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Ehrie AJ, Iruri-Tucker AA, Lord YB, Williamson HG, Hunt KD, Polly PD, Fitzpatrick CL, Wasserman MD. Measuring mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) testes via parallel laser photogrammetry: Expanding the use of noninvasive methods. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23616. [PMID: 38462743 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23616] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Parallel laser photogrammetry (PLP), which consists of attaching two or three parallel laser beams at a known inter-beam distance to a camera, can be used to collect morphological measurements of organisms noninvasively. The lasers project onto the photo being taken, and because the inter-beam distance is known, they act as a scale for image analysis programs like ImageJ. Traditionally, this method has been used to measure larger morphological traits (e.g., limb length, crown-rump length) to serve as proxies for overall body size, whereas applications to smaller anatomical features remain limited. To that end, we used PLP to measure the testes of 18 free-living mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We tested whether this method could reliably measure this relatively small and globular morphology, and whether it could detect differences among individuals. We tested reliability in three ways: within-photo (coefficient of variation [CV] = 4.7%), between-photo (CV = 5.5%), and interobserver (intraclass correlation = 0.92). We found an average volume of 36.2 cm3 and a range of 16.4-54.4 cm3, indicating variation in testes size between individuals. Furthermore, these sizes are consistent with a previous study that collected measurements by hand, suggesting that PLP is a useful method for making noninvasive measurements of testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austen J Ehrie
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Alec A Iruri-Tucker
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Yasmin B Lord
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Heidi G Williamson
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin D Hunt
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - P David Polly
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Geology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Michael D Wasserman
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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2
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Borries C, Lu A, Ossi-Lupo K, Koenig A. Timing of conceptions in Phayre's leaf monkeys: Energy and phytochemical intake. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24881. [PMID: 38018374 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Raising offspring imposes energetic costs, especially for female mammals. Consequently, seasons favoring high energy intake and sustained positive energy balance often result in a conception peak. Factors that may weaken this coordinated effect include premature offspring loss and adolescent subfertility. Furthermore, seasonal ingestion of phytochemicals may facilitate conception peaks. We examined these factors and potential benefits of a conception peak (infant survival and interbirth interval) in Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei crepusculus). MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were collected at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (78 conceptions). We estimated periods of high energy intake based on fruit and young leaf feeding and via monthly energy intake rates. Phytochemical intake was based on fecal progestin. We examined seasonality (circular statistics and cox proportional hazard models) and compared consequences of timing (infant survival and interbirth intervals, t-test, and Fisher exact test). RESULTS Conceptions occurred in all months but peaked from May to August. This peak coincided with high fecal progestin rather than presumed positive energy balance. Primipara conceived significantly later than multipara. Neither infant survival nor interbirth intervals were related to the timing of conception. DISCUSSION Periods of high energy intake may not exist and would not explain the conception peak in this population. However, the presumed high intake of phytochemicals was tightly linked to the conception peak. Timing conceptions to the peak season did not provide benefits, suggesting that the clustering of conceptions may be a mere by-product of phytochemical intake. To confirm this conclusion, seasonal changes in phytochemical intake and hormone levels need to be studied more directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Borries
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Kerry Ossi-Lupo
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Andreas Koenig
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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3
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Levy EJ, Lee A, Siodi IL, Helmich EC, McLean EM, Malone EJ, Pickard MJ, Ranjithkumar R, Tung J, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Early life drought predicts components of adult body size in wild female baboons. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:357-371. [PMID: 37737520 PMCID: PMC10591920 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In many taxa, adverse early-life environments are associated with reduced growth and smaller body size in adulthood. However, in wild primates, we know very little about whether, where, and to what degree trajectories are influenced by early adversity, or which types of early adversity matter most. Here, we use parallel-laser photogrammetry to assess inter-individual predictors of three measures of body size (leg length, forearm length, and shoulder-rump length) in a population of wild female baboons studied since birth. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using >2000 photogrammetric measurements of 127 females, we present a cross-sectional growth curve of wild female baboons (Papio cynocephalus) from juvenescence through adulthood. We then test whether females exposed to several important sources of early-life adversity-drought, maternal loss, low maternal rank, or a cumulative measure of adversity-were smaller for their age than females who experienced less adversity. Using the "animal model," we also test whether body size is heritable in this study population. RESULTS Prolonged early-life drought predicted shorter limbs but not shorter torsos (i.e., shoulder-rump lengths). Our other measures of early-life adversity did not predict variation in body size. Heritability estimates for body size measures were 36%-67%. Maternal effects accounted for 13%-17% of the variance in leg and forearm length, but no variance in torso length. DISCUSSION Our results suggest that baboon limbs, but not torsos, grow plastically in response to maternal effects and energetic early-life stress. Our results also reveal considerable heritability for all three body size measures in this study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Levy
