Crocodile predation on a proboscis monkey in Borneo

An adult male proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) on the edge of the Sekonyer Kanan River was seized by a crocodile 6 km downstream from the Orangutan Research and Conservation Project base camp where a crocodile had taken a crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) two years earlier. This incident helps establish false gavials (Tomistoma schlegeli) as important predators on refuging primate populations in southern Borneo and indicates that predation may have influenced the evolution of some behaviors with an antipredator function in bothNasalis andMacaca fascicularis.     

Morphological and karyological studies on in vitro Sertoli cells of adult crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Sertoli cell cultures were obtained from isolated seminiferous tubules of adult crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Cells were identified by their morphological characteristics and their capacity to produce and release in the culture medium 17β-estradiol and androgen-binding protein (ABP). Several cells were undergoing mitosis. Karyological analysis showed both diploid and tetraploid metaphases. Patterns of nuclear scission were also observed.     

Ultrasonic assessment of pregnancy and fetal development in three species of macaque monkeys

Serial ultrasonic assessments of gestational sac (GS) and fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) were performed in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata fuscata), rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), and crab-eating monkey (Macaca fascicularis). In the Japanese monkey, GS increased linearly for 3-8 weeks, whereas BPD increased in a linear-quadratic manner over 8 weeks to term. Ultrasonic assessments of spontaneously aborted fetuses with BPD growth retardation and diagnosis of a pelvic chocolate cyst also were reported.     

TSA和VPA处理对食蟹猴-猪异种体细胞核移植胚胎早期发育的影响

食蟹猴-猪异种体细胞核移植(Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer,iSCNT)研究旨在由iSCNT胚胎建立具有与人类相似遗传背景的胚胎干细胞(ESCs),作为医学和基础科学研究的实验材料。文章探讨了两种组蛋白脱乙酰化酶抑制剂(HDACi)Trichostatin A(TSA)和Valproic acid(VPA)处理浓度、时间与培养液(PZM-3和HECM-10)组合对食蟹猴-猪iSCNT胚胎早期发育的影响。结果表明,在PZM-3中添加10 nmol/L TSA处理48 h组的囊胚率显著高于对照组(22.78%vs 9.86%,P<0.05)。但是,不管在PZM-3或是HECM-10中,添加2～10mmol/L VPA处理均不能提高iSCNT胚胎早期发育能力。文章证明了TSA处理可以提高食蟹猴-猪iSCNT胚胎早期发育能力。     

Hematological and serum biochemical values in free-ranging Macaca fascicularis of mauritius: Possible diabetes mellitus and correlation with nutrition

Obtained values are presented from a study of blood biochemistry and hematology of free-ranging crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Mauritius. Normal values are generally comparable to those previously obtained from laboratory populations of this species. Abnormal values included elevated serum glucose and triglycerides in certain individuals that suggested glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus. A high-carbohydrate diet consisting of large proportions of sugar cane and molasses may have unmasked a genetic predisposition to diabetes in these animals.     

The macaque model for in vitro fertilization: superovulation techniques and ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration

Prior methods for macaque in vitro fertilization (IVF) have incorporated laparoscopy and/or laparotomy as the primary means for oocyte recovery. Sonographic techniques, as used with human IVF, have been applied to the macaque, both for monitoring the response to hyperstimulation and for follicular aspiration prior to ovulation. Pergonal (hMG) was administered for 7 or 8 days beginning on cycle day 1 or 2 or for 6 days beginning on cycle day 3. This was followed by Pregnyl (hCG) prior to follicular aspiration. The quality of oocytes recovered from the 6-day treatment group was considerably better than those treated for greater than or equal to 7 days. It was concluded that ultrasound can provide a reliable means for documenting the response to ovarian stimulation and the successful transabdominal aspiration of multiple follicles.     

