1
|
Fillion EN, Harrison T. Hominin turnover at Laetoli is associated with vegetation change: Multiproxy evidence from the large herbivore community. J Hum Evol 2024; 191:103546. [PMID: 38795630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103546] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Vegetation change in eastern Africa during the Pliocene would have had an important impact on hominin adaptation and ecology, and it may have been a key driver of hominin macroevolution, including the extinction of Australopithecus and the emergence of Paranthropus and Homo. The Pliocene paleoanthropological site of Laetoli in Tanzania provides an opportunity to investigate the relationship between vegetation change and hominin turnover because it encompasses the time period when grass cover was spreading across eastern Africa and because hominin species turnover occurred locally at Laetoli, with Paranthropus aethiopicus in the Upper Ndolanya Beds (UNB) replacing Australopithecus afarensis in the Upper Laetolil Beds (ULB). However, it remains unresolved how the vegetation of the UNB and the ULB differed from each other. To examine differences between the two stratigraphic units, multiple proxies-hypsodonty, mesowear, and stable carbon isotopes of tooth enamel (δ13Cenamel)-are used to infer the diets of large herbivores and compare the dietary guild structure of the large herbivore communities. All three proxies indicate an increase in the abrasiveness and C4-content in the diets of the large herbivores in the UNB relative to those in the ULB. After inferring the diets of species based on all three proxies, the large herbivore community of the UNB had a greater proportion of grazers and a smaller proportion of mixed feeders than in the ULB but maintained a similar proportion of browsers and frugivores. The ULB community has few modern-day analogs, whereas the UNB community is most closely analogous to those in modern African grasslands. Thus, hominin turnover at Laetoli is associated with an increase in grass cover within a woodland-grassland mosaic and is part of a broader transformation of the herbivore community structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth N Fillion
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl., New York, NY, 10003, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Koops K, Akankwasa W, Camara HD, Fitzgerald M, Keir A, Mamy G, Matsuzawa T, Péter H, Vicent K, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C. Flexible grouping patterns in a western and eastern chimpanzee community. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23593. [PMID: 38247391 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Primate social organizations, or grouping patterns, vary significantly across species. Behavioral strategies that allow for flexibility in grouping patterns offer a means to reduce the costs of group living. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have a fission-fusion social system in which temporary subgroups ("parties") change in composition because of local socio-ecological conditions. Notably, western chimpanzees (P. t. verus) are described as showing a higher degree of bisexual bonding and association than eastern chimpanzees, and eastern female chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii) are thought to be more solitary than western female chimpanzees. However, reported comparisons in sociality currently depend on a small number of study groups, particularly in western chimpanzees, and variation in methods. The inclusion of additional communities and direct comparison using the same methods are essential to assess whether reported subspecies differences in sociality hold in this behaviorally heterogeneous species. We explored whether sociality differs between two communities of chimpanzees using the same motion-triggered camera technology and definitions of social measures. We compare party size and composition (party type, sex ratio) between the western Gahtoy community in the Nimba Mountains (Guinea) and the eastern Waibira community in the Budongo Forest (Uganda). Once potential competition for resources such as food and mating opportunities were controlled for, subspecies did not substantially influence the number of individuals in a party. We found a higher sex-ratio, indicating more males in a party, in Waibira; this pattern was driven by a greater likelihood in Gahtoy to be in all-female parties. This finding is the opposite of what was expected for eastern chimpanzees, where female-only parties are predicted to be more common. Our results highlight the flexibility in chimpanzee sociality, and caution against subspecies level generalizations.
