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Palacios-Marquez JJ, Guevara-Fiore P. Parasitism in viviparous vertebrates: an overview. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:53. [PMID: 38100003 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08083-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The reproductive mode of viviparity has independently evolved in various animal taxa. It refers to the condition in which the embryos or young develop inside the female's body during gestation, providing advantages such as protection, nutrition, and improved survival chances. However, parasites and diseases can be an evolutionary force that limit the host's resources, leading to physiological, morphological, and behavioral changes that impose additional costs on both the pregnant female and her offspring. This review integrates the primary literature published between 1980 and 2021 on the parasitism of viviparous hosts. We describe aspects such as reproductive investment in females, offspring sex ratios, lactation investment in mammals, alterations in birth intervals, current reproductive investment, variations between environments, immune system activity in response to immunological challenges, and other factors that can influence the interaction between viviparous females and parasites. Maintaining pregnancy incurs costs in managing the mother's resources and regulating the immune system's responses to the offspring, while simultaneously maintaining an adequate defense against parasites and pathogens. Parasites can significantly influence this reproductive mode: parasitized females adjust their investment in survival and reproduction based on their life history, environmental factors, and the diversity of encountered parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Palacios-Marquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edificio Bio-1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, 72580, Puebla, CP, Mexico
| | - Palestina Guevara-Fiore
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edificio Bio-1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, 72580, Puebla, CP, Mexico.
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2
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Schneider-Crease IA, Feder JA, Baniel A, McCann C, Haile AA, Abebe B, Fitzgerald L, Gomery MA, Simberloff RA, Petrie ZL, Gabriel S, Dorny P, Fashing PJ, Nguyen N, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC, Snyder-Mackler N, Lu A. Urinary neopterin reflects immunological variation associated with age, helminth parasitism, and the microbiome in a wild primate. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21307. [PMID: 36494454 PMCID: PMC9734142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neopterin, a product of activated white blood cells, is a marker of nonspecific inflammation that can capture variation in immune investment or disease-related immune activity and can be collected noninvasively in urine. Mounting studies in wildlife point to lifetime patterns in neopterin related to immune development, aging, and certain diseases, but rarely are studies able to assess whether neopterin can capture multiple concurrent dimensions of health and disease in a single system. We assessed the relationship between urinary neopterin stored on filter paper and multiple metrics of health and disease in wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada), primates endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. We tested whether neopterin captures age-related variation in inflammation arising from developing immunity in infancy and chronic inflammation in old age, inflammation related to intramuscular tapeworm infection, helminth-induced anti-inflammatory immunomodulation, and perturbations in the gastrointestinal microbiome. We found that neopterin had a U-shaped relationship with age, no association with larval tapeworm infection, a negative relationship with metrics related to gastrointestinal helminth infection, and a negative relationship with microbial diversity. Together with growing research on neopterin and specific diseases, our results demonstrate that urinary neopterin can be a powerful tool for assessing multiple dimensions of health and disease in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- India A Schneider-Crease
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Jacob A Feder
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Alice Baniel
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Colleen McCann
- Department of Mammals, Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Belayneh Abebe
- African Wildlife Foundation, Simien Mountains Landscape Conservation and Management Project, Debark, Ethiopia
| | | | - Megan A Gomery
- Simien Mountains Gelada Research Project, Debark, Ethiopia
| | - Ruth A Simberloff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | | | - Sarah Gabriel
- Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pierre Dorny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter J Fashing
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nga Nguyen
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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3
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Venkataraman VV, Miller C, Foxfoot I, Lin B, Petrie ZL, Simberloff RA, Bernardo O, Redon N, Hohn TI, Kerby JT, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ. Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vivek V. Venkataraman
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
| | - Carrie Miller
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
- Department of Anthropology University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - Iris Foxfoot
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
| | - Bing Lin
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
| | | | | | | | - Nathan Redon
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
| | - Triana I. Hohn