Retinoid teratogenicity in the macaque: verification of dosing regimen

To further define teratogenicity associated with 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) in the cynomolgus monkey, the drug was orally administered on three different treatment regimens. Experiment (Exp.) 1 (2.5 mg/kg/day, gestational day [GD] 12-27, n = 11) investigated the teratogenicity of a single daily dose of 13-cis-RA administered shortly after embryo implantation. Pharmacokinetic sampling was done to determine retinoid profiles on the first (GD12) and last (GD27) days of treatment. Exposure to 13-cis-RA during early organogenesis in Exp. 2 (2.5 mg/kg/day, GD20-27, and 2 x 2.5 mg/kg/day, GD28-30, n = 5) investigated the potential adverse effects of 13-cis-RA on the developing limb. The use of multiple doses of 13-cis-RA in Exp. 3 (2 x 2.5 mg/kg/day, GD26-27, n = 5) investigated the necessity of double dosing on the induction of retinoid embryopathy in the macaque. Malformations of retinoid target organs as well as embryolethality were most prevalent when single daily doses of 13-cis-RA were administered during pre- and early organogenesis in Exp. 1. Moreover, multiple doses on GD26-27 failed to induce any manifestation of abnormal development in Exp. 3. These results confirm that the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) in macaques is 2.5 rather than 5.0 times greater than that observed in human pregnancies. Exposure during forelimb development (GD20-30) in Exp. 2 was unsuccessful in inducing defects of this skeletal region, although defects in several retinoid target organs (i.e., cerebellum and internal ear) were present, indicating that a teratogenic threshold was achieved. Pharmacokinetic analysis of 13-cis-RA and its metabolites on GD12 and 27 in Exp. 1 showed considerable exposure to the administered drug and its 4-oxo-metabolite. In contrast, the exposure to all-trans-RA was negligible. The results support the use of a specific treatment schedule in early gestation in the macaque as the most appropriate model for characterizing the teratogenic potential of retinoids in humans.     

Hazard rates and causes of death in a captive group of crab-eating monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

In an attempt to examine possible associations between stages of agespecific mortality and various causes of death, vital records of 159 male and 192 female crab-eating monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), housed as a single group, were analyzed. Survival and hazard rates associated with each of five distinct categories of causes of death were estimated for males and females, using the nonparametric kernel method. The obtained overall survival and hazard functions were similar to those reported previously for rhesus monkeys. Among two stages identified in age-specific mortality, the first stage, characterized by rapidly decreasing hazard rates up to about 1.5–2 years of age, was discriminated by the occurrence of deaths due to unfitness for postnatal life. The second stage lasted up to the age of 10–15 years and was largely characterized by a high incidence of violent deaths. The respective hazard rates in males and females attained peaks during the early reproductive period of life and markedly decreased thereafter. This pattern was interpreted to indicate that second stage mortality is unlikely related to senescence, but rather, seems to depend on extrinsic environmental factors. Thus, when considering overall hazard rates in Macaca fascicularis, the onset of senescence, as a result of the specific aspects of simian reproduction, may be hidden from view, and mortality due to aging may only be appreciable after 10 to 15 years of age. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of primaquine on serum biochemical and hematological parameters in anesthetized Macaca fascicularis

Primaquine phosphate treatment (0.5 mg/kg/day, per os [p.o.], 14 days) significantly increased values for serum sodium, potassium, and uric acid, while calcium levels were decreased in male Macaca fascicularis. Serum values returned to baseline (pretreatment) levels by 30 days following primaquine treatment.     

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) group formation and housing: wounding and reproduction in a specific pathogen free (SPF) colony.

In the present report, we examined the effects of group formation strategy and corral design on wounding and reproduction rates in rhesus macaques. Specifically, we examined group formation using a staged strategy, in which small groups of animals were introduced incrementally over a period of weeks, and a rapid formation strategy, in which all animals were introduced in 1 day. We also examined group formation using a divided corral design that facilitated visual and social separation of individuals, and an undivided corral design that did not facilitate visual or social separation. Dependent measures were wounding and reproductive rates over each of the 2 years that followed group formation. Results indicate that incrementally releasing subgroups of animals, and using a corral design that provides for visual and social separation of individuals, are effective strategies for reducing rates of traumatic wounding when forming multimale-multifemale rhesus macaque breeding groups. However, it must be noted that differences in formation strategy and corral design did not lead to higher reproductive rates. We conclude that incrementally releasing animals in hierarchical subgroups, and using a divided vs. undivided housing design, reduced intra-group wounding and associated demands on veterinary and animal management resources following formation of rhesus macaque breeding groups.     

Changes in selected serum biochemical and EKG values with age in cynomolgus macaques

Normal serum values for alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in juvenile male cynomolgus monkeys compared to adults. Conversely, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly lower in juveniles than adults. A comparison of selected EKG parameters from each group revealed no significant differences; however, there was a trend towards mean left axis deviation in adult animals.     

