甘南则岔林区蓝马鸡冬季昼间行为观察

2007年12月1日至2008年1月10日采用瞬时扫描取样法在甘南州则岔林区对蓝马鸡(Crossoptilon auritum)群体昼间行为进行了研究。在行为时间分配上,取食比例最高(40.62%),其次是休息(28.01%)、移动(19.17%)、警戒行为(12.55%)。在不同生境下,移动(χ2=13.994,df=3,P0.01)和休息(χ2=15.899,df=3,P0.01)存在显著性差异,而取食和警戒在各生境中无明显差异。在昼间行为节律上,蓝马鸡取食高峰出现在9:00～11:00时和15:00～17:00时,移动行为高峰出现在9:00～10:00时和18:00～19:00时,休息行为高峰出现在11:00～13:00时。在农田生境下,觅食与警戒比例较高,在溪流带和灌丛生境下,休息比例较高。     

青海省都兰县沟里乡幼龄藏狐昼间行为节律

2007年3月6日～4月25日,采用焦点取样和瞬时扫描取样相结合的方法对3只幼龄藏狐(Vulpesferrilata)的昼间行为进行观察记录,并分析其节律及组成.结果表明,休息行为是幼龄藏狐日常活动的主要组成部分,其次为捕食行为和嬉戏行为.幼龄藏狐以晨昏活动为主,主要活动时间集中在8:00～9:00时和16:00～19:00时,其余时间以休息为主.成体藏狐出现后,幼龄藏狐嬉戏行为增加,而休息行为减少,并伴随有奔跑和亲昵行为.     

白头叶猴与黑叶猴觅食行为的比较

开展近缘物种觅食行为比较对理解动物的行为可塑性及适应性具有重要意义。白头叶猴(Trachypithecus leucocephalus)和黑叶猴(T.francoisi)是近缘物种,体形大小相近,社会结构和栖息环境相似,是广西崇左白头叶猴国家级自然保护区喀斯特季节性雨林中邻域分布的灵长类。为了探索两个物种在喀斯特生境中是否有相似的觅食策略,我们于2012年1—12月采用瞬时扫描取样法对两种叶猴的觅食行为进行研究。结果表明,白头叶猴与黑叶猴在不同时段均为叶食性,树叶是两种叶猴各个时段主要食物,其中白头叶猴日均取食树叶77.0%±4.4%,黑叶猴日均取食68.9%±8.3%,两者对树叶的采食比例均没有显著的日时段差异(白头叶猴:χ²=6.602,df=11,P=0.830;黑叶猴:χ²=11.393,df=11,P=0.411)。两种叶猴的觅食行为都在猴群清晨离开夜宿石洞后和进入过夜山洞前的时段中频繁发生。白头叶猴在09:00—10:59和16:00—17:59出现觅食高峰,时间占比分别为41.7%和46.3%;黑叶猴同样在09:00—10:59...     

秦岭川金丝猴群在非移动时的空间结构

本研究在个体识别的基础上 ,采用瞬时扫描取样法 (Instantaneousandscansampling)和行为的全事件取样法 (Alloccurrencesampling) ,对秦岭川金丝猴 (Rhinopithecusroxellana)的一个投食群的空间结构进行研究。发现秦岭川金丝猴社群的空间结构是以类似于“家庭”的社会单元为基本单位 ,属于同一社会单元的个体主要集中在同一棵树上 (占观察频率的 6 0 6 % ) ,其次是在距离相近的两棵树上 (占 2 9 1% ) ,个体间的直线距离通常保持在 0 - 10m之间 ,主要是在 0 - 5m之间 ,不同的社会单元个体间的空间直线距离主要集中在 10 - 30m之间 ,通常是在 2 0 - 2 5m之间 ,明显大于同一社会单元的个体间的空间直线距离 ,这些研究结果可以作为一种野外鉴别猴群社会单元的尺度 ,供未来的研究人员参考。通过对空间形状近似圆形的猴群进行分层 ,统计表明高社会等级的单元常出现在猴群的内层和中层内侧 (df =1,χ2 =16 6 97,P <0 0 0 5 ) ,中社会等级的单元主要出现在猴群的中层 (df=1,χ2 =2 1 5 4 ,P <0 0 0 5 ) ,而低社会等级的单元出现在猴群的外层 (df =1,χ2 =12 6 0 ,P <0 0 0 5 ) ;等级较高的单元在猴群中占有的空间大小与空间质量也较高 ,随着单元社会等级的降低 ,其占有空间的大小与质量也随之降低 ;变化的     