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
| | - Jeffrey T. Kerby
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Nga Nguyen
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
- Department of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program California State University Fullerton California USA
| | - Peter J. Fashing
- Guassa Gelada Research Project Mehal Meda Ethiopia
- Department of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program California State University Fullerton California USA
- Department of Biosciences Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) University of Oslo Oslo Norway
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4
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Miller CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ, Tung J, Wroblewski EE, Gustison ML, Wilson ML. Extragroup paternity in gelada monkeys, Theropithecus gelada, at Guassa, Ethiopia and a comparison with other primates. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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5
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Caselli M, Zanoli A, Dagradi C, Gallo A, Yazezew D, Tadesse A, Capasso M, Ianniello D, Rinaldi L, Palagi E, Norscia I. Wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in crops-more than in pasture areas-reduce aggression and affiliation. Primates 2021; 62:571-584. [PMID: 34061281 PMCID: PMC8225520 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00916-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Human-primate interfaces are expanding and, despite recent studies on primates from peri-urban environments, little research exists on the impact of agriculture and/or pasture areas on primate social behavior and health. We assessed how crop/pasture areas potentially alter social behavior and health of wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada) frequenting the unprotected area of Kundi (Ethiopia). We predicted that compared to pasture areas, crop areas (i) would be more challenging for geladas (prediction 1) and (ii) would have a greater impact on both aggressive and affiliative behavior, by reducing grooming time and enhancing competition (prediction 2). During January-May 2019 and December 2019-February 2020, we collected data (via scan, focal animal sampling, and video analyses) on direct human disturbance, external signs of pathologies and social behavior of 140 individuals from 14 one-male units and two all-male units. Animals experienced the highest level of human disturbance in crop areas (in line with prediction 1). Individuals from the groups preferentially frequenting crop areas showed the highest prevalence of external signs of pathologies consistent with chemical and biological contamination (alopecia/abnormally swollen parts). We collected 48 fecal samples. Samples from frequent crop users contained the highest rates of parasitic elements/gram (egg/larva/oocyst/cyst) from Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, a parasite common in human settlements of the Amhara region. In crop areas, subjects spent less time grooming but engaged in lower rates of intense aggression (in partial agreement with prediction 2). We speculate that the reduction in social behavior may be a tactic adopted by geladas to minimize the likelihood of detection and maximize food intake while foraging in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Caselli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Carlo Dagradi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gallo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Dereje Yazezew
- Department of Biology, Debre Behran University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Tadesse
- Department of Biology, Debre Behran University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Michele Capasso
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Ianniello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
- University of Pisa, Natural History Museum, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy.
- University of Pisa, Natural History Museum, Pisa, Italy.
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6
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Deere JR, Schaber KL, Foerster S, Gilby IC, Feldblum JT, VanderWaal K, Wolf TM, Travis DA, Raphael J, Lipende I, Mjungu D, Pusey AE, Lonsdorf EV, Gillespie TR. Gregariousness is associated with parasite species richness in a community of wild chimpanzees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:87. [PMID: 34456452 PMCID: PMC8386636 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03030-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Increased risk of pathogen transmission through proximity and contact is a well-documented cost of sociality. Affiliative social contact, however, is an integral part of primate group life and can benefit health. Despite its importance to the evolution and maintenance of sociality, the tradeoff between costs and benefits of social contact for group-living primate species remains poorly understood. To improve our understanding of this interplay, we used social network analysis to investigate whether contact via association in the same space and/or physical contact measured through grooming were associated with helminth parasite species richness in a community of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). We identified parasite taxa in 381 fecal samples from 36 individuals from the Kasekela community of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, from November 1, 2006 - October 31, 2012. Over the study period, eight environmentally transmitted helminth taxa were identified. We quantified three network metrics for association and grooming contact, including degree strength, betweenness, and closeness. Our findings suggest that more gregarious individuals - those who spent more time with more individuals in the same space - had higher parasite richness, while the connections in the grooming network were not related to parasite richness. The expected parasite richness in individuals increased by 1.13 taxa (CI: 1.04, 1.22; p = 0.02) per one standard deviation increase in degree strength of association contact. The results of this study add to the understanding of the role that different types of social contact plays in the parasite richness of group-living social primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Deere