Collapse
Grants
- Newnham College, University of Cambridge
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
- Homerton College, University of Cambridge
- Gates Cambridge Trust
- #12002009 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #20002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #24000001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16H06 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Stichting Lucie Burgers
- PCEFP3_186967 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathelijne Koops
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Alex Keir
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gnan Mamy
- Institute de Recherche Environnementale de Bossou, Bossou, Guinea
| | - Tetsuro Matsuzawa
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Pedagogy, Chubu Gakuin University, Gifu, Japan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hella Péter
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Kizza Vicent
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Wild Minds Lab, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Koops K, Humle T, Frandsen P, Fitzgerald M, D'Auvergne L, Jackson HA, Børsting C, Siegismund HR, Soumah AG, Hvilsom C. Genetics as a novel tool in mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of critically endangered western chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathelijne Koops
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Department of Archaeology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Tatyana Humle
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Peter Frandsen
- Research and Conservation Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Maegan Fitzgerald
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA
| | - Lucy D'Auvergne
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Hazel A. Jackson
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Claus Børsting
- Department of Forensic Medicine University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Selection of Nest Material and Summer Nest Location by the Hazel Dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius) in the Bidstrup Forests, Denmark. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12010139. [PMID: 36671831 PMCID: PMC9855637 DOI: 10.3390/biology12010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) construct summer nests for resting and breeding. The nests are built directly in the vegetation, in tree hollows, or in nest boxes. The availability of nest materials and vegetation coverage may affect the likelihood of finding hazel dormice at a location. The aim of the study is: (1) To investigate the preferences of hazel dormice for nesting materials today compared to four decades ago. (2) To investigate hazel dormice preferences for vegetation coverage at nest sites. In total, 148 hazel dormouse summer nests from the Bidstrup forests in Zealand (Denmark), were analysed. Of these, 82 were collected in the period A: 1980−1985 and 66 were collected in B: 2019−2020. In total 26 different nest materials were found. Beech was the major nest material in both periods, and Jacob’s selectivity index indicates that beech is selected for as nesting material and that hazel dormice may travel to collect beech leaves. Nests from period A contained more beech (W = 1521, p < 0.05) and less oak (W = 1304, p < 0.01) compared to nests from period B. Vegetation analysis showed that coverage of shrubs higher than 2 m above ground (W = 1.5, p = 0.07) may be of great importance for hazel dormice.
Collapse
|
5
|
Wessling EG, Surbeck M. Failure to account for behavioral variability significantly compromises accuracy in indirect population monitoring. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. G. Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - M. Surbeck
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McKinnon L, Shattuck EC, Samson DR. Sound reasons for unsound sleep: Comparative support for the sentinel hypothesis in industrial and nonindustrial groups. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 11:53-66. [PMID: 36945298 PMCID: PMC10024786 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Sleep is a vulnerable state in which individuals are more susceptible to threat, which may have led to evolved mechanisms for increasing safety. The sentinel hypothesis proposes that brief awakenings during sleep may be a strategy for detecting and responding to environmental threats. Observations of sleep segmentation and group sentinelization in hunter-gatherer and small-scale communities support this hypothesis, but to date it has not been tested in comparisons with industrial populations characterized by more secure sleep environments. Methodology Here, we compare wake after sleep onset (WASO), a quantitative measure of nighttime awakenings, between two nonindustrial and two industrial populations: Hadza hunter-gatherers (n = 33), Malagasy small-scale agriculturalists (n = 38), and Hispanic (n = 1,531) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) (n = 347) Americans. We compared nighttime awakenings between these groups using actigraphically-measured sleep data. We fit linear models to assess whether WASO varies across groups, controlling for sex and age. Results We found that WASO varies significantly by group membership and is highest in Hadza (2.44 h) and Malagasy (1.93 h) and lowest in non-Hispanic Whites (0.69 h). Hispanics demonstrate intermediate WASO (0.86 h), which is significantly more than NHW participants. After performing supplementary analysis within the Hispanic sample, we found that WASO is significantly and positively associated with increased perception of neighborhood violence. Conclusions and implications Consistent with principles central to evolutionary medicine, we propose that evolved mechanisms to increase vigilance during sleep may now be mismatched with relatively safer environments, and in part responsible for driving poor sleep health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leela McKinnon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
- Institute for Health Disparities Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - David R Samson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Field experiments find no evidence that chimpanzee nut cracking can be independently innovated. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:487-494. [PMID: 35075258 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01272-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cumulative culture has been claimed a hallmark of human evolution. Yet, the uniqueness of human culture is heavily debated. The zone of latent solutions hypothesis states that only humans have cultural forms that require form-copying social learning and are culture-dependent. Non-human ape cultural behaviours are considered 'latent solutions', which can be independently (re-)innovated. Others claim that chimpanzees, like humans, have cumulative culture. Here, we use field experiments at Seringbara (Nimba Mountains, Guinea) to test whether chimpanzee nut cracking can be individually (re-)innovated. We provided: (1) palm nuts and stones, (2) palm fruit bunch, (3) cracked palm nuts and (4) Coula nuts and stones. Chimpanzee parties visited (n = 35) and explored (n = 11) the experiments but no nut cracking occurred. In these experiments, chimpanzees did not individually (re-)innovate nut cracking under ecologically valid conditions. Our null results are consistent with the hypothesis that chimpanzee nut cracking is a product of social learning.