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
| | - Anna Lee
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Emma C. Helmich
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
| | - Emily M. McLean
- Division of Natural Sciences, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA, 30054, USA
| | - Elise J. Malone
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Riddhi Ranjithkumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN, 46556, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham NC 27708, USA
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Morrison RE, Ndayishimiye E, Stoinski TS, Eckardt W. Multiple mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance used simultaneously in a wild ape. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231808. [PMID: 37848059 PMCID: PMC10581766 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating with close kin can have considerable negative fitness consequences, which are expected to result in selective pressure for inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, such as dispersal, mate choice and post-copulatory biases. Captive studies have suggested that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice is far less widespread than expected and may be absent where other mechanisms already limit inbreeding. However, few studies have examined multiple mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance simultaneously, particularly in the wild. We use 13 years of detailed dispersal, copulation and paternity data from mountain gorillas to examine inbreeding avoidance. We find that partial dispersal of both sexes results in high kinship in multimale groups, but that copulations between close kin occur 40% less than expected. We find strong kin discrimination in mate choice, with significant avoidance of maternal kin but more limited avoidance of paternal kin. We find no evidence for post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance. Our analyses support familiarity-based mechanisms of kin identification and age-based avoidance that limits mating between fathers and daughters in their natal group. Our findings demonstrate that multiple complementary mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance can evolve in a single species and suggest that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice may enable more flexible dispersal systems to evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Morrison
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Musanze, Rwanda
- Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Berghaenel A, Stevens JMG, Hohmann G, Deschner T, Behringer V. Evidence for adolescent length growth spurts in bonobos and other primates highlights the importance of scaling laws. eLife 2023; 12:RP86635. [PMID: 37667589 PMCID: PMC10479963 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent growth spurts (GSs) in body length seem to be absent in non-human primates and are considered a distinct human trait. However, this distinction between present and absent length-GSs may reflect a mathematical artefact that makes it arbitrary. We first outline how scaling issues and inappropriate comparisons between length (linear) and weight (volume) growth rates result in misleading interpretations like the absence of length-GSs in non-human primates despite pronounced weight-GSs, or temporal delays between length- and weight-GSs. We then apply a scale-corrected approach to a comprehensive dataset on 258 zoo-housed bonobos that includes weight and length growth as well as several physiological markers related to growth and adolescence. We found pronounced GSs in body weight and length in both sexes. Weight and length growth trajectories corresponded with each other and with patterns of testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 levels, resembling adolescent GSs in humans. We further re-interpreted published data of non-human primates, which showed that aligned GSs in weight and length exist not only in bonobos. Altogether, our results emphasize the importance of considering scaling laws when interpreting growth curves in general, and further show that pronounced, human-like adolescent length-GSs exist in bonobos and probably also many other non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Berghaenel
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Jeroen MG Stevens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- SALTO Agro- and Biotechnology, Odisee University of Applied SciencesSint-NiklaasBelgium
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Max-Planck-Institute of Animal BehaviourRadolfzellGermany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
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6
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Rosenbaum S, Kuzawa CW. The promise of great apes as model organisms for understanding the downstream consequences of early life experiences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105240. [PMID: 37211151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences have a significant influence on adult health and aging processes in humans. Despite widespread interest in the evolutionary roots of this phenomenon, very little research on this topic has been conducted in humans' closest living relatives, the great apes. The longitudinal data sets that are now available on wild and captive great ape populations hold great promise to clarify the nature, evolutionary function, and mechanisms underlying these connections in species which share key human life history characteristics. Here, we explain features of great ape life history and socioecologies that make them of particular interest for this topic, as well as those that may limit their utility as comparative models; outline the ways in which available data are complementary to and extend the kinds of data that are available for humans; and review what is currently known about the connections among early life experiences, social behavior, and adult physiology and biological fitness in our closest living relatives. We conclude by highlighting key next steps for this emerging area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, USA
