Polysaccharide digestion in cheek pouches of the bonnet macaque

Bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) possess cheek pouches which equip them to raid field crops. The pouches are regarded as the replacement of the first part of sacculated stomach of langur. The present study demonstrates that these pouches cause starch digestion also and that the secretions contain two different amylases or isozymes.     

Physiology of maternal separation in a bonnet macaque infant

A bonnet monkey infant (M. radiata) was monitored both physiologically and behaviorally during a separation experiment in which both its mother and other conspecifiecs were removed from its social group leaving the bonnet infant with three adult pigtailed females. The separated infant exhibited the characteristic slouched posture of depression and physiological changes including decreases in the heart rate and body temperature, increases in cardiac arrhythmias, and alterations in sleep patterns, as has been previously described in separated pigtailed infants. Persistent decreases in heart rate and body temperature were noted following reunion with the mother, possibly reflecting a disturbance in the mother-infant relationship secondary to the mother's having come into estrus during the period of separation. This study indicates that the physiological correlates of maternal separation previously described in pigtailed infants are not species specific.     

Nasal cavity carcinosarcoma in a bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata)

An example of a rare, highly aggressive malignant intranasal neoplasm in a male Bonnet macaque is presented. The tumor invaded the bony orbit, distorted the position of the globe, and metastasized to regional lymph nodes and lungs. Histologically the tumor was composed of both mesenchymal and epithelial components and probably was of minor salivary gland origin.     

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma in a bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata)

Spontaneous sarcomas, not associated with an underlying disease, appear to be relatively rare in nonhuman primates. Since 1970, there have been few reported cases of naturally-occurring sarcomas of any kind in these species. A malignant histiocytoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma have been described in a rhesus macaque and baboon, respectively. A malignant fibrous histiocytoma is defined as a sarcoma of varied pattern consisting of a mixture of histiocytic and fibroblastic elements. It is thought that the two cells types arise from a common precursor or that the fibroblastic elements are derived from the histiocytes. These tumors are relatively common in humans. Here we report a case of spontaneously-occurring malignant fibrous histiocytoma in an adult bonnet macaque.     

Alterations of natural hand movements after interruption of fasciculus cuneatus in the macaque.

As part of a series of investigations on the control of fine finger movements in the macaque, spontaneous use of the hand in grooming, scratching, and manipulation was observed before and after interruption of fasciculus cuneatus (FC). Videotaped observations were made of four stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) living outdoors in social groups. The monkeys were followed for 1 to 3 years postoperatively. For the first 2 weeks following surgery, all monkeys neglected the affected hand and did not use it for support, locomotion, climbing, scratching, foraging, or grooming. Recovery of gross arm and hand movements occurred over a 1- to 3-month period. All the monkeys eventually used the hand for support, climbing, and object manipulation, but fine control of the fingers did not recover. Also, there was an apparent hypotonia of the fingers, imparting a "floppy" appearance to the hand. The animals coped with the loss of fine control by decreasing the frequency of some behaviors, eliminating others, and developing alternative strategies. Exploratory movements that were utilized for investigating the anogenital area or foraging for small food items were eliminated by FC interruption. There were obvious deficits in grip formation and grasp of small food objects (see Glendinning et al., this issue), but effects on similar movements during grooming only became obvious after repeated inspection of videotaped records. Self-scratching and sweeps of the hand in grooming were preserved but altered in form and frequency. The component movements in these behaviors were relatively uncoordinated, and the fingers were splayed (abducted). Often the hand was formed in a rigid posture throughout the sweeping motion, and the fingers did not stroke the skin individually. Frame-by-frame analysis of videotapes revealed that the morphology of the precision grip during grooming, in movements termed "plucks," was permanently altered. Preoperatively, the monkeys kept the index finger and thumb closely apposed and routinely made contact on the distal surfaces of the digits, as has been described for precision grip in humans. Postoperatively, this relationship was altered. The index finger frequently missed the thumb tip and made contact on the proximal part of the phalanx, or missed the thumb altogether. Thus, the dorsal column input is important for proprioceptive guidance of movements that achieve "tactile foveation," when objects or surfaces are actively contacted by the receptive areas of keenest sensitivity (on the fingertips).     

Estimates of milk constituents from lactating bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) mothers between two and seven months post‐partum

Background The literature regarding milk composition in non‐human primates collected across offspring development is limited. We assayed milk samples from bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) mothers as part of studies characterizing development of this species. Methods Milk was obtained when possible longitudinally from seven lactating bonnet macaque mothers. Samples were frozen until analysis. Individual samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of electrolytes including sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, and magnesium, as well as urea, protein, lipids, glucose, and lactose. Results A trend for increased lipids as well as protein percentage was noted with increasing infant age. Chloride and calcium showed an increase with age, whereas other electrolytes remained relatively stable across development. Conclusions The composition of the milk of this particular macaque species was similar to other Old World primates as well as humans. These data add to the limited information available on milk constituents among mammals.     

The computer synthesis of expressive faces.

This paper presents a methodology for the computer synthesis of realistic faces capable of expressive articulations. A sophisticated three-dimensional model of the human face is developed that incorporates a physical model of facial tissue with an anatomical model of facial muscles. The tissue and muscle models are generic, in that their structures are independent of specific facial geometries. To synthesize specific faces, these models are automatically mapped onto geometrically accurate polygonal facial representations constructed by photogrammetry of stereo facial images or by non-uniform meshing of detailed facial topographies acquired by using range sensors. The methodology offers superior realism by utilizing physical modelling to emulate complex tissue deformations in response to coordinated facial muscle activity. To provide realistic muscle actions to the face model, a performance driven animation technique is developed which estimates the dynamic contractions of a performer's facial muscles from video imagery.     