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Kathryn L. Schaber
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Steffen Foerster
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Ian C. Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Joseph T. Feldblum
- Department of Anthropology, and Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI US
| | - Kimberly VanderWaal
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Tiffany M. Wolf
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Dominic A. Travis
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Jane Raphael
- Tanzanian National Park Authority, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Iddi Lipende
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Deus Mjungu
- Gombe Stream Research Center, The Jane Goodall Institute, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Anne E. Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | | | - Thomas R. Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
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7
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Habig B, Chowdhury S, Monfort SL, Brown JL, Swedell L, Foerster S. Predictors of helminth parasite infection in female chacma baboons ( Papio ursinus). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2021; 14:308-320. [PMID: 33898232 PMCID: PMC8056146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Helminth parasite infection can impose major consequences on host fitness. Several factors, including individual characteristics of hosts, environmental conditions, and patterns of coinfection, are thought to drive variation in parasite risk. Here, we report on four key drivers of parasite infection-phase of reproduction, steroid hormone profiles, rainfall, and patterns of coinfection-in a population of wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in South Africa. We collected data on reproductive state and hormone profiles over a 3-year span, and quantified helminth parasite burdens in 2955 fecal samples from 24 female baboons. On a host level, we found that baboons are sensitive to parasite infection during the costliest phases of the reproductive cycle: pregnant females harbored higher intensities of Protospirura eggs than cycling and lactating females; lactating and cycling females had a higher probability of Oesophagostomum infection than pregnant females; and cycling females exhibited lower Trichuris egg counts than pregnant and lactating females. Steroid hormones were associated with both immunoenhancing and immunosuppressive properties: females with high glucocorticoid concentrations exhibited high intensities of Trichuris eggs but were at low risk of Oesophagostomum infection; females with high estrogen and progestagen concentrations exhibited high helminth parasite richness; and females with high progestagen concentrations were at high risk of Oesophagostomum infection but exhibited low Protospirura egg counts. We observed an interaction between host reproductive state and progestagen concentrations in infection intensity of Protospirura: pregnant females exhibited higher intensities and non-pregnant females exhibited lower intensities of Protospirura eggs with increasing progestagen concentrations. At a population level, rainfall patterns were dominant drivers of parasite risk. Lastly, helminth parasites exhibited positive covariance, suggesting that infection probability increases if a host already harbors one or more parasite taxa. Together, our results provide a holistic perspective of factors that shape variation in parasite risk in a wild population of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby Habig
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
| | - Shahrina Chowdhury
- Department of Anthropology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA
- Anthropology Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York NY, 10016, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, Anthropology Program, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven L. Monfort
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Janine L. Brown
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Larissa Swedell
- Anthropology Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York NY, 10016, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, Anthropology Program, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Steffen Foerster
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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8
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Lemaître JF, Ronget V, Gaillard JM. Female reproductive senescence across mammals: A high diversity of patterns modulated by life history and mating traits. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 192:111377. [PMID: 33031803 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Senescence patterns are highly variable across the animal kingdom. However, while empirical evidence of actuarial senescence in vertebrates is accumulating in the wild and life history correlates of actuarial senescence are increasingly identified, both the extent and variation of reproductive senescence across species remain poorly studied. Here, we performed the first large-scale analysis of female reproductive senescence across 101 mammalian species that encompassed a wide range of Orders. We found evidence of reproductive senescence in 68.31 % of the species, which demonstrates that reproductive senescence is pervasive in mammals. As expected from allometric rules, the onset of reproductive senescence occurs later and the rate of reproductive senescence decreases with increasing body mass and delayed age at first reproduction. Moreover, for a given pace of life, females displaying a high level of multiple mating and/or with induced ovulation senesce earlier than females displaying a low level of multiple mating and/or with spontaneous ovulation. These results suggest that both female mating behavior and reproductive physiology shape the diversity of reproductive senescence patterns across mammals. We propose future avenues of research regarding the role played by environmental conditions or reproductive features (e.g. type of placentation) on the evolution of reproductive senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Victor Ronget