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7
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Robbins MM, Akantorana M, Arinaitwe J, Breuer T, Manguette M, McFarlin S, Meder A, Parnell R, Richardson JL, Stephan C, Stokes EJ, Stoinski TS, Vecellio V, Robbins AM. Comparative life history patterns of female gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:564-574. [PMID: 37345324 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Several theories have been proposed to explain the impact of ecological conditions on differences in life history variables within and between species. Here we compare female life history parameters of one western lowland gorilla population (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and two mountain gorilla populations (Gorilla beringei beringei). MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared the age of natal dispersal, age of first birth, interbirth interval, and birth rates using long-term demographic datasets from Mbeli Bai (western gorillas), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Virunga Massif (mountain gorillas). RESULTS The Mbeli western gorillas had the latest age at first birth, longest interbirth interval, and slowest surviving birth rate compared to the Virunga mountain gorillas. Bwindi mountain gorillas were intermediate in their life history patterns. DISCUSSION These patterns are consistent with differences in feeding ecology across sites. However, it is not possible to determine the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for these differences, whether a consequence of genetic adaptation to fluctuating food supplies ("ecological risk aversion hypothesis") or phenotypic plasticity in response to the abundance of food ("energy balance hypothesis"). Our results do not seem consistent with the extrinsic mortality risks at each site, but current conditions for mountain gorillas are unlikely to match their evolutionary history. Not all traits fell along the expected fast-slow continuum, which illustrates that they can vary independently from each other ("modularity model"). Thus, the life history traits of each gorilla population may reflect a complex interplay of multiple ecological influences that are operating through both genetic adaptations and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha M Robbins
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Moses Akantorana
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Breuer
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie Manguette
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Shannon McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Angela Meder
- Berggorilla Regenwald Direkthilfe, Hoevelhof, Germany
| | - Richard Parnell
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jack L Richardson
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Claudia Stephan
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emma J Stokes
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Tara S Stoinski
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Andrew M Robbins
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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8
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Bolter DR, Cameron N, Hawks J, Churchill SE, Berger L, Bernstein R, Boughner JC, Elton S, Leece AB, Mahoney P, Molopyane K, Monson TA, Pruetz J, Schell L, Stull KE, Wolfe CA. Addressing the growing fossil record of subadult hominins by reaching across disciplines. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:180-184. [PMID: 37555538 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Debra R Bolter
- Department of Anthropology, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California, USA
- Faculty of Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Stanislaus, Turlock, California, USA
| | - Noel Cameron
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
| | - John Hawks
- Faculty of Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Anthropology Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Steven E Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lee Berger
- Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Explorer in Residence, National Geographic Society, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robin Bernstein
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Julia C Boughner
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of the Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sarah Elton
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - A B Leece
- Palaeoscience, Department of Archaeology and History, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick Mahoney
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Keneiloe Molopyane
- Faculty of Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tesla A Monson
- Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
| | - Jill Pruetz
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Lawrence Schell
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Kyra E Stull
- Department of Anthropology, University of Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
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9
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Sandel AA, Negrey JD, Arponen M, Clark IR, Clift JB, Reddy RB, Ivaska KK. The evolution of the adolescent growth spurt: Urinary biomarkers of bone turnover in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Hum Evol 2023; 177:103341. [PMID: 36905703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103341] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Life history theory addresses how organisms balance development and reproduction. Mammals usually invest considerable energy into growth in infancy, and they do so incrementally less until reaching adult body size, when they shift energy to reproduction. Humans are unusual in having a long adolescence when energy is invested in both reproduction and growth, including rapid skeletal growth around puberty. Although many primates, especially in captivity, experience accelerated growth in mass around puberty, it remains unclear whether this represents skeletal growth. Without data on skeletal growth in nonhuman primates, anthropologists have often assumed the adolescent growth spurt is uniquely human, and hypotheses for its evolution have focused on other uniquely human traits. The lack of data is largely due to methodological difficulties of assessing skeletal growth in wild