笼养东北虎行为的时间分配

1998 年4 月至2001 年3 月, 采用瞬时扫描取样法和全事件取样法对哈尔滨动物园的4 只笼养东北虎的活动规律进行了研究。结果表明, 笼养东北虎在全年的昼夜行为时间分配表现为睡眠所占比值最多; 其次是卧息和活动; 摄食和其它行为(包括饮水、排尿、排粪、修饰、嗅闻、嬉戏、站立、直立、发声等) 最少。在不同季节笼养东北虎的活动变化规律基本相似, 一昼夜的睡眠、运动和卧息均有两个高峰期, 但高峰期出现和持续的时间有所差异。睡眠的高峰期在10 : 00～14 : 00 和20 : 00 至次日06 : 00 , 活动的高峰期在05 : 00～10 : 00 和14 : 00～17 : 00 , 卧息的高峰期在05 : 00～10 : 00 和13 : 00～20 : 00 , 摄食仅在16 : 00～20 : 00 有一个高峰期。冬季(12～2 月) 与春(3～5 月) 、夏(6～8 月) 、秋季(9～11 月) 相比, 东北虎在白昼睡眠的时间显著减少,夜晚则显著增多。     

不同饲养条件下海南坡鹿幼体春季昼间行为时间分配及活动节律

2003 年2 月至4 月间, 在海南甘什岭自然保护区采用瞬时扫描取样法对10 头海南坡鹿幼体昼间行为时间分配和活动节律进行了初步研究。结果表明: 坡鹿幼体昼间行为时间分配中摄食、卧息和反刍占有较大的比例;人工圈养和半散放条件下摄食、卧息、反刍、站立和运动行为的昼间时间分配差异性显著( P < 0.01), 半散放条件下幼鹿每天用于摄食和运动的时间比人工圈养的多, 而用于卧息、反刍和站立的时间较少, 其余行为时间比较接近; 在昼间活动节律方面, 圈养条件下摄食有3 个高峰期(09:00～10:00, 11:00～12:00, 16:00～18:00) , 卧息有2 个高峰期(10:00～11:00, 13:00～16: 00) ; 半散放条件下没有明显的摄食高峰期, 主要原因是大部分时间花费在食物的搜索和处理上, 而其卧息高峰出现在14:00 以后。     

基于红外相机技术对帚尾豪猪活动节律和时间分配初步观察

2012年8月至2013年7月,采用红外相机技术对广西弄岗国家级自然保护区15 hm^2森林动态监测样地及其周边区域内的帚尾豪猪(Atherurus macrourus)进行观察,采用活动强度指数分析其活动节律和时间分配,探讨月相和环境因子对其活动节律和时间分配的影响。结果表明,不同时间段内帚尾豪猪的活动强度存在极显著差异(t=4. 666,df=23,P=0. 001),活动峰值出现在20:00~21:00和05:00~06:00;夜间主要以移动(63. 2%)和觅食(23. 6%)为主。帚尾豪猪各月份间的时间分配存在极显著差异(t=8. 581,df=11,P=0. 001),旱、雨季间的时间分配存在显著差异(Z=-2. 166,P=0. 03)。各月相间帚尾豪猪出现的频次存在显著差异(χ~2=5. 00,df=1,P=0. 025),以新月期和满月期活动最为频繁,上弦月活动最少。相关性分析表明,活动强度指数与月降雨量、月最高温度及最低温度(R^2=0. 440,R^2=0. 435,R^2=0. 457)都存在显著的负相关,帚尾豪猪最适的活动温区为10℃~26℃。本研究初步掌握了帚尾豪猪在弄岗保护区的活动节律和时间分配,有助于后期理解栖息地和气候变化对其活动的影响。     

