Self-anointing behavior in free-ranging spider monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ateles geoffroyi</Emphasis>) in Mexico

During 250 h of observation, a total of 20 episodes of self-anointing, that is, the application of scent-bearing material onto the body, were recorded in a group of free-ranging Mexican spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). The animals used the leaves of three species of plants (Brongniartia alamosana, Fabaceae; Cecropia obtusifolia, Cecropiaceae; and Apium graveolens, Umbelliferae) two of which have not been reported so far in this context in any New World primate species. The findings that only two males displayed self-anointing, that only the sternal and axillary regions of the body were rubbed with the mix of saliva and plant material, and a lack of correlation between the occurrence of self-anointing and time of day, season of the year, ambient temperature or humidity do not fit the hypothesis that this behavior functions in repelling insects and/or mitigating topical skin infections in this species. Rather, the data and the observation that the leaves of all three plant species spread an intensive and aromatic odor when crushed, support the hypothesis that self-anointing in A. geoffroyi may play a role in the context of social communication, possibly for signaling of social status or to increase sexual attractiveness.     

Female transfer between one-male groups of proboscis monkey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nasalis larvatus</Emphasis>)

Successful or unsuccessful female transfers were observed seven times during a 32-month field study of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) inhabiting a riverine forest along a tributary of the Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia. In all cases, the females voluntarily left their own groups and immediately joined with another one. When adult females tried to shift to other groups, adult males called them back to their own groups, but appeared to be indifferent to subadult females. When the adult females returned, the males never attacked the females physically, but instead often emitted herding sounds to them. One subadult female was repelled by a resident adult female. When one adult female transferred into a new one-male group, she left her behind son in an all-male group. The number of females often fluctuated in most study groups, with this fluctuation being more prominent among subadult females than adult females. It is likely that female transfer in proboscis monkeys is not a rare occurrence and that it is especially common among sub-adult females.     

秦岭野生雌性川金丝猴粪便睾酮水平与邀配频次的季节性变化

为研究野生雌性川金丝猴(Rhinopithecus roxellana)不同季节体内睾酮水平与性行为频次的变化及二者的关系,我们以秦岭一野生川金丝猴种群为研究对象,通过长时间连续跟踪观察,完成了该种群中所有87只金丝猴的个体识别。用无损伤取样法采集了三只成年雌性川金丝猴不同季节的粪样,对粪样中的睾酮进行抽提测定,同时对采样个体的性行为进行记录。结果显示:1)成年雌猴在交配盛期与非交配盛期,粪样中睾酮水平均呈明显的周期性波动,交配盛期时睾酮水平的变化周期为24.56 d±4.07 d,非交配盛期时为43.67 d±2.89 d,显著长于交配盛期;2)成年雌猴在交配盛期的粪样睾酮水平为2.85 ng±1.12 ng/g,邀配频次为0.98±1.04次/d,非交配盛期时睾酮水平为1.71 ng±0.77 ng/g,邀配频次为0.28±0.53次/d,与交配盛期相比,非交配盛期的睾酮水平和邀配频次均明显降低;3)交配盛期各成年雌猴的粪样睾酮水平与邀配频次均有较显著的正相关关系(相关系数分别为0.631、0.683和0.659),而在非交配盛期这种相关关系并不存在(相关系数分别为0.091、0.493和0.205)。本研究表明,成年雌性川金丝猴体内睾酮水平、睾酮水平变化周期及邀配行为频次均具有明显的季节性差异,这种季节性差异可能是川金丝猴行季节性繁殖的内在原因和外在表现之一。本研究亦表明交配盛期雌猴的性行为频次在一定程度上可能受体内睾酮水平的控制,而在非交配盛期这种控制作用较弱。     

Evolutionary and comparative anatomical investigations of the autonomic cardiac nervous system in the African Cercopithecidae

The purpose of this study was to clarify the general architecture and morphological variations of the autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) in the African Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), and to discuss the evolutionary changes between this system in African/Asian Cercopithecidae and humans. A detailed macroscopic comparative morphological investigation of the ACNS was performed by examining the left and right sides of 11 African cercopithecid specimens, including some previously unreported species (Abyssinian colobus, Angola pied colobus, Savanna monkey, and lesser white-nosed guenon). The common characteristics of the ACNS in the African Cercopithecidae are described in detail. Consequently, homologies of the ACNS between Asian (macaques) and African Cercopithecidae, and differences between the Asian/African Cercopithecidae and humans, were found. In particular, differences in the sympathetic (cardiac) systems of the Cercopithecidae and humans were recognized, despite the similar morphology of the parasympathetic vagal (cardiac) system. These differences include the composition of the cervicothoracic ganglion, the lower positions of the middle cervical and cervicothoracic ganglia, and the narrow range for the origin of the cardiac nerves in the Cercopithecidae, compared with that in humans. In conclusion, these findings are considered with regard to the morphology of the last common ancestors of the Cercopithecidae.     