primates. Here, we use two urinary markers of bone turnover-osteocalcin and collagen-to study skeletal growth in a large, cross-sectional sample of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. For both bone turnover markers, we found a nonlinear effect of age, which was largely driven by males. For male chimpanzees, values for osteocalcin and collagen peaked at age 9.4 years and 10.8 years, respectively, which corresponds to early and middle adolescence. Notably, collagen values increased from 4.5 to 9 years, suggesting faster growth during early adolescence compared to late infancy. Biomarker levels plateaued at 20 years in both sexes, suggesting skeletal growth continues until then. Additional data, notably on females and infants of both sexes, are needed, as are longitudinal samples. However, our cross-sectional analysis suggests an adolescent growth spurt in the skeleton of chimpanzees, especially for males. Biologists should avoid claiming that the adolescent growth spurt is uniquely human, and hypotheses for the patterns of human growth should consider variation in our primate relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, WCP 4.102, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Primate Ethology and Endocrinology Lab, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; Department of Pathology/Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Milja Arponen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Isabelle R Clark
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, WCP 4.102, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Primate Ethology and Endocrinology Lab, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeremy B Clift
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Rachna B Reddy
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Kaisa K Ivaska
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
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10
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Brown ER, Laman TG, Kane EE, Harwell FS, Susanto TW, Knott CD. Application of a parallel laser apparatus to measure forearms and flanges of wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23445. [PMID: 36245358 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23445] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We constructed a parallel laser photogrammetry apparatus constructed from commercially available parts, and measured forearm lengths and flange widths of 16 wild Bornean orangutans. Our objectives were to validate our method and apparatus, discuss issues encountered, and construct preliminary growth curves. For adult males, we also compared flange width to forearm length as a way to investigate the relationship between body size and flange development. We used a camera cage around a DSLR camera, on top of which we attached two parallel green lasers. We estimated error with repeatability, accuracy, and interobserver reliability measures, and measured forearm lengths in three different ways to see which was most consistent. The longest forearm measure was the most repeatable (CV = 1.64%), and was similar to flange repeatability (3.50%). Accuracy measurements of a known object were high (error = 0.25%), and Interobserver discrepancy low (3.74%). Laser spacing increased with distance to the subject, but we corrected for this using calibration photos after each session. We transparently discuss the issues we encountered with the aim that this accessible method can help expand the use of laser photogrammetry. Preliminary measurements show that male flange widths and forearm length do not reliably increase in tandem, and that female growth plateaus at around the age at first birth (15 years old). We conclude with suggested improvements to the apparatus and method to ensure the lasers remain parallel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella R Brown
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Timothy G Laman
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin E Kane
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Faye S Harwell
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tri W Susanto
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Biology Faculty, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Cheryl D Knott
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Anzà S, Berghänel A, Ostner J, Schülke O. Growth trajectories of wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) determined from parallel laser photogrammetry. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00262-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSocioecological factors are associated with life-history patterns and growth trajectories among primates. Under certain conditions, selection may favor a temporal decoupling of growth and major life-history events such as sexual maturation or natal dispersal. Yet, empirical tests of these associations in wild populations remain scarce owing to the lack of non-invasive methods to capture growth trajectories. In this study, we first compared two non-invasive methods of digital photogrammetry. Then, we used parallel laser photogrammetry to investigate forearm growth of wild Assamese macaque males and females in their natural habitat at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand to test life-history and socio-ecological hypotheses. Across 48 males and 44 females, we estimated growth trajectories and pseudo-velocity curves by applying quadratic plateau models and non-parametric LOESS regressions. We assessed the development of sexual dimorphism by comparing the sexes at five different ages. Females had completed 96% of their growth at the age at first birth (5.9 years) and ceased growing at 7.1 years of age. Males, in contrast, grew until well after their average age of natal dispersal: they reached 81% of their size at the age of natal dispersal (4.0 years), and ceased growing only at 9.0 years of age, much later than females. Sexual dimorphism in forearm length was driven by an extended growth period in males, which is expected for males dispersing between multimale and multifemale groups and not facing the risk of being ousted by other larger males. Our results contradict the neonatal investment hypothesis that predicts a desynchronization of investment in growth and reproduction only in female baboons, but not other papionins producing cheaper neonates. Furthermore, male Assamese macaques do not delay natal dispersal until they are fully grown, in accordance with predictions of the male-career-framework for species with low to medium level of direct competition.