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, F-75016, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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9
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Lin B, Foxfoot IR, Miller CM, Venkatamaran VV, Kerby JT, Bechtold EK, Kellogg BS, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ. Leopard predation on gelada monkeys at Guassa, Ethiopia. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23098. [PMID: 31994756 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Predation is widely believed to exert strong selective pressure on primate behavior and ecology but is difficult to study and rarely observed. In this study, we describe seven encounters between lone wild leopards (Panthera pardus) and herds of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) over a 6-year period in an intact Afroalpine grassland ecosystem at the Guassa Community Conservation Area, Ethiopia. Three encounters consisted of attempted predation on geladas by leopards, one of which was successful. All three attacks occurred in low-visibility microhabitats (dominated by tussock graminoids, mima mounds, or tall shrubs) that provided leopards with hidden viewsheds from which to ambush geladas. An additional four encounters did not result in an attempted attack but still document the consistently fearful responses of geladas to leopards. In encounters with leopards, geladas typically gave alarm calls (n = 7 of 7 encounters), reduced interindividual distances (n = 5), and collectively fled towards or remained at their sleeping cliffs (n = 7), the only significant refugia in the open-country habitat at Guassa. Geladas did not engage in mobbing behavior towards leopards. Encounters with leopards tended to occur on days when gelada herd sizes were small, raising the possibility that leopards, as ambush hunters, might stalk geladas on days when fewer eyes and ears make them less likely to be detected. We compare the behavioral responses of geladas to leopards at Guassa with those previously reported at Arsi and the Simien Mountains and discuss how gelada vulnerability and responses to leopards compare with those of other primate species living in habitats containing more refugia. Lastly, we briefly consider how living in multilevel societies may represent an adaptive response by geladas and other open-country primates to predation pressure from leopards and other large carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Lin
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | | | - Carrie M Miller
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Jeffrey T Kerby
- Neukom Institute for Computational Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Emily K Bechtold
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Bryce S Kellogg
- Forest Restoration Program, The Nature Conservancy, Bend, Oregon
| | - Nga Nguyen
- Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter J Fashing
- Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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10
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Akinyi MY, Jansen D, Habig B, Gesquiere LR, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Costs and drivers of helminth parasite infection in wild female baboons. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1029-1043. [PMID: 30972751 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Helminth parasites can have wide-ranging, detrimental effects on host reproduction and survival. These effects are best documented in humans and domestic animals, while only a few studies in wild mammals have identified both the forces that drive helminth infection risk and their costs to individual fitness. Working in a well-studied population of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, we pursued two goals, to (a) examine the costs of helminth infections in terms of female fertility and glucocorticoid hormone levels and (b) test how processes operating at multiple scales-from individual hosts to social groups and the population at large-work together to predict variation in female infection risk. To accomplish these goals, we measured helminth parasite burdens in 745 faecal samples collected over 5 years from 122 female baboons. We combine these data with detailed observations of host environments, social behaviours, hormone levels and interbirth intervals (IBIs). We found that helminths are costly to female fertility: females infected with more diverse parasite communities (i.e., higher parasite richness) exhibited longer IBIs than females infected by fewer parasite taxa. We also found that females exhibiting high Trichuris trichiura egg counts also had high glucocorticoid levels. Female infection risk was best predicted by factors at the host, social group and population level: females facing the highest risk were old, socially isolated, living in dry conditions and infected with other helminths. Our results provide an unusually holistic understanding of the factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in parasite infection, and they contribute to just a handful of studies linking helminths to host fitness in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Y Akinyi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Jansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | - Bobby Habig