四川唐家河自然保护区扭角羚冬春季日活动模式研究

根据相机陷阱调查获得照片的时间,研究了2008年12月～2009年5月唐家河自然保护区内野生扭角羚Budorcastaxicolor的日活动模式。通过对24个1km×1km样方的调查,共完成686个相机工作日的取样量,获得有效的扭角羚捕捉次数709次(冬季322次,春季387次),并分别计算出扭角羚冬季和春季在各时间段的相对活动强度指数RAI。结果显示,扭角羚在冬季和春季的日活动模式没有显著差异(χ2检验,P>0.1),每天都有3个活跃时期(凌晨、早上和下午)和3个紧随的不活跃时期。其中,冬季日活动的最高峰出现在下午17:00～18:00(RAI=12.42),最低谷出现在日出前3:00～6:00(RAI=0.00);春季最高峰出现在早上6:00～7:00(RAI=20.16),最低谷出现在日出前2:00～5:00(RAI=0.26)。在春季,扭角羚在上午活跃期的活动强度明显高于下午活跃期,而在冬季则相反。春季与冬季相比,扭角羚上午和下午的两个活跃时间段都有提前,可能是由于不同季节气温和光照差异的影响。研究表明,相机陷阱调查技术是研究野生动物在野外活动模式和活动节律的有效工具,可为今后深入开展扭角羚行为生态学...     

湖北石首麋鹿昼间活动时间分配

为探讨性别、年龄和季节对麋鹿(Elaphurus davidianus)行为的影响,2006年9月-2007年10月,作者采用焦点取样法和瞬时记录法,将麋鹿昼间活动归为采食、饮水、运动、休息、警觉、其他行为等六大类型,每月6-8 d对湖北石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区麋鹿种群的昼间活动时间分配进行了跟踪观察.结果表明:麋鹿有晨、昏两个采食高峰和一个午间休息期,各种行为类型所占比例依次是:休息53.40％(±5.59％)、采食22.36(±8.34％)、运动11.23％(±0.63％)、警觉5.03％(±1.76％)、其他行为4.42％(±2.06％),饮水2.65％(±0.74％).不同季节,时间分配变化明显.非参数Kruskal Wallis H检验结果显示(n=120),季节、年龄和性别显著影响麋鹿的活动时间分配.除运动行为(x2=16.856,df=3,P＞0.05)和饮水行为(x2=7.667,df=3,P＞0.05)无显著差异外,采食(x2=15.657,df=3,P＜0.01)、休息(x2=13.173,df=3,P＜0.01)、警觉(x2 =13.887,df=3,P＜0.01)和其他行为(x2=16.317,df=3,P＜0.01)在不同季节所占时间百分比均有极显著差异.对不同性别年龄组的活动时间分配采用两个独立样本的Mann-Whitney U检验,各性别-年龄组间的运动行为所占时间比例有极显著差异(P＜0.01),雄鹿与雌鹿之间的警觉行为有极显著差异(P＜0.01),雄鹿花较多时间用于警觉.幼鹿与成年鹿及亚成年鹿之间的采食行为时间有极显著差异(P＜0.01).不同性别、年龄组在不同季节的昼间活动时间分配的差异采用方差(ANOVA)分析后发现:所有年龄组,夏季与冬季饮水、春季与夏季警觉均存在显著性差异(P＜0.01);成体和亚成体麋鹿,春季与冬季警觉、夏季与冬季运动均存在显著性差异(P＜0.01).     