The movements of the Kittiwake

Capsule During winter songbirds were far more abundant in game cover crops than conventional agricultural habitats.

Aims To quantify game crop use during winter by farmland songbirds when compared with conventional farmland at a regional scale.

Methods Songbirds were counted on 20 farms in eastern Scotland. The number of songbirds using game crops was compared with a sample of nearby conventional crops – with particular emphasis on set-aside and cereal stubbles.

Results Game crops supported up to 100 times as many birds per hectare, of significantly more species, than the other two habitat categories. Many of these species were those currently causing concern because of their declining populations.

Conclusion Game crops could provide opportunities for increasing food resources to songbirds whose populations may be limited by food availability and possibly arrest population declines. At present, the only measures likely to facilitate this are the government's various agri-environment schemes.     

Studies on the social behaviour of bonnet monkeys

Two troupes of bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) occupying a garden sector of Bangalore were studied mainly for their social behaviour and it was found that though in their behaviour, the bonnets comply with the general behavioural patterns characteristic of Primates, there exist a few features and expressions which are different.Bonnets live in well organised societies near human habitations and feed on wild and cultivated items of food. The troupe size ranges from 10 to 50 members that include males and females of all age groups. No real solitary bonnet has yet been encountered. They occupy definitely demarcated home ranges which overlap those of the others resulting in occasional fights or aggressive behaviour. They roost in many selected quarters, preferably tall and well spread trees (Rahaman & Parthasarathy, 1969). Though bonnets appear to be mostly ground dwellers, their adaptation to arboreal life provides safety. Adult males drop to the rear during flights in danger and see that the rest of the members are safe on tree-tops. They have a communicative system involving gestures, grimaces and calls (Rahaman & Parthasarathy, 1968).The main breeding period is during the months of October and November. The period of the highest frequency of copulations in rhesus monkey of North India coincides fairly with that of bonnets, suggesting that the seasonal factors, to a considerable extent, control the onset of mating season and consequently the births. Babies are born mostly during the months of February and March. The gestation period appears to be of about 5 months duration. The mother-infant relation is most intimate and pronounced during the first 2 months of the baby's life and there is a gradual fall in this aspect as the baby becomes older.     

The autumn movements of the Woodpigeon

Sexual dimorphism of 2 plumage features and some morphological measurements was assessed in a sample of 140 museum skins and over 300 wild-trapped Coal Tits Parus ater britannicus. All the characters examined displayed highly significant sexual dimorphism, and have allowed the presentation of a recommended methodology which should allow over 90% of all British Coal Tits to be sexed correctly by fieldworkers. The validity of year-round sexing using characteristics of the throat feathering is proven by comparison with the results of a molecular DNA sexing technique.     

The statistical neuroanatomy of frontal networks in the macaque

We were interested in gaining insight into the functional properties of frontal networks based upon their anatomical inputs. We took a neuroinformatics approach, carrying out maximum likelihood hierarchical cluster analysis on 25 frontal cortical areas based upon their anatomical connections, with 68 input areas representing exterosensory, chemosensory, motor, limbic, and other frontal inputs. The analysis revealed a set of statistically robust clusters. We used these clusters to divide the frontal areas into 5 groups, including ventral-lateral, ventral-medial, dorsal-medial, dorsal-lateral, and caudal-orbital groups. Each of these groups was defined by a unique set of inputs. This organization provides insight into the differential roles of each group of areas and suggests a gradient by which orbital and ventral-medial areas may be responsible for decision-making processes based on emotion and primary reinforcers, and lateral frontal areas are more involved in integrating affective and rational information into a common framework.     

The function of Barbary macaque copulation calls.

In a wide variety of animal species, females produce vocalizations specific to mating contexts. It has been proposed that these copulation calls function to incite males to compete for access to the calling female. Two separate advantages of inciting male-male competition in this way have been put forward. The first suggests that as a result of calling, females are only mated by the highest ranking male in the vicinity (indirect mate choice hypothesis). The second proposes that copulation calling results in a female being mated by many males, thus promoting competition at the level of sperm (sperm competition hypothesis). In this paper, I give results from the first experimental study to test these hypotheses. Playback was used to examine the function of copulation calls of female Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in Gibraltar. Although rank did not affect lone males'' likelihood of approaching copulation calls, when playbacks were given to pairs of males only the higher ranking individual approached. Moreover, females were mated significantly sooner after playback of their copulation call than after playback of a control stimulus. These results suggest that the copulation calls of female Barbary macaques play a key role in affecting patterns of male reproductive behaviour, not only providing an indirect mechanism of female choice, but also promoting sperm competition by reducing the interval between copulations. Potential fitness benefits of inciting male-male competition at these two levels are discussed.     

The control of oscillatory movements of the forearm

The patterns of EMG activity in the biceps and triceps muscles were recorded during horizontal oscillatory movements of the forearm. Subjects showed increased frequency of oscillation as they voluntarily reduced movement amplitude. EMG burst duration was significantly correlated with wavelength of oscillation in every case. In almost half the cases burst intensity was also positively correlated with wavelength. Subjects seemed to be using one or both these methods to control amplitude. A model was developed in three stages which satisfactorily accounted for the data.