Nonhuman Primate Behavior: A Note on Recent Research

Recent publications dealing with nonhuman primate social behavior suggest that Service's discussion of that topic in The Hunters is in need of extensive revision, and that Damas's (AA 71:315–316) recently expressed admiration for the discussion is unfortunate. Short paragraphs based on readily available references summarize findings that have appeared since The Hunters was published and indicate where Service's generalizations concerning species specific social organization, sexual seasonality, dominance orders, and territoriality are in greatest need of updating. [Primate social behavior; hunter-gatherers; ecological studies]     

一个灵长类种属特异基因——XAGE-3转基因

目的分析XAGE-3基因在灵长类和啮齿类动物的基因组中的同源性,通过转基因研究XAGE-3基因在小鼠中的功能及生物学意义。方法根据Homologene及Taxplot数据库,通过Blast比对方法分析XAGE-3在两类动物基因组中的同源性;从人胎盘组织克隆XAGE-3基因,转入真核表达载体pCDNA3.1(+),显微注射方法得到转基因动物,基因组PCR鉴定基因型,反转录PCR分析基因的表达;Brdu标记3周龄动物显示睾丸内细胞的增殖。结果XAGE-3在人、黑猩猩和猕猴中存在高度同源基因,而在小鼠和大鼠中无同源区域;在基因型鉴定阳性的5个首建系中3个品系睾丸组织目的基因表达较高,在传代的两个品系中,在小肠,胸腺,睾丸等组织中目的基因均有表达;睾丸组织Brdu标记显示XAGE-3转基因动物有更多的发育晚期的精细胞被标记。结论XAGE-3作为灵长类种属特有基因在转基因小鼠中影响了精细胞发育。     

Zoo Animal Feeding: A Natural History Viewpoint

In order to formulate animal feeding programs, zoos traditionally borrow knowledge and techniques, developed for domesticated animals, from livestock industry. Although livestock industry provides some of the basic components of feeding it is aimed at economic gain from animals, and the number of species it covers is extremely small. Moreover, wild animals are forced to make considerable adjustments to captivity in all aspects of life, and limitations of domesticated animal models should be recognized and examined. There exists a dire need to increase utilization of knowledge on food habits of wild animals acquired by field biologists, in our effort to improve zoo animal husbandry. Natural history attracts limited interest by zoos. However, it offers a wealth of information which needs to be explored to benefit zoo animal feeding practices.     

Zoo Animal Feeding: A Natural History Viewpoint

In order to formulate animal feeding programs, zoos traditionally borrow knowledge and techniques, developed for domesticated animals, from livestock industry. Although livestock industry provides some of the basic components of feeding it is aimed at economic gain from animals, and the number of species it covers is extremely small. Moreover, wild animals are forced to make considerable adjustments to captivity in all aspects of life, and limitations of domesticated animal models should be recognized and examined. There exists a dire need to increase utilization of knowledge on food habits of wild animals acquired by field biologists, in our effort to improve zoo animal husbandry. Natural history attracts limited interest by zoos. However, it offers a wealth of information which needs to be explored to benefit zoo animal feeding practices.     

灵长类生态学研究方法

目前,国外对灵长类生态学的研究越来越多,研究内容包括种群动力学、社群结构及行为,野生群繁殖行为等。我国的灵长类生态学研究虽然起步较晚,但发展较快。特别是对我     

New Directions in Primate Research

Chimpanzee Material Culture: Implications for Human Evolution . W. C. McGrew
Theropithecus: The Rise and Fall of a Primate Genus . N. G. Jablonski     

A DNA Metabarcoding Study of a Primate Dietary Diversity and Plasticity across Its Entire Fragmented Range

In tropical regions, most primary ecosystems have been replaced by mosaic landscapes in which species must cope with a large shift in the distribution of their habitat and associated food resources. Primates are particularly vulnerable to habitat modifications. Most species persist in small fragments surrounded by complex human-mediated matrices whose structure and connectivity may strongly influence their dispersal and feeding behavior. Behavioral plasticity appears to be a crucial parameter governing the ability of organisms to exploit the resources offered by new matrix habitats and thus to persist in fragmented habitats. In this study, we were interested in the dietary plasticity of the golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli), an endangered species of lemur, found only in the Daraina region in north-eastern Madagascar. We used a DNA-based approach combining the barcoding concept and Illumina next-generation sequencing to (i) describe the species diet across its entire range and (ii) evaluate the influence of landscape heterogeneity on diet diversity and composition. Faeces from 96 individuals were sampled across the entire species range and their contents were analyzed using the trnL metabarcoding approach. In parallel, we built a large DNA reference database based on a checklist of the plant species of the Daraina region. Our results suggest that golden-crowned sifakas exhibit remarkable dietary diversity with at least 130 plant species belonging to 80 genera and 49 different families. We highlighted an influence of both habitat type and openness on diet composition suggesting a high flexibility of foraging strategies. Moreover, we observed the presence of numerous cultivated and naturalized plants in the faeces of groups living in forest edge areas. Overall, our findings support our initial expectation that P. tattersalli is able to cope with the current level of alteration of the landscape and confirm our previous results on the distribution and the dispersal ability of this species.     