Preliminary observations of the Mentawai macaque on Siberut Island,Indonesia

During 2 years spent conducting ecological fieldwork on Siberut, the largest and most northerly of the four Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, incidental observations were made of the Mentawai macaque. The Mentawai macaque has been considered variously as a full species similar in some respects to the long-tailed macaque and as a subspecies of the pig-tailed macaque. Evidence is presented that a hitherto undescribed form of the Mentawai macaque occurs on Siberut, and aspects of its ecology and behavior are described.     

Structure-guided foraging in long-tailed macaques

The aim of this study was to identify some of the cues that macaques follow when they search for new food sites. A social group of 37 long-tailed macaques was confined to a holding cage while an experimenter concealed food in an outdoor enclosure according to one of the following rules: (1) along the edge of a visible environmental border, (2) within structures of the same general type, or (3) along an ecologically irrelevant, invisible straight line. To provide the animals with a cue for detecting the rule, three piles of visible food were also presented according to the rule. Each of the 60 trials involved a different location in the 880 m² enclosure. The animals showed clear evidence of utilizing the first two rules from the outset of testing and the third rule about five trials. The animals found concealed food along environmental borders and within matching objects more quickly than along invisible lines. They also showed a rapid improvement in food finding on the invisible line. The results suggest that long-tailed macaques extend their search for food to a given class of environmental structure rather than exclusively by pure spatial gradients. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

基于团抱行为的太行山猕猴社会联属

社会联属是指一些社会性动物社群内由于不同年龄、性别组的个体的社会角色与等级地位存在明显差异,在个体间形成的复杂的支配-从属关系,而这种支配-从属关系在不同的物种有着各自独特的模式(Clutton-Brock,1974)。了解社群内个体通过亲缘、非亲缘联盟、婚配、竞争而建立的支配-从属关系,是进一步开展社群内个体等级与资源竞争、互惠利益、母系投入策略等诸多研究的前提,     

From Rhesus macaque to human: structural evolutionary pathways for immunoglobulin G subclasses

The Old World monkey, Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta, Mm), is frequently used as a primate model organism in the study of human disease and to test new vaccines/antibody treatments despite diverging before chimpanzees and orangutans. Mm and humans share 93% genome identity with substantial differences in the genes of the adaptive immune system that lead to different functional IgG subclass characteristics, Fcγ receptors expressed on innate immune cells, and biological interactions. These differences put limitations on Mm use as a primary animal model in the study of human disease and to test new vaccines/antibody treatments. Here, we comprehensively analyzed molecular properties of the Fc domain of the four IgG subclasses of Rhesus macaque to describe potential mechanisms for their interactions with effector cell Fc receptors. Our studies revealed less diversity in the overall structure among the Mm IgG Fc, with MmIgG1 Fc being the most structurally like human IgG3, although its C_H2 loops and N²⁹⁷ glycan mobility are comparable to human IgG1. Furthermore, the Fcs of Mm IgG3 and 4 lack the structural properties typical for their human orthologues that determine IgG3’s reduced interaction with the neonatal receptor and IgG4’s ability for Fab-arm exchange and its weaker Fcγ receptor interactions. Taken together, our data indicate that MmIgG1-4 are less structurally divergent than the human IgGs, with only MmIgG1 matching the molecular properties of human IgG1 and 3, the most active IgGs in terms of Fcγ receptor binding and Fc-mediated functions. PDB accession numbers for deposited structures are 6D4E, 6D4I, 6D4M, and 6D4N for MmIgG1 Fc, MmIgG2 Fc, MmIgG3 Fc, and MmIgG4 Fc, respectively.     

Male intergroup mobility in a wild population of the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Ghomaran rif mountains,Morocco

In this two-year study of a Barbary macaque population (n = 162) in the Ghomaran region of Morocco, 13 cases of males separated from their assumed natal groups were observed (nine visits of nonresident males to groups, two males isolated from groups as much as one day and one night, and two sets of snow tracks indicating males travel +7 km as isolates). Males left their assumed natal groups primarily in the mating season (12 cases), focused their interactions on estrous females of other groups, and were observed to copulate with these females in two cases. All males leaving their assumed natal groups were estimated to be between 5 and 8 years of age, with one exception (+ 15 years). It could not be determined whether males younger than 5 years moved between groups, or whether any males made permanent intergroup transfers. Regardless, the data from this study indicate that male intergroup mobility (and intergroup gene flow) was higher than has been previously assumed for this species. A prior theory that Barbary macaque groups are highly inbred, and that this is causally related to the evolution of male-infant care in this species, is not supported by the data of this study.