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
The human sleep pattern is paradoxical. Sleep is vital for optimal physical and cognitive performance, yet humans sleep the least of all primates. In addition, consolidated and continuous monophasic sleep is evidently advantageous, yet emerging comparative data sets from small-scale societies show that the phasing of the human pattern of sleep–wake activity is highly variable and characterized by significant nighttime activity. To reconcile these phenomena, the social sleep hypothesis proposes that extant traits of human sleep emerged because of social and technological niche construction. Specifically, sleep sites function as a type of social shelter by way of an extended structure of social groups that increases fitness. Short, high-quality, and flexibly timed sleep likely originated as a response to predation risks while sleeping terrestrially. This practice may have been a necessary preadaptation for migration out of Africa and for survival in ecological niches that penetrate latitudes with the greatest seasonal variation in light and temperature on the planet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Samson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
van Dijk K, Cibot M, McLennan MR. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) adapt their nesting behavior after large-scale forest clearance and community decline. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23323. [PMID: 34455609 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) build nests at night for sleeping and occasionally during daytime for resting. Over the course of seven years, forest fragments in Bulindi, Uganda, were reduced in size by about 80% when landowners converted forest to agricultural land. However, unlike other studies on nesting behavior in response to habitat disturbance, chimpanzees at Bulindi had no opportunity to retreat into nearby undisturbed forest. To understand behavioral adaptations to forest clearance, we compared Bulindi chimpanzees' nesting characteristics before and after this period of major deforestation. After deforestation, chimpanzees built nests at lower heights in shorter trees, and reused a larger proportion of their nests. Additionally, average nest group size increased after deforestation, even though community size declined by approximately 20% over the same period. The substantial decrease in available forest habitat may have caused the chimpanzees to aggregate for nesting. However, more cohesive nesting may also have been influenced by dietary shifts (increased reliance on agricultural crops) and a need for enhanced safety with increased human encroachment. Conversely, the chimpanzees selected similar tree species for nesting after deforestation, apparently reflecting a strong preference for particular species, nested less often in exotic species, and built integrated nests (constructed using multiple trees) at a similar frequency as before fragment clearance. Chimpanzees living in unprotected habitat in Uganda, as at Bulindi, face mounting anthropogenic pressures that threaten their survival. Nevertheless, our study shows that chimpanzees can adjust their nesting behavior flexibly in response to rapid, extensive habitat change. While behavioral flexibility may enable them to cope with deforestation, at least to a certain point, the long-term survival of chimpanzees in fast-changing human-modified landscapes requires intensive conservation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim van Dijk
- Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, Hoima, Uganda.,Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marie Cibot
- Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, Hoima, Uganda.,Anicoon Vétérinaires, Ploemeur, Larmor-Plage, France
| | - Matthew R McLennan
- Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, Hoima, Uganda.,Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Frazier AE, Honzák M, Hudson C, Perlin R, Tohtsonie A, Gaddis KD, Sousa C, Larsen TH, Junker J, Nyandwi S, Trgovac AB. Connectivity and conservation of Western Chimpanzee (
Pan troglodytes verus
) habitat in Liberia. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Celio Sousa
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA
- Universities Space Research Association Columbia MD USA
| | | | - Jessica Junker
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Institute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Leipzig Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Affiliation(s)
- William C McGrew
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, South Street, Fife, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, Scotland, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
How to measure chimpanzee party size? A methodological comparison. Primates 2020; 61:201-212. [PMID: 31894437 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00783-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) live in fission-fusion societies where community members form temporary parties that frequently change in size and composition. Chimpanzee party size and composition have been widely studied to identify proximate causes of grouping patterns, and party size estimates are used to assess population sizes and densities. Numerous socio-ecological factors influence chimpanzee party size, but findings differ across studies. Various methods to measure party size exist, including direct observations, motion-triggered camera (MTC) observations, and nest counts. However, comparative analyses of these methods are lacking. Here, we assess relative differences in four commonly used party size methods and we examine socio-ecological factors influencing party size of unhabituated chimpanzees (P. t. verus) at Seringbara, Nimba, Guinea. We also assess which method(s) best reflect the influence of socio-ecological factors on party size. Using data collected over 69 months, we show that night nest counts resulted in relatively larger party size estimates than the other methods, and day nest counts resulted in relatively smaller party size estimates. Direct and MTC observations did not differ in relative estimates of party size and composition. Both fruit abundance and presence of estrous females positively influenced party size, but this effect was only evident when measuring party size with MTCs. Methods thus differ in relative party size estimates and their ability to assess the impact of socio-ecological factors. We conclude that MTC observations best represent party size and the effect of socio-ecological factors at Nimba. MTCs show promising potential for studying grouping patterns in unhabituated chimpanzees.
