The primates are full of roses every mating season

The bright red and pink lips are not only a sexy symbol of humans but also a weapon to attract the partners of the black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys.

Research by Chinese scientists indicates the lips of pink-raised snub-nosed monkeys in the mating season when they reach reproductive age , while the juvenile lips will fade.

In the study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science yesterday, scientists examined the lower lip pink level of 15 male monkeys in Xiangguquing, China, before and after mating.

The male lips are full of pinky in the mating period.(Photo: Research team).

The small langurs that live in small groups have only one male (OMU) but they often combine with other groups to form large populations of up to 500 individuals, increasing competition for mating rights. In large populations, young males are kicked out and entered into a group consisting of all mating males (AMU) . They do not have access to children to reproduce.

In the mating season, the team found the adult male monkey in OMU had pink lower lip, while young and juvenile males lost their lip color. They collected data on their lip color and compared it with age, status, number of adult females and seasons. Bright lips are both a way for them to attract females and act as a warning signal for males that intend to compete.

"The fact that the lip color fades in immature children can be seen as a disguise, in which they hide their masculinity in the period of competition for reproductive rights to avoid conflict , " the research team said. Save the conclusion.