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.,Department of Biology, Queens college, City University of New York, Flushing, New York
| | | | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
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11
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Chanove E, Ionică AM, Hochman D, Berchtold F, Gherman CM, Mihalca AD. Severe coenurosis caused by larvae of Taenia serialis in an olive baboon ( Papio anubis) in Benin. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 9:134-138. [PMID: 31080729 PMCID: PMC6506464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In March 2017, a captive male juvenile (ca. 6 months old) olive baboon (Papio anubis) was brought to a primate rescue center in Benin with multiple subcutaneous swellings of unknown aetiology. At the general inspection of the body, around 15 partially mobile masses of variable sizes were found in different locations across the body. Following two surgical procedures, several cyst-like structures were removed and placed either in 10% formalin or in absolute ethanol. The cysts had a typical coenurus-like morphology. Genomic DNA was extracted from one cyst using a commercially available kit. The molecular characterization was performed by PCR amplification and sequencing of a region of the nuclear ITS-2 rDNA and a fragment of the mitochondrial 12S rDNA gene, revealing its identity as T. serialis, with 88%–98% similarity to T. serialis isolates from USA, Japan and Germany This study reports a new host for the larval form of T. serialis and confirms the role of primates as intermediate host, highlighting also the risk for human infection. Further genetic studies from multiple geographic isolates are needed to clarify the taxonomic status of this group. The present study reports a the olive baboon as new host for the larval form of Taenia serialis. This is the first report of T. serialis in Benin. The relevance and risk for the health and welfare of primates in rescues centers is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Chanove
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
| | - A M Ionică
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
| | - D Hochman
- Veterinary Clinic "du clos", 67 rue de la chapelle, Saint-Cergues, 74140, France
| | - F Berchtold
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
| | - C M Gherman
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
| | - A D Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania
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12
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Trosvik P, de Muinck EJ, Rueness EK, Fashing PJ, Beierschmitt EC, Callingham KR, Kraus JB, Trew TH, Moges A, Mekonnen A, Venkataraman VV, Nguyen N. Multilevel social structure and diet shape the gut microbiota of the gelada monkey, the only grazing primate. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:84. [PMID: 29729671 PMCID: PMC5935910 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0468-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gelada monkey (Theropithecus gelada), endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, is the only graminivorous primate, i.e., it feeds mainly on grasses and sedges. In spite of known dental, manual, and locomotor adaptations, the intestinal anatomy of geladas is similar to that of other primates. We currently lack a clear understanding of the adaptations in digestive physiology necessary for this species to subsist on a graminoid-based diet, but digestion in other graminivores, such as ruminants, relies heavily on the microbial community residing in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Furthermore, geladas form complex, multilevel societies, making them a suitable system for investigating links between sociality and the GI microbiota. RESULTS Here, we explore the gastrointestinal microbiota of gelada monkeys inhabiting an intact ecosystem and document how factors like multilevel social structure and seasonal changes in diet shape the GI microbiota. We compare the gelada GI microbiota to those of other primate species, reporting a gradient from geladas to herbivorous specialist monkeys to dietary generalist monkeys and lastly humans, the ultimate ecological generalists. We also compare the microbiotas of the gelada GI tract and the sheep rumen, finding that geladas are highly enriched for cellulolytic bacteria associated with ruminant digestion, relative to other primates. CONCLUSIONS This study represents the first analysis of the gelada GI microbiota, providing insights into the adaptations underlying graminivory in a primate. Our results also highlight the role of social organization in structuring the GI microbiota within a society of wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pål Trosvik
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eric J. de Muinck
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eli K. Rueness
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter J. Fashing
- Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA USA
| | - Evan C. Beierschmitt
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | | | - Jacob B. Kraus
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Thomas H. Trew
- Cleve Lodge, Minster Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 4BA England
| | - Amera Moges
- Department of Biology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Addisu Mekonnen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Nga Nguyen
- Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA USA