Collapse
|
13
|
Samson DR, Louden LA, Gerstner K, Wylie S, Lake B, White BJ, Nunn CL, Hunt KD. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Group Sleep and Pathogen-Vector Avoidance: Experimental Support for the Encounter-Dilution Effect. INT J PRIMATOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-019-00111-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
14
|
Kamgang SA, Carme TC, Bobo KS, Abwe EE, Gonder MK, Sinsin B. Assessment of in situ nest decay rate for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti Matschie, 1914) in Mbam-Djerem National Park, Cameroon: implications for long-term monitoring. Primates 2019; 61:189-200. [PMID: 31659555 PMCID: PMC7080673 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00768-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Accurate assessment of great ape populations is a prerequisite for conservation planning. Indirect survey methods using nest and dung, and a set of conversion parameters related to nest decay rates, are increasingly used. Most surveys use the standing crop nest count (SCNC) method, whereby nests are counted along transects and the estimated nest density is converted into chimpanzee density using an often non-local nest decay rate. The use of non-local decay rate is thought to introduce substantial bias to ape population estimates given that nest decay rates vary with location, season, rainfall, nest shape, and tree species used. SCNC method has previously been applied in Mbam-Djerem National Park (MDNP) in Cameroon, for chimpanzee surveys using a non-local nest decay rate. This current study aimed to measure a local nest decay rate for MDNP and implications for chimpanzee population estimates in the MDNP. The mean nest decay rate estimated using a logistic regression analysis was 127 [95% CI (100–160)] days. Moreover, the results suggested that rainfall strongly influenced the nest decay rate over the early stage of the lifetime of the nests. The study confirms that estimates of chimpanzee density and abundance using non-local decay rates should be treated with caution. Our research emphasized the importance of using local nest decay rates and other survey methods which do not depend on decay rates to obtain more accurate estimates of chimpanzee densities in order to inform conservation strategies of these great apes in MDNP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge Alexis Kamgang
- Garoua Wildlife School, Face aéroport International de Garoua, PO Box 271, Garoua, Cameroon. .,Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Yaoundé, Cameroun. .,Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01, PO Box 526, Cotonou, Bénin.
| | - Tuneu Corral Carme
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kadiri Serge Bobo
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, PO Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Ekwoge Enang Abwe
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | - Brice Sinsin
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01, PO Box 526, Cotonou, Bénin
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Koops K, Wrangham RW, Cumberlidge N, Fitzgerald MA, van Leeuwen KL, Rothman JM, Matsuzawa T. Crab-fishing by chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. J Hum Evol 2019; 133:230-241. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
16
|
Nesting, sleeping, and nighttime behaviors in wild and captive great apes. Primates 2019; 60:321-332. [PMID: 30972523 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00723-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The past few decades have seen a burgeoning of scientific studies on great apes' use of nests for sleeping in the wild, as well as their nesting behavior and sleep in captivity. We review recent advances in knowledge of these topics, with the aim of promoting information exchange between people working in the field and with captive great apes. We trace developments in research into nest-building techniques in adults and immatures, factors that influence selection of general sleeping sites and specific locations, social aspects of sleep, postures, and nighttime activities. We argue that exchanges of information deriving from studies of captive and wild apes are valuable for obtaining a better understanding of sleep-related adaptations in our nearest evolutionary neighbors, and conclude by making some recommendations regarding sleeping arrangements in captivity from a welfare perspective.
