A R U M I T H A   H A R A N

In this art piece entitled Bond, the social nature of the endangered Toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is illustrated through various actions observed in the arboreal primate species (Dittus & Watson 2015). During a trip to Sigiriya, Sri Lanka in 2018, I observed several macaque species among the forest surrounding the ancient fortress. This included what appeared to be a family of Toque macaques, a species endemic to the island (Ekanayake 2003).      By observing and photographing the primates, several notable interactions occurred, signifying important social dynamics of the primate order. Using my first hand experience observing the macaques, inspecting my photographs, and additional research on primate social interactions, I’ve pieced together the observations to complete a visual illustration that depicts multiple forms of social interaction in Toque macaques. While a set of photographs can show how they appear in situ, in natural lighting settings under the canopies of trees, an illustration can visualize multiple aspects in a way that allows viewers to clearly envision what a primatologist may want to explain. As such, the illustration depicts the Toque macaques in their natural environment, while emphasizing details such as physical features and social body positioning.     Some of the distinct features that help identify the Toque macaque are the female’s reddish, flushed face, and in general, a white-tan ventral side, and tawny dorsal side colouring (Dittus & Watson 2015; Sasiharan 2018). They have tufts of orange-brown “hair” on their heads, similar to a “toque cap”, giving them their colloquial name (Ekanayake 2003; Sasiharan 2018).     Of their social structure, note their familial unit, consisting of one adult male, one adult female, a sub adult and juvenile (Keane 1997). This is one family of a larger multi-female-multi-male group, likely ranging between eight and 40 other macaques (Keane 1997). Like other primate species, the infant depends on the mother for an extended postnatal period, staying with their mother for years before reaching maturity (Ratnayeke 1994). In the illustration, as the baby is suckling on the adult female, the adult male is grooming the mother, another display of social interaction (Ratnayeke 1994; Keane 1997; Sasiharan 2018). Grooming is considered part of their hygiene routine and a way of showing affection to others, something evident in other primates and indicative of familiarity, reinforcing social bonds and hierarchy (Ratnayeke 1994). Overall, this illustration aims to depict several social aspects of the Toque macaques. References Dittus, W. & Watson, A.C. (2015). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12560/17951229 Ekanayake, D., Horadagoda, N., Sanjeevani, G., Arulkanthan, A., Gunatilake, K., & Dittus, W (2003). Hematology of a natural population of toque macaques (Macaca sinica) at polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. American Journal of Primatology, 61(1), 13–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.10105 Keane, B., Dittus, W., & Melnick, D. (1997). Paternity assessment in wild groups of toque macaques Macaca sinica at Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka using molecular markers. Molecular Ecology, 6(3), 267–282. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.1997.00178.x Ratnayeke, S. (1994). The behavior of postreproductive females in a wild population of toque macaques (Macaca sinica) in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Primatology, 15(3), 445–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02696103 Sasiharan, A. (Photographer). (2018, August). Macaca sinica at Sigiriya photo collection [digital image]. Retrieved from https://arumithaharan.wixsite.com/portfolio/bond-art-piece