as the members take over or are ejected from various 
female troops in the area.  Note that the troop is, indeed, a female



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