Multi-Scales Analysis of Primate Diversity and Protected Areas at a Megadiverse Region

In this paper, we address the question of what proportion of biodiversity is represented within protected areas. We assessed the effectiveness of different protected area types at multiple scales in representing primate biodiversity in the Brazilian Legal Amazon. We used point locality data and distribution data for primate species within 1°, 0.5°, and 0.25° spatial resolution grids, and computed the area of reserves within each cell. Four different approaches were used – no reserves (A), exclusively strict use reserves (B), strict and sustainable use reserves (C), and strict and sustainable use reserves and indigenous lands (D). We used the complementarity concept to select reserve networks. The proportions of cells that were classified as reserves at a grid resolution of 1° were 37%, 64%, and 88% for approaches B, C and D, respectively. Our comparison of these approaches clearly showed the effect of an increase in area on species representation. Representation was consistently higher at coarser resolutions, indicating the effect of grain size. The high number of irreplaceable cells for selected networks identified based on approach A could be attributed to the use of point locality occurrence data. Although the limited number of point occurrences for some species may have been due to a Wallacean shortfall, in some cases it may also be the result of an actual restricted geographic distribution. The existing reserve system cannot be ignored, as it has an established structure, legal protection status, and societal recognition, and undoubtedly represents important elements of biodiversity. However, we found that strict use reserves (which are exclusively dedicated to biodiversity conservation) did not effectively represent primate species. This finding may be related to historical criteria for selecting reserves based on political, economic, or social motives.     

Primate Behavior Studies: Essential to Primate Welfare

A special session of the 2006 Animal Behavior Society annual meeting

In Memory of Sylvia Taylor, DVM     

Assessing the Effects of New Primate Exhibits on Zoo Visitors' Attitudes and Perceptions by Using Three Different Assessment Methods

ABSTRACT

Using three different methods, this study investigated how zoo visitors behaved in response to both old and new exhibits of four nonhuman primate species and how they perceived these primates. On-site observations showed that zoo visitors were more likely to stop in front of new exhibits and spend more time viewing new exhibits compared with old exhibits. Response to an on-site questionnaire also showed that zoo visitors perceived primates in the new exhibits more positively than the same animals in the old exhibits. The results from these two types of local assessment indicate that the attractiveness and holding power of the new exhibits was greater than that of the old. However, the results of a questionnaire given to zoo visitors on leaving the zoo showed that the preference ranks of the visitors for the four primate species did not increase after the new exhibits were established, indicating that the new exhibits did not change the zoo visitors' perception of primates relative to other zoo animals. Using all three assessment methods appears to be of considerable value for the assessment of visitors' perceptions towards new exhibits in terms of both the immediate locality and the zoo as a whole.     

Exceptional Simian Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Diversity in a Wild African Primate Community

Simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) is an arterivirus that causes severe disease in captive macaques. We describe two new SHFV variants subclinically infecting wild African red-tailed guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius). Both variants are highly divergent from the prototype virus and variants infecting sympatric red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus). All known SHFV variants are monophyletic and share three open reading frames not present in other arteriviruses. Our data suggest a need to modify the current arterivirus classification.     

动物园展馆评估系统的建立及应用

在全面阐述动物园展馆评估方法的基础上,建立了从游客、动物和员工三个角度评估展馆的新的指标体系,并在搬迁前哈尔滨动物园的象馆、猩猩馆和水禽馆应用了该方法。评估结果显示：象馆的综合评估总分为84．1分,水禽馆为83．5分,猩猩馆为58．8分。象馆和水禽馆的总体使用效果稍好,而猩猩馆在平面布局、通风、采光和排水设施等方面存在问题,未能很好地吸引游客、保障动物健康和方便员工操作。最后针对评估结果提出了新展馆设计的几点建议。     

动物园,根在自然

建园百年,尤其是建国后的几十年来,动物园和自然之间的关系经历多次变化。最初我国动物园是直接依赖野外获取动物,当时在野外有5个动物搜集站。1989年,我国颁布了野生动物保护法,随着执法力度的增强,想要从野外得到动物资源几乎是不可能了。