云南高黎贡山赧亢白眉长臂猿春季食谱及活动时间分配初探

从2007年3月9日至4月14日,调查了高黎贡山赧亢的白眉长臂猿的食性和时间分配,旨在为该物种的栖息地保护和食物资源的管理提供指导.观察时,将白眉长臂猿的行为分为取食、移动、休息3种活动类型,利用瞬时扫描取样法取样记录,并记录取食种类及部位.白眉长臂猿春季取食植物种类共有10种,其中果实类植物3种,果汁类植物1种,嫩叶类植物6种.相对其它灵长类而言,其春季的食物多样性较低.白眉长臂猿移动、休息和取食的时间分配分别为33%、35%和32%,较叶猴属动物休息少,移动多.赧亢的白眉长臂猿1天中有3个觅食高峰期,9:00～10:00为第1个觅食高峰;11:00～13:00为第2个觅食高峰;16:00～17:00为第3个觅食高峰.而孟加拉国 Lawachara 的白眉长臂猿仅在早上有两次觅食高峰.这种差异可能是不同区域的白眉长臂猿对环境的适应结果.     

Comparison of arthritis characteristics in lowland Gorilla gorilla and mountain Gorilla beringei

Gorilla gorilla and the less-studied G. beringei occupy very different, geographically separate habitats. We studied the occurrence of various forms of arthritis to examine possible nature/nurture causality. The macerated skeletons of 38 G. beringei and 99 G. gorilla individuals were examined macroscopically for the presence of articular and osseous pathologies. Contrasting with only isolated osteoarthritis and infectious arthritis was the frequent occurrence of a form of erosive arthritis associated with joint fusion. Twenty-one percent of the G. beringei and 20% of G. gorilla specimens were afflicted, which are statistically indistinguishable frequencies. While both had prominent axial disease, they differed in patterns of peripheral arthritis. Whereas G. beringei showed a pauciarticular pattern, the pattern in G. gorilla was more often polyarticular. Susceptibility to spondyloarthropathy was apparently genetically imprinted before Gorilla separated into G. gorilla and G. beringei. However, the different patterns of peripheral joint involvement suggest a causality resulting from lifestyle (e.g., the presence/absence or extent of knuckle walking) or a habitat-related infectious agent.     

Species and sex identification of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) and humans

Methods for the identification of the sex and species of individuals from samples non-invasively taken from humans and gorillas were established. Amplification of a segment of amelogenin (AMG), which is an X–Y homologous gene, using two pairs of primers from human AMG, revealed both X- and Y-specific bands. The possibility of sex identification was examined by typing the AMG gene using hair and fecal samples from captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Japan and hair samples from wild eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, which were sexed by direct observation. Species-specific bands of AMG in gorillas and humans were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis. These tests could be used for sexing unidentified individuals of wild western and eastern lowland gorillas, and screening contamination of human DNA from non-invasively acquired samples.     

Gorilla adaptations to naturalistic environments

In the past few decades there have been increased investigations into the effects of captive environments on behavior. Simultaneously, zoological gardens have undergone a revolution in philosophy and design, resulting in a proliferation of “naturalistic” habitats. Complex environments such as these have been found to affect the behavior of captive animals favorably, including increasing reproductive and rearing success, encouraging the expression of species-typical behavior patterns, and decreasing abnormal behaviors. In June 1988, Zoo Atlanta completed four naturalistic habitats for western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). These new habitats afforded a unique opportunity to study the adaptation of lowland gorillas to novel, naturalistic habitats. During the first year of habitation, a total of 451 hours of data were collected on 11 gorillas housed in three harem groups. Focal animal sampling with a behavioral change scoring system was used to obtain information on behavior, substrate, environmental components utilized, and location in sun or shade. Instantaneous scans at 15 minute intervals provided information on location and behavior of all individuals. Adaptation to the environments was assessed by using the indices of: time spent manipulating objects across the course of the study, the percent of the habitats utilized, and the dispersal of individual animals over the habitats. Trends in these behaviors indicated that exploration of the environments significantly decreased, but that this decline in exploration took over six months to occur. Several interpretations of these findings are presented including the unfamiliarity of these naturalistic habitats to these subjects.     