Using perturbations to identify the brain circuits underlying active vision

The visual and oculomotor systems in the brain have been studied extensively in the primate. Together, they can be regarded as a single brain system that underlies active vision—the normal vision that begins with visual processing in the retina and extends through the brain to the generation of eye movement by the brainstem. The system is probably one of the most thoroughly studied brain systems in the primate, and it offers an ideal opportunity to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the series of perturbation techniques that have been used to study it. The perturbations have been critical in moving from correlations between neuronal activity and behaviour closer to a causal relation between neuronal activity and behaviour. The same perturbation techniques have also been used to tease out neuronal circuits that are related to active vision that in turn are driving behaviour. The evolution of perturbation techniques includes ablation of both cortical and subcortical targets, punctate chemical lesions, reversible inactivations, electrical stimulation, and finally the expanding optogenetic techniques. The evolution of perturbation techniques has supported progressively stronger conclusions about what neuronal circuits in the brain underlie active vision and how the circuits themselves might be organized.     

SHIV1157ipd3N4细胞适应株的制备及其生物特性

目的体外制备SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒中国恒河猴细胞适应株,在细胞水平和中国恒河猴体内评价其生物学特性。方法用SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒阴道感染中国恒河猴,在血浆病毒载量高峰期采血分离外周血单核淋巴细胞（PBMCs）,与正常中国恒河猴PBMCs共培养。定期测定培养液中的P24抗原水平。当病毒复制达高峰期时收集培养上清,分装并冻存。测定病毒RNA载量、P24抗原浓度和TCID50。静脉感染中国恒河猴,研究该批次SHIV1157ipd3N4在体内的病毒学、免疫学指标变化及变异情况,分析其基本的生物学特性。结果本研究共制备了243 mL SHIV1157ipd3N4病毒原液,gp120序列分析表明病毒未发生变异,CCR5的嗜性也未发生改变。病毒载量为1.586×108 copies/mL,P24抗原水平为1.16×103 pg/mL,TZM-bl细胞测定病毒的TCID50为3.16×103/mL。1 mL SHIV1157ipd3N4静脉成功感染中国恒河猴G1004V,高峰期病毒载量达到1.0×106 copies/mL以上。结论此次制备的SHIV1157ipd3N4细胞适应株生物学特性稳定,适合作为毒种库构建SHIV1157ipd3N4/中国恒河猴模型。     

实验猴身份自动识别、自动捕捉、电子芯片数据信息管理系统的研制

目的通过电子芯片植入与识别技术和计算机管理系统对接,建立每只实验猴的数据档案,其中包括遗传谱系、生理数据、实验记录。方法通过建立实验猴的电子通道,以非接触方式通过计算机管理,应用射频识别信号系统,实现实验猴身份快速自动识别、自动捕捉、数据读写、电子档案信息管理、数据远程传输的目的,减少人为因素对实验猴的干扰和引起的应激反应。结果该系统的建立极大的减少了实验和饲养实验猴过程中捕捉猴的困难,身份识别困难,减少了对工作人员和实验猴的伤害,减轻了工作量,减低了人为因素对实验结果的干扰和动物应激反应对实验数据的影响。电子档案具有终身有效,随猴携带,全球唯一序列号,不可复制,不可仿制,标签唯一性。结论实验猴身份自动识别、自动捕捉、电子芯片数据信息管理系统的研制成功,为实验动物个体电子档案建立和群体数据库的管理提供了一种高速、有效、科学、可靠的计算机管理手段,改变通道模式即可应用于大型凶猛动物或不适合人接触捕捉动物的识别和管理,具有广泛的应用前景,目前在国内外尚无同类系统。     

Timing of births in sympatric brown howler monkeys (Alouatta fusca clamitans) and northern muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus).

We monitored the birth patterns of sympatric brown howler monkeys (Alouatta fusca clamitans) and northern muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus) during a 4‐yr period from October 1996 to August 2000 at the Estação Biológica de Caratinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Brown howler monkey births (n = 34) occurred throughout the year, and birth frequencies did not differ between rainy and dry season months. The aseasonal birth patterns of the howler monkeys differed significantly from the dry season concentration and dry month peak in muriqui births (n = 23). We found no effects of infant sex or the number of females on interbirth intervals (IBIs) in our 10 howler monkey study troops. IBIs of brown howler monkeys averaged 21.2 ± 2.5 mo (n = 8, median = 21.0 mo), and were significantly shorter following dry season births than rainy season births. Their IBIs and yearling survivorship (74%) were similar to those reported for other species of howler monkeys, but yearling survivorship was much lower than that of muriquis (94%), whose IBIs were more than 12 mo longer than those of the howler monkeys. Our study extends comparative knowledge of birth patterns in Alouatta to a poorly known species, and provides insights into the different ways in which diet and life history may affect the timing of births in large‐bodied platyrrhines under the same seasonal ecological conditions. Am. J. Primatol. 55:87–100, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Sequential analysis of the social behavior of infants in groups of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata)

We employed techniques of behavioral entropy to carry out a quantitative analysis of sequences of behavioral patterns evident in the interaction between infants and other members of a group of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata). The group concerned included examples both of monkeys in captivity and in the wild state. The results were examined as a function of the animal age and environmental differences (cage-field). An example is given to illustrate the use of information theory. Findings partially confirmed that the variability of social behavior decreases as the age of the animals increases.