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Klaus A, Strube C, Röper KM, Radespiel U, Schaarschmidt F, Nathan S, Goossens B, Zimmermann E. Fecal parasite risk in the endangered proboscis monkey is higher in an anthropogenically managed forest environment compared to a riparian rain forest in Sabah, Borneo. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195584. [PMID: 29630671 PMCID: PMC5891069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding determinants shaping infection risk of endangered wildlife is a major topic in conservation medicine. The proboscis monkey, Nasalis larvatus, an endemic primate flagship species for conservation in Borneo, is endangered through habitat loss, but can still be found in riparian lowland and mangrove forests, and in some protected areas. To assess socioecological and anthropogenic influence on intestinal helminth infections in N. larvatus, 724 fecal samples of harem and bachelor groups, varying in size and the number of juveniles, were collected between June and October 2012 from two study sites in Malaysian Borneo: 634 samples were obtained from groups inhabiting the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS), 90 samples were collected from groups of the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary (LBPMS), where monkeys are fed on stationary feeding platforms. Parasite risk was quantified by intestinal helminth prevalence, host parasite species richness (PSR), and eggs per gram feces (epg). Generalized linear mixed effect models were applied to explore whether study site, group type, group size, the number of juveniles per group, and sampling month predict parasite risk. At the LBPMS, prevalence and epg of Trichuris spp., strongylids, and Strongyloides spp. but not Ascaris spp., as well as host PSR were significantly elevated. Only for Strongyloides spp., prevalence showed significant changes between months; at both sites, the beginning rainy season with increased precipitation was linked to higher prevalence, suggesting the external life cycle of Strongyloides spp. to benefit from humidity. Higher prevalence, epgs, and PSR within the LBPMS suggest that anthropogenic factors shape host infection risk more than socioecological factors, most likely via higher re-infection rates and chronic stress. Noninvasive measurement of fecal parasite stages is an important tool for assessing transmission dynamics and infection risks for endangered tropical wildlife. Findings will contribute to healthcare management in nature and in anthropogenically managed environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Klaus
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Kathrin Monika Röper
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Frank Schaarschmidt
- Institute for Biostatistics, Leibniz University, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | | | - Benoit Goossens
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Abu K, Mekonnen A, Bekele A, Fashing PJ. Diet and activity patterns of Arsi geladas in low-elevation disturbed habitat south of the Rift Valley at Indetu, Ethiopia. Primates 2017; 59:153-161. [PMID: 29230674 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-017-0640-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the basic natural history of threatened primate taxa is crucial to developing and implementing successful conservation strategies for them. Data on feeding ecology and activity patterns are particularly important for identifying the strategies through which primates invest time and foraging effort towards survival and reproduction at a given locale. Here, we report the results of the first study of the diet and activity budget of Arsi geladas, a population of < 1000 individuals endemic to a heavily disturbed region of the southern Ethiopian Highlands and believed to represent a new taxon of geladas. We conducted our research on a band of 34 individuals belonging to five, one-male units at Indetu, eastern Arsi, Ethiopia, from August 2010 to May 2011 (excluding March 2011). Feeding accounted for 41.7% of total scans, followed by moving (20.3%), resting (19.0%), and social behavior (19.0%). Feeding and moving increased and resting and socializing decreased during the dry season when food availability was probably lower than during the wet season. Geladas ate mostly graminoid leaves (51.7% of feeding scans) though they also consumed graminoid rhizomes (24.4%), forb tubers (7.1%), forb leaves (7.1%), cactus, shrub, and tree fruits (3.6%), graminoid corms (1.7%), forb roots (1.6%), and unidentified items (3.0%). Underground foods (corms, rhizomes, roots, and tubers) accounted for 22-47% (mean = 35%) of the monthly (n = 9) diet and were eaten slightly more during the wet season than during the dry season. Contributions of human crops to the gelada diet could not be quantified without creating conflict between farmers and researchers, though we did note that geladas visited farms on 5-10% of study days. Threats from farmers, children, and dogs limited the geladas' access to crops once they entered the farms. Further research involving questionnaire surveys of farmers, direct observation of crop damage by geladas, and DNA metabarcoding of gelada feces are crucial to the development of strategies to mitigate human-gelada conflict in the densely populated Arsi Zone of Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelil Abu
- Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Addisu Mekonnen
- Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. .,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Afework Bekele
- Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Peter J Fashing
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, 92834, USA
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15
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Klaus A, Zimmermann E, Röper KM, Radespiel U, Nathan S, Goossens B, Strube C. Co-infection patterns of intestinal parasites in arboreal primates (proboscis monkeys, Nasalis larvatus) in Borneo. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:320-329. [PMID: 29988805 PMCID: PMC6031963 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Non-human primates of South-East Asia remain under-studied concerning parasite epidemiology and co-infection patterns. Simultaneously, efforts in conservation demand knowledge of parasite abundance and biodiversity in threatened species. The Endangered proboscis monkey, Nasalis larvatus, a primate flagship species for conservation in Borneo, was investigated in the present study. Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the greatest threats to bachelor and harem groups of this folivorous colobine. Designed as a follow-up study, prevalence and co-infection status of intestinal parasites from N. larvatus in a protected area in Malaysian Borneo were analyzed from fecal samples using a flotation method. For the first time, the intestinal parasite co-infection patterns were examined using quantitative analyses. Overall, 92.3% of fecal samples (N = 652) were positive for helminth eggs. Five helminth groups were detected: (1) trichurids (82.7% prevalence) including Trichuris spp. (82.1%) and Anatrichosoma spp. (1.4%), (2) strongyles (58.9%) including Trichostrongylus spp. (48.5%) and Oesophagostomum/Ternidens spp. (22.8%), (3) Strongyloides fuelleborni (32.7%), (4) Ascaris lumbricoides (8.6%), and (5) Enterobius spp. (5.5%). On average, an individual was co-infected with two different groups. Significant positive associations were found for co-infections of trichurids with strongyles and S. fuelleborni as well as S. fuelleborni with A. lumbricoides and strongyles. This study shows a high prevalence of various gastrointestinal helminths with potential transmission pathways primarily related to soil and with zoonotic relevance in wild proboscis monkeys in their remaining natural habitats. Observed positive associations of trichurids with strongyles and Strongyloides spp. may result from the high prevalence of trichurids. Similarly, positive associations between Strongyloides and Ascaris were found, both of which typically occur predominantly in juvenile hosts. These findings should be considered when proposing conservation actions in altered habitats nearby human settlements and when managing captive populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Klaus
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Kathrin Monika Röper
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Senthilvel Nathan
- Sabah Wildlife Department, 5th Floor, B Block, Wisma MUIS, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Benoit Goossens
- Sabah Wildlife Department, 5th Floor, B Block, Wisma MUIS, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Danau Girang Field Centre, C/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, 33 Park Pl, Cardiff CF10 3BA, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
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16
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Schneider-Crease I, Griffin RH, Gomery MA, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC. High mortality associated with tapeworm parasitism in geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28783206 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing appreciation for parasitism as an important component of primate ecology and evolution, surprisingly few studies have demonstrated the costs of helminth parasitism in primates. Detecting parasite-related costs in primates is particularly difficult because it requires detailed, long-term data on individual host reproductive success, survival, and parasitism. The identification of the larval tapeworm Taenia serialis in geladas under intensive long-term study in the Ethiopian Highlands (Nguyen et al. [2015] American Journal of Primatology, 77:579-594; Schneider-Crease et al. [2013] Veterinary Parasitology 198:240-243) provides an opportunity to examine how an endemic parasite impacts host reproductive success and survival. We used survival analyses to assess the mortality risk associated with protuberant larval cysts characteristic of T. serialis using a decade of data from a gelada population in the Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP), Ethiopia. We demonstrated strikingly high mortality associated with T. serialis cysts in adult females, particularly for younger adults. The estimated effect of cysts on male mortality was similar, although the effect was not statistically significant, likely owing to the smaller sample size. Additionally, the offspring of mothers with cysts experienced increased mortality, which was driven almost entirely by maternal death. Mothers with cysts had such high mortality that they rarely completed an interbirth interval. Comparison with a study of this parasite in another gelada population on the Guassa Plateau (Nguyen et al. [2015] American Journal of Primatology, 77:579-594) revealed lower cyst prevalence in the SMNP and similar cyst-associated mortality. However, many more females with cysts completed interbirth intervals at Guassa than in the SMNP, suggesting that T. serialis cysts may kill hosts more rapidly in the SMNP. Our results point toward the underlying causes of individual and population-level heterogeneity in T. serialis-associated mortality as important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Randi H Griffin
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Megan A Gomery
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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17
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Identifying wildlife reservoirs of neglected taeniid tapeworms: Non-invasive diagnosis of endemic Taenia serialis infection in a wild primate population. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005709. [PMID: 28704366 PMCID: PMC5526605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the global distribution and public health consequences of Taenia tapeworms, the life cycles of taeniids infecting wildlife hosts remain largely undescribed. The larval stage of Taenia serialis commonly parasitizes rodents and lagomorphs, but has been reported in a wide range of hosts that includes geladas (Theropithecus gelada), primates endemic to Ethiopia. Geladas exhibit protuberant larval cysts indicative of advanced T. serialis infection that are associated with high mortality. However, non-protuberant larvae can develop in deep tissue or the abdominal cavity, leading to underestimates of prevalence based solely on observable cysts. We adapted a non-invasive monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect circulating Taenia spp. antigen in dried gelada urine. Analysis revealed that this assay was highly accurate in detecting Taenia antigen, with 98.4% specificity, 98.5% sensitivity, and an area under the curve of 0.99. We used this assay to investigate the prevalence of T. serialis infection in a wild gelada population, finding that infection is substantially more widespread than the occurrence of visible T. serialis cysts (16.4% tested positive at least once, while only 6% of the same population exhibited cysts). We examined whether age or sex predicted T. serialis infection as indicated by external cysts and antigen presence. Contrary to the female-bias observed in many Taenia-host systems, we found no significant sex bias in either cyst presence or antigen presence. Age, on the other hand, predicted cyst presence (older individuals were more likely to show cysts) but not antigen presence. We interpret this finding to indicate that T. serialis may infect individuals early in life but only result in visible disease later in life. This is the first application of an antigen ELISA to the study of larval Taenia infection in wildlife, opening the doors to the identification and description of infection dynamics in reservoir populations. Although tapeworm parasites of the genus Taenia are globally distributed and inflict enormous socioeconomic and health costs on their hosts, which include humans, little is known about taeniid tapeworms that infect wildlife. This gap in knowledge prevents an assessment of the potential for these parasites to infect humans and production animals and is largely due to the difficulty of conducting standard diagnostic tests on wildlife. To address this gap, we adapted a standard diagnostic assay to be used with dried urine samples. We used urine from geladas, primates endemic to Ethiopia, which are frequently infected with the larval stage of a taeniid tapeworm and exhibit protuberant cysts during advanced infection. The use of this diagnostic test in a wild gelada population allowed us to detect that individuals can be infected without exhibiting observable cysts, and that some individuals may control infection in its early stages. This tool provides information about how a neglected tapeworm functions in a wildlife system and opens the door to the non-invasive identification of tapeworm reservoir hosts that may threaten humans.
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18
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Nguyen N, Lee LM, Fashing PJ, Nurmi NO, Stewart KM, Turner TJ, Barry TS, Callingham KR, Goodale CB, Kellogg BS, Burke RJ, Bechtold EK, Claase MJ, Eriksen GA, Jones SC, Kerby JT, Kraus JB, Miller CM, Trew TH, Zhao Y, Beierschmitt EC, Ramsay MS, Reynolds JD, Venkataraman VV. Comparative primate obstetrics: Observations of 15 diurnal births in wild gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) and their implications for understanding human and nonhuman primate birth evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:14-29. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nga Nguyen
- Department of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program; California State University, Fullerton; Fullerton California
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES); Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Laura M. Lee
- School of Veterinary Medicine; University of Wisconsin; Madison Wisconsin
| | - Peter J. Fashing
- Department of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program; California State University, Fullerton; Fullerton California
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES); Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Niina O. Nurmi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology; Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen; Göttingen Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - C. Barret Goodale
- School of Natural Resources and Extension; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks Alaska
| | | | - Ryan J. Burke
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford England, UK
| | - Emily K. Bechtold
- Department of Microbiology; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts
| | - Megan J. Claase
- Windy Ridge, Spring Hill, Little Staughton, Bedford; Bedfordshire England, UK
| | - G. Anita Eriksen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES); Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Sorrel C.Z. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences; Royal Holloway, University of London; England, UK
| | - Jeffrey T. Kerby
- Department of Biological Sciences; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire
| | - Jacob B. Kraus
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Front Royal Virginia
| | - Carrie M. Miller
- Department of Anthropology; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota
| | | | - Yi Zhao
- Environmental Studies Program California State University Fullerton; Fullerton California
| | - Evan C. Beierschmitt
- Department of Anthropology; University of California, Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara California
| | - Malcolm S. Ramsay
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | | | - Vivek V. Venkataraman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; Cambridge Massachusetts
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Dietary ecology of fossil Theropithecus: Inferences from dental microwear textures of extant geladas from ecologically diverse sites. J Hum Evol 2016; 99:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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