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12
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Watson CM, Sherwood CC, Phillips KA. Myelin characteristics of the corpus callosum in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) across the lifespan. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8786. [PMID: 35610294 PMCID: PMC9130294 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12893-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The midsagittal area of the corpus callosum (CC) is frequently studied in relation to brain development, connectivity, and function. Here we quantify myelin characteristics from electron microscopy to understand more fully differential patterns of white matter development occurring within the CC. We subdivided midsagittal regions of the CC into: I-rostrum and genu, II-rostral body, III-anterior midbody, IV-posterior midbody, and V-isthmus and splenium. The sample represented capuchin monkeys ranging in age from 2 weeks to 35 years (Sapajus [Cebus] apella, n = 8). Measurements of myelin thickness, myelin fraction, and g-ratio were obtained in a systematic random fashion. We hypothesized there would be a period of rapid myelin growth within the CC in early development. Using a locally weighted regression analysis (LOESS), we found regional differences in myelin characteristics, with posterior regions showing more rapid increases in myelin thickness and sharper decreases in g-ratio in early development. The most anterior region showed the most sustained growth in myelin thickness. For all regions over the lifespan, myelin fraction increased, plateaued, and decreased. These results suggest differential patterns of nonlinear myelin growth occur early in development and well into adulthood in the CC of capuchin monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase M Watson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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13
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Rosenbaum S, Silk JB. Pathways to paternal care in primates. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:245-262. [PMID: 35289027 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection will favor male care when males have limited alternative mating opportunities, can invest in their own offspring, and when care enhances males' fitness. These conditions are easiest to fulfill in pair-bonded species, but neither male care nor stable "breeding bonds" that facilitate it are limited to pair-bonded species. We review evidence of paternal care and extended breeding bonds in owl monkeys, baboons, Assamese macaques, mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees. The data, which span social/mating systems and ecologies, suggest that there are multiple pathways by which conditions conducive to male care can arise. This diversity highlights the difficulty of making inferences about the emergence of male care in early hominins based on single traits visible in the fossil record. We discuss what types of data are most needed and the questions yet to be answered about the evolution of male care and extended breeding bonds in the primate order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Joan B Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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14
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Richardson JL, Levy EJ, Ranjithkumar R, Yang H, Monson E, Cronin A, Galbany J, Robbins MM, Alberts SC, Reeves ME, McFarlin SC. Automated, high-throughput image calibration for parallel-laser photogrammetry. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00174-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Ruff CB, Junno JA, Burgess ML, Canington SL, Harper C, Mudakikwa A, McFarlin SC. Body proportions and environmental adaptation in gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:501-529. [PMID: 36787793 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Limb length and trunk proportions are determined in a large, taxonomically and environmentally diverse sample of gorillas and related to variation in locomotion, climate, altitude, and diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