Non‐invasive fecal hormone analysis and behavioral observations for monitoring stress responses in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Non‐invasive techniques for monitoring the stress response in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were investigated. Fecal samples for cortisol measurement and concurrent behavioral data were collected from six individuals in a socially housed gorilla group (one adult male, three adult females and their three offspring) over a 7‐month period. Despite inter‐individual variation in the dynamics of fecal cortisol concentrations over time, several major secretory peaks coincided across individuals. High cortisol concentrations in feces were correlated with induced stressors or behavioral observations indicating high social tension, with a 1–2 day lag period. Entry progression order of the gorillas into a den complex and a supplant‐based dominance index were suitable indicators of overall dominance hierarchies, and fluctuations over time reflected periods of instability. Diurnal variation in fecal cortisol was not apparent when comparing afternoon and morning samples, however the sample collection interval was relatively short (3–5 hr). These results demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring stress responses based on the dynamics of both fecal cortisol excretion and behavior. This non‐invasive approach may be used for gauging responses to changes in husbandry, environment and group structure of captive gorillas. Zoo Biol 0:1–15, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Male genetic structure and paternity in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

The male dispersal patterns of western lowland gorillas (WLGs, Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are not well understood. To determine whether most silverbacks stay close to their relatives, we analyzed autosomal and Y‐chromosomal microsatellites (STRs) in wild WLGs at Moukalaba, Gabon. We obtained STR genotypes for 38 individuals, including eight silverbacks and 12 adult females in an approximately 40 km² area. Among them, 20 individuals were members of one identified group (Group Gentil; GG), including one silverback and six adult females. The silverback sired all 13 of the offspring in GG and no Y‐STR polymorphism within GG was found, as expected in a one‐male group structure. Over all silverbacks sampled, Y‐STR diversity was high considering the limited sampling area, and silverbacks with similar Y‐STR haplotypes were not always located in nearby areas. Although the misclassification rate of kinship estimates in this study was not negligible, there were no kin dyads among all silverbacks sampled. These results suggest that silverbacks born in the same group do not stay close to each other after maturation. The Y‐STR diversity in this study was similar to that of a previous study conducted in an area that was approximately 150 times larger than our study area. Similarity of WLG Y‐STR diversity between studies at different sampling scales suggests that male gene flow may not be geographically limited. These results suggest that WLG males normally disperse from their natal areas after maturation, at least, in Moukalaba. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:583–588, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

秦岭羚牛春夏季昼夜活动节律与时间分配

1996年4~8月,在陕西省佛坪自然保护区内采用无线电遥测技术对4只秦岭羚牛（Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi）的活动规律进行了研究。春夏季羚牛的活动规律以白昼活动为主。羚牛每昼夜有69.95+11.06%的时间处于活动状态（n=40）,其中76.77%的活动时间是在日出后到日落前的白昼。白昼有3个活动高峰期,分别出现在06:00~08:00、10：00~12：00、18：00~20：00 3个时间段。在夜间羚牛只有1个活动高峰期,通常出现在24：00至次日凌晨01：00的时间段。野外观察证实,羚牛白昼的3个活动高峰期与羚牛群体活跃采食的时间吻合。羚牛的昼夜活动节律的形成与变化,可能会受到诸如光照、温度、雨等气候条件的影响。每天的黎明阶段（06：00~07：00）及黄昏阶段（18：30~19：30）是羚牛活动最频繁的时候,平均活动率在90%以上。大雨期间羚牛常常站立或卧地休息。此外,羚牛昼夜活动节律和时间分配方面的差异在年龄上也有所体现。     

Observations on the teeth of the mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei)

Measurements of a sample of mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) teeth are presented: when compared with other Gorilla series, the dimensions of the maxillary teeth fall in the upper end of the observed range for the genus. All of the upper teeth except the canine show a greater sex difference in the bucco-lingual diameter than in the mesio-distal dimension. This is also true for the other hominoids which have been studied, man, the chimpanzee, and the orang-utan, but to a lesser degree in man and the chimpanzee.     

The effect of visitors on the behavior of zoo-housed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Primates, especially apes, are popular with the public, often attracting large crowds. These crowds could cause behavioral change in captive primates, whether positive, neutral, or negative. We examined the impact of visitors on the behavior of six western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), observing the troop over 6 weeks during high season (4.5 hr/day, 35 days, May–July 2016). We used focal scan sampling to determine activity budget and enclosure usage, and focal continuous sampling to identify bouts of anxiety-related behavior (visitor-directed vigilance, self-scratching, and aggression). Both daily zoo-entry numbers (V_GATE) and instantaneous crowds at the exhibit (V_DENSITY) were measured. Overall, V_GATE had little effect across behaviors. However, consistent with the more acute time frame of measurement, V_DENSITY was a better predictor of behavior; at high crowd volumes, we observed significant group-level changes in activity budget (increased inactivity, increased locomotion, and decreased environment-related behaviors), increase in some anxiety-related behaviors, and decreased enclosure usage. Although contributing similar effects, it could not be determined if crowd numbers, composition, or noise most affected the troop, nor any chronic effects of exposure to large crowds. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that measures to minimize the impacts of large crowds at the exhibit would be beneficial. Furthermore, we highlight potential discrepancies between common methods for measuring visitor numbers: V_GATE is less sensitive to detecting visitor effects on behavioral indices than V_DENSITY. Future studies should appropriately match the biological time frame of welfare indicators and visitor measures used to ensure the reliability of findings.     

Food-Associated Calling in Gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in the Wild

Many nonhuman primates produce food-associated vocalizations upon encountering or ingesting particular food. Concerning the great apes, only food-associated vocalizations of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) have been studied in detail, providing evidence that these vocalizations can be produced flexibly in relation to a variety of factors, such as the quantity and quality of food and/or the type of audience. Only anecdotal evidence exists of eastern (Gorilla beringei) and western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) producing food-associated vocalizations, termed singing or humming. To enable a better understanding of the context in which these calls are produced, we investigated and compared the vocal behavior of two free-ranging groups of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) at Mondika, Republic of Congo. Our results show that (a) food-associated call production occurs only during feeding and not in other contexts; (b) calling is not uniformly distributed across age and sex classes; (c) calls are only produced during feeding on specific foods; and (d) normally just one individual gives calls during group feeding sessions, however, certain food types elicit simultaneous calling of two or more individuals. Our findings provide new insight into the vocal abilities of gorillas but also carry larger implications for questions concerning vocal variability among the great apes. Food-associated calls of nonhuman primates have been shown to be flexible in terms of when they are used and who they are directed at, making them interesting vocalizations from the viewpoint of language evolution. Food-associated vocalizations in great apes can offer new opportunities to investigate the phylogenetic development of vocal communication within the primate lineage and can possibly contribute novel insights into the origins of human language.     

The use of random controls in genetic association studies

BACKGROUND: The optimal control sample would be ethnically-matched and at minimal risk of developing the disease. Alternatively, one could collect random individuals from the population or select individuals to reduce the number of at-risk individuals in the sample. The effect of randomly selected individuals in a control sample on the statistical power and the odds ratio estimate was investigated. METHODS: Case and control genotype distributions were simulated using standard genetic models with an additional term representing the proportion of unidentified cases in the control sample. Power and odds ratio were calculated from the genotype distributions generated under different sampling scenarios using established methods. RESULTS: Random sampling of controls resulted in a loss in power and a reduction in the odds ratio estimate to a degree that is determined by the proportion of random sampling and the prevalence of the disease. Random sampling resulted in a 19% loss in power for a disease having prevalence of 0.20, compared to a control sample that contained no at-risk individuals. Having random controls results in a decrease in the odds ratio estimate. CONCLUSIONS: Investigators planning case-control genetic association studies should be aware of the statistical costs of different ascertainment approaches.