Collapse
|
17
|
Kamgang SA, Bobo KS, Maisels F, Ambahe RDD, Ambassa Ongono DE, Gonder MK, Johnson P, Marino J, Sinsin B. The relationship between the abundance of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) and its habitat: a conservation concern in Mbam-Djerem National Park, Cameroon. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:40. [PMID: 30285707 PMCID: PMC6167774 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the relationship between great apes and their habitat is essential for the development of successful conservation strategies. The chimpanzee Pan troglodytes ellioti is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon, and occupies an ecologically diverse range of habitats from forests to forest-savannah mosaic in Mbam-Djerem National Park (MDNP) in Cameroon. The habitat variation in chimpanzees is poorly understood in MDNP which provides an excellent opportunity to assess ecological factors that shape the abundance and distribution patterns of P. t. ellioti over a small geographic scale. RESULTS We counted 249 nests along 132 km of transects in total. Of these, 119 nests along 68 km occurred in dense forest and 130 nests along 64 km in forest-savannah mosaic. Chimpanzee density was 0.88 [95% CI (0.55-1.41)] individuals/km2 in the dense forest and 0.59 [95% CI (0.19-1.76)] in the forest-savannah mosaic. Nest abundance varied with vegetation type and was higher in areas with dense canopy cover, steeper slopes and relatively higher altitudes. CONCLUSIONS Our estimates of chimpanzee densities were lower than reported in other studied populations in the range of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. However, we found that habitat features, slope and altitude likely play a role in shaping patterns of chimpanzee nesting ecology. Further studies need to be focused on nest decay rates and phenology of useful plants in order to model chimpanzee abundance and distribution in Mbam-Djerem National Park.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge Alexis Kamgang
- Garoua Wildlife School, Face aéroport international de Garoua, P.O. Box 271, Garoua, Cameroon.
- Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Yaounde, Cameroon.
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O.Box 526, Cotonou, Benin.
| | - Kadiri Serge Bobo
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY, 10460, USA
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | | | - Paul Johnson
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Oxford, UK
| | - Jorgelina Marino
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Oxford, UK
| | - Brice Sinsin
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O.Box 526, Cotonou, Benin
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bastian ML, Glendinning DR, Reddy AJ, Herrelko ES, Brown M, Renner E, Thompson L. Nest location preferences in zoo-housed orangutans. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
19
|
Fitzgerald M, Coulson R, Lawing AM, Matsuzawa T, Koops K. Modeling habitat suitability for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Greater Nimba Landscape, Guinea, West Africa. Primates 2018. [PMID: 29524002 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0657-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Tropical forests and the biodiversity within them are rapidly declining in the face of increasing human populations. Resource management and conservation of endangered species requires an understanding of how species perceive and respond to their environments. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is an appropriate tool for identifying conservation areas of concern and importance. In this study, SDM was used to identify areas of suitable chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) habitat within the Greater Nimba Landscape, Guinea, West Africa. This location was ideal for investigating the effects of landscape structure on habitat suitability due to the topographic variation of the landscape and the Critically Endangered status of the Western chimpanzee. Additionally, this is the only mountainous, long-term chimpanzee study site and little is known about the effects of topography on chimpanzee behavior. Suitable habitat was predicted based on the location of direct and indirect signs of chimpanzee presence and the spatial distribution of 12 biophysical variables within the study area. Model performance was assessed by examining the area under the curve. The overall predictive performance of the model was 0.721. The variables most influencing habitat suitability were the normalized difference vegetation index (37.8%), elevation (27.3%), hierarchical slope position (11.5%), surface brightness (6.6%), and distance to rivers (5.4%). The final model highlighted the isolation and fragmentation of chimpanzee habitat within the Greater Nimba Landscape. Understanding the factors influencing chimpanzee habitat suitability, specifically the biophysical variables considered in this study, will greatly contribute to conservation efforts by providing quantitative habitat information and improving survey efficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maegan Fitzgerald
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Robert Coulson
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.,Knowledge Engineering Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - A Michelle Lawing
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Kathelijne Koops
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Most of our knowledge of wild chimpanzee behaviour stems from fewer than 10 long-term field sites. This bias limits studies to a potentially unrepresentative set of communities known to show great behavioural diversity on small geographic scales. Here, we introduce a new genetic approach to bridge the gap between behavioural material evidence in unhabituated chimpanzees and genetic advances in the field of primatology. The use of DNA analyses has revolutionised archaeological and primatological fields, whereby extraction of DNA from non-invasively collected samples allows researchers to reconstruct behaviour without ever directly observing individuals. We used commercially available forensic DNA kits to show that termite-fishing by wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) leaves behind detectable chimpanzee DNA evidence on tools. We then quantified the recovered DNA, compared the yield to that from faecal samples, and performed an initial assessment of mitochondrial and microsatellite markers to identify individuals. From 49 termite-fishing tools from the Issa Valley research site in western Tanzania, we recovered an average of 52 pg/μl chimpanzee DNA, compared to 376.2 pg/μl in faecal DNA extracts. Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes could be assigned to 41 of 49 tools (84%). Twenty-six tool DNA extracts yielded >25 pg/μl DNA and were selected for microsatellite analyses; genotypes were determined with confidence for 18 tools. These tools were used by a minimum of 11 individuals across the study period and termite mounds. These results demonstrate the utility of bio-molecular techniques and a primate archaeology approach in non-invasive monitoring and behavioural reconstruction of unhabituated primate populations.
Collapse
|
21
|
Savanna chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) nesting ecology at Bagnomba (Kedougou, Senegal). Primates 2017; 59:235-241. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-017-0647-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
22
|
De Nys H, Löhrich T, Wu D, Calvignac-Spencer S, Leendertz F. Wild African great apes as natural hosts of malaria parasites: current knowledge and research perspectives. Primate Biol 2017; 4:47-59. [PMID: 32110692 PMCID: PMC7041518 DOI: 10.5194/pb-4-47-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans and African great apes (AGAs) are naturally infected with several species of closely related malaria parasites. The need to understand the origins of human malaria as well as the risk of zoonotic transmissions and emergence of new malaria strains in human populations has markedly encouraged research on great ape Plasmodium parasites. Progress in the use of non-invasive methods has rendered investigations into wild ape populations possible. Present knowledge is mainly focused on parasite diversity and phylogeny, with still large gaps to fill on malaria parasite ecology. Understanding what malaria infection means in terms of great ape health is also an important, but challenging avenue of research and has been subject to relatively few research efforts so far. This paper reviews current knowledge on African great ape malaria and identifies gaps and future research perspectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Marie De Nys
- Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- current address: UMI 233, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM U1175, and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Therese Löhrich
- Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Doris Wu
- Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Hubertus Leendertz
- Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Nunn CL, Samson DR, Krystal AD. Shining evolutionary light on human sleep and sleep disorders. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 2016:227-43. [PMID: 27470330 PMCID: PMC4972941 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eow018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is essential to cognitive function and health in humans, yet the ultimate reasons for sleep—i.e. ‘why’ sleep evolved—remain mysterious. We integrate findings from human sleep studies, the ethnographic record, and the ecology and evolution of mammalian sleep to better understand sleep along the human lineage and in the modern world. Compared to other primates, sleep in great apes has undergone substantial evolutionary change, with all great apes building a sleeping platform or ‘nest’. Further evolutionary change characterizes human sleep, with humans having the shortest sleep duration, yet the highest proportion of rapid eye movement sleep among primates. These changes likely reflect that our ancestors experienced fitness benefits from being active for a greater portion of the 24-h cycle than other primates, potentially related to advantages arising from learning, socializing and defending against predators and hostile conspecifics. Perspectives from evolutionary medicine have implications for understanding sleep disorders; we consider these perspectives in the context of insomnia, narcolepsy, seasonal affective disorder, circadian rhythm disorders and sleep apnea. We also identify how human sleep today differs from sleep through most of human evolution, and the implications of these changes for global health and health disparities. More generally, our review highlights the importance of phylogenetic comparisons in understanding human health, including well-known links between sleep, cognitive performance and health in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - David R Samson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Andrew D Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Carvalho JS, Meyer CFJ, Vicente L, Marques TA. Where to nest? Ecological determinants of chimpanzee nest abundance and distribution at the habitat and tree species scale. Am J Primatol 2014; 77:186-99. [PMID: 25224379 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Conversion of forests to anthropogenic land-uses increasingly subjects chimpanzee populations to habitat changes and concomitant alterations in the plant resources available to them for nesting and feeding. Based on nest count surveys conducted during the dry season, we investigated nest tree species selection and the effect of vegetation attributes on nest abundance of the western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus, at Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park (LCNP), Guinea-Bissau, a forest-savannah mosaic widely disturbed by humans. Further, we assessed patterns of nest height distribution to determine support for the anti-predator hypothesis. A zero-altered generalized linear mixed model showed that nest abundance was negatively related to floristic diversity (exponential form of the Shannon index) and positively with the availability of smaller-sized trees, reflecting characteristics of dense-canopy forest. A positive correlation between nest abundance and floristic richness (number of plant species) and composition indicated that species-rich open habitats are also important in nest site selection. Restricting this analysis to feeding trees, nest abundance was again positively associated with the availability of smaller-sized trees, further supporting the preference for nesting in food tree species from dense forest. Nest tree species selection was non-random, and oil palms were used at a much lower proportion (10%) than previously reported from other study sites in forest-savannah mosaics. While this study suggests that human disturbance may underlie the exclusive arboreal nesting at LCNP, better quantitative data are needed to determine to what extent the construction of elevated nests is in fact a response to predators able to climb trees. Given the importance of LCNP as refuge for Pan t. verus our findings can improve conservation decisions for the management of this important umbrella species as well as its remaining suitable habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana S Carvalho
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Fultz A, Brent L, Breaux SD, Grand AP. An evaluation of nest-building behavior by sanctuary chimpanzees with access to forested habitats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 84:405-20. [PMID: 24081200 DOI: 10.1159/000353900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
All of the great apes build nests, but captive chimpanzees rarely have vegetation from which to build nests. The forested environment at Chimp Haven does allow captive chimpanzees to build nests of natural vegetation. Between February 2007 and December 2010, 238 nests were found in 2 forested habitats. Nests were made of naturally available vegetation, and more nests were made on the ground than in the trees (Z = 7.27, p < 0.001); nests were also built in the interior forest rather than on the periphery (Z = 7.06, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the number of months in the habitat and the nests built per chimpanzee (rs = -0.07, p = 0.52). More nests were observed when more wild-born females were in the group (rs = 0.27, p = 0.01), and during warmer temperatures (rs = 0.45, p < 0.001). These findings support the goal of naturalistic environments in suitable climates for captive chimpanzees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Fultz
- Chimp Haven Inc., Keithville, La., USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
I examined the possible cause of night awakening among wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Chimpanzee vocalizations and activity-related sounds (CVSs) were used to indicate awakening because I was unable to visually observe them. Over a 5-night observation period, CVSs (n = 128) were heard every night, and most (n = 91) were observed within 5 min of previous CVSs. Chimpanzees use CVSs as social communication to maintain spatial contact with other chimpanzees who occasionally travel at night. The first sound in a sequence of CVSs (CVS bout) was heard immediately following the vocalization or sound of another animal (n = 11), defecation or urination by a chimpanzee (n = 7), or unknown (n = 19). CVS bouts were longer when preceded by defecation or urination than when preceded by the vocalization or sound of other animals or an unknown factor. This suggests that the degree of wakefulness varies according to the possible cause of the disturbance. CVSs at night may be provoked by various factors, and awakening during the night is probably common among diurnal primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Zamma
- Great Ape Research Institute, Hayashibara, 952-2 Nu, Tamano, Okayama, 706-0316, Japan,
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Williams RL, Goodenough AE, Hart AG, Stafford R. Using Long-Term Volunteer Records to Examine Dormouse (Muscardinusavellanarius) Nestbox Selection. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67986. [PMID: 23826351 PMCID: PMC3694881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Within ecology, there are unanswered questions about species-habitat interactions, which could potentially be resolved by a pragmatic analysis of a long-term volunteer-collected dataset. Here, we analysed 18 years of volunteer-collected data from a UK dormouse nestbox monitoring programme to determine the influence of habitat variables on nestbox choice by common dormice (Muscardinusavellanarius). We measured a range of habitat variables in a coppiced woodland in Gloucestershire, UK, and analysed these in relation to dormouse nestbox occupancy records (by dormice, other small mammals, and birds) collected by volunteers. While some characteristics of the woodland had changed over 18 years, simple transformation of the data and interpretation of the results indicated that the dataset was informative. Using stepwise regressions, multiple environmental and ecological factors were found to determine nestbox selection. Distance from the edge of the wood was the most influential (this did not change over 18 years), with boxes in the woodland interior being selected preferentially. There was a significant negative relationship with the presence of ferns (indicative of damp shady conditions). The presence of oak (a long-lived species), and the clumped structural complexity of the canopy were also important factors in the final model. There was no evidence of competition between dormice and birds or other mammals. The results provide greater understanding of artificial dormouse nest-site requirements and indicate that, in terms of habitat selection, long-term volunteer-collected datasets contribute usefully to understanding the requirements of species with an important conservation status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Williams
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Anne E. Goodenough
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Adam G. Hart
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Stafford
- School of Applied Sciences, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lock LC, Anderson JR. Kin, daytime associations, or preferred sleeping sites? Factors influencing sleep site selection in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 84:158-69. [PMID: 23796860 DOI: 10.1159/000351553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzee nesting behaviours and the factors that may influence these behaviours are rarely studied in captive settings. In the present study, the daytime associations, sleeping site selections and nesting groups of 11 zoo-housed chimpanzees over a 29-day period were analysed. Neither daytime associations nor presence of kin influenced sleeping site selection in females. Daytime associations did influence sleeping arrangements in males. Nighttime spatial arrangements and individual preferences for specific sleeping areas were broadly comparable to nesting patterns reported in free-living chimpanzee communities. In the interests of captive ape welfare, we conclude that exhibits should incorporate multilevel nesting areas and a choice of several potential sleeping sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Lock
- Division of Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Hernandez-Aguilar RA, Moore J, Stanford CB. Chimpanzee nesting patterns in savanna habitat: environmental influences and preferences. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:979-94. [PMID: 23653164 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Revised: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Data on chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) nesting patterns were collected in Issa, Ugalla, western Tanzania. Ugalla is one of the driest, most open, and seasonal habitats inhabited by chimpanzees. We investigated the physical characteristics of nests and trees used for nesting to understand environmental influences on nest building and identify the characteristics preferred by the chimpanzees and the basis for such preferences. We analyzed 2,167 nests and 1,523 nesting trees. Most nests were built in the middle section of the tree crown and close to the tree trunk, and used a single tree in construction. Some physical characteristics of nests (e.g., distance from tree trunk) seemed to be the result of constraints imposed by tree structure. Issa chimpanzees preferred tall trees with high first branches for nesting supporting the hypothesis that elevated height of a sleeping place is a predator defense strategy. The height from the ground to the first branch showed less variation than either tree height or crown height and correlated weakly with tree height, suggesting that height from the ground to the first branch may be a more important factor than tree height alone in selecting a tree in which to nest. As in other study sites, the chimpanzees used tree species in proportions that did not correspond to their abundance suggesting tree species preference. We report for the first time that chimpanzees directionally oriented their nests and propose that this may be to maximize sunlight. We compare our data to those of other chimpanzee study sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Stewart FA, Pruetz JD. Do chimpanzee nests serve an anti-predatory function? Am J Primatol 2013; 75:593-604. [PMID: 23471670 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Revised: 12/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is a vulnerable state for animals as it compromises the ability to detect predators. The evolution of shelter construction in the great apes may have been a solution to the trade-off between restorative sleep and predation-risk, which allowed a large bodied ape to sleep recumbent in a safe, comfortable spot. In this article we review the evidence of predator pressure on great apes and specifically investigate the potential influence of predation-risk on chimpanzee nesting behavior by comparing nests between chimpanzees living in a habitat of several potential predators (Issa, Ugalla, Tanzania) and a habitat relatively devoid of predators (Fongoli, Senegal). Chimpanzees in Issa did not nest more frequently in forest vegetation than chimpanzees in Fongoli although forest vegetation is expected to provide greater opportunity for escape from terrestrial predators. Nor do chimpanzees in Issa nest in larger groups or aggregate together more than Fongoli chimpanzees, as would be expected if larger groups provide protection from or greater detection of predators. Nests in Issa also did not appear to provide greater opportunities for escape than nests in Fongoli. Chimpanzees in Issa nested more frequently within the same tree as other community members, which may indicate that these chimpanzees nest in greater proximity than chimpanzees in Fongoli. Finally, Issa chimpanzees built their nests proportionately higher and more peripherally within trees. The selection of high and peripheral nesting locations within trees may make Issa chimpanzees inaccessible to potential predators. Many factors influence nest site selection in chimpanzees, of which danger from terrestrial predators is likely to be one.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona A Stewart
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Tagg N, Willie J, Petre CA, Haggis O. Ground Night Nesting in Chimpanzees: New Insights from Central Chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes troglodytes)in South-East Cameroon. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2013; 84:362-83. [DOI: 10.1159/000353172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|