
Christy WolovichFlorida Southern College · Department of Biology
Christy Wolovich
Ph.D. - Biology
About
30
Publications
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Introduction
Christy Wolovich currently works at the Department of Biology, Florida Southern College. Christy does research in Behavior Ecology. Her current project is 'Foraging behavior, communication and sociosexual behavior in owl monkeys; Mixed-species associations of primates in the Gambia, West Africa.'
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - present
August 2007 - May 2008
August 2010 - May 2016
Publications
Publications (30)
Accounts of food sharing within natural populations of mammals have focused on transfers to offspring or transfers of food items that are difficult to obtain (such as meat). Five groups of socially monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus azarai azarai) in Formosa, Argentina were observed during 107 hr to determine the pattern of food sharing under natural co...
Whereas the diets of diurnal primate species vary greatly, almost all nocturnal primate species consume insects. Insect-foraging has been described in nocturnal prosimians but has not been investigated in owl monkeys (Aotus spp.). We studied 35 captive owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) in order to describe their foraging behavior and to determine if th...
Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are unique because they are the only nocturnal anthropoids. Though medical researchers have used them extensively,
thorough descriptions of their social behavior are sparse. We examined in detail the social behavior of 12 male-female captive
pairs of Aotus nancymaae over an entire year. We compared data from males and femal...
Sharing food is costly, and animals rarely share food with unrelated individuals. Males may share food with females when females are fertile or when female nutrition will affect offspring. Such benefits are known for insects and birds, but not for mammals. This study examined the effect of female reproductive state (ovarian cycling, pregnancy, lact...
Vertical clinging is a specialized form of locomotion characteristic of the primate family Callitrichidae. Vertical clinging requires these pronograde primates to maintain a vertical posture, so the protraction of their forelimbs must resist gravity. Since pronograde primates usually move as horizontal quadrupeds, we hypothesized that the supraspin...
With the increased use of prescribed burns in recent years, it is critical to understand their impacts not only on their primary target species, but also on the entire biological community. Lichen have intricate symbioses with other neighboring organisms and provide important ecosystem services. In prairie and grassland environments, the prescribed...
The recent development of the Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan has spurred momentum to promote site‐based conservation of red colobus while forging partnerships among researchers and building local capacity. Communities for Red Colobus (C4RC) is a community‐centered conservation organization in The Gambia, West Africa, that aims to protect Temm...
The study of owl monkeys provides an excellent opportunity for understanding the behavioral correlates of pair-living, sexual monogamy, and cooperative behavior. However, the nocturnal habits of most Aotus species make it challenging to study their social behavior in the wild. An integrated approach combining research in the field, seminatural cond...
While often placed in opposition to one another, integrating data from studies of captive and non-captive nonhuman primates enhances our interpretation of their natural behavior and biology. Aotus is an excellent example for how studies from captivity provide data that can be used to reinforce and complement findings from field studies and vice ver...
The colony of owl monkeys at the DuMond Conservancy has provided an exceptional opportunity to study their biology while offering extensive outreach to the local community and interdisciplinary training in research methods to numerous undergraduate and graduate students. The colony includes 20–25 pairs and/or families of predominantly Aotus nancyma...
Nocturnal mammals have unique sensory adaptations to facilitate foraging at night. Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are pair-living nocturnal platyrrhines adept at capturing insect prey under low-light conditions. Owl monkeys use acoustic and chemical cues in intraspecific communication and use olfaction to detect fruit as they forage. We conducted an expe...
The majority of the 11 species of owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) have declining populations or are listed as data deficient. Deforestation due to agriculture, development, or logging poses threats to owl monkeys throughout their range. In some areas, Aotus are hunted for bushmeat or trapped for the wildlife trade. In Colombia, the country with the greate...
In mammals, scent marking behavior is a pervasive form of chemical communication that regulates social interactions within and between groups. Glandular microbiota consist of bacterial communities capable of producing chemical cues used in olfactory communication. Despite countless studies on scent marking in primates, few have examined the microbi...
Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are socially monogamous, yet allogrooming is reported to be rare. Because Aotus are nocturnal and arboreal, allogrooming is difficult to observe in natural settings. We observed 21 male-female pairs of captive Aotus nancymaae during 2 nonconsecutive study periods in order to describe the details of allogrooming between mate...
Behavioral responses to chemical signals in the nocturnal owl monkey (Aotus nancymaae) Nocturnal owl monkeys (Aotus) exhibit behaviors that enhance chemical communication (e.g. urine washing, scent marking, frequent urination). However, researchers have not investigated their responses to chemical cues. We aimed to describe the patterns of behavior...
The Neotropical owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are a good model for evaluating the hypothesis that monogamy may arise if female reproductive cycles limit the mating potential of males. To evaluate this hypothesis, we first needed to assess the feasibility of using fecal sampling for monitoring the reproductive status of females. We collected fecal sample...
In socially monogamous species, mate-guarding could be a reproductive strategy that benefits both males and females, especially when males contribute to parental care. By actively guarding mates, males may reduce their chances of being cuckolded, whereas females that mate-guard may reduce the likelihood that their mates will desert them or acquire...
Captive owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae, A. azarai) share food frequently within both families and pairs. In this study food sharing was observed in seven mated pairs and four families (i.e., four mated pairs and their offspring). Patterns of food sharing were examined with respect to age class, sex, and the presence or absence of dependent offspring....
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Miami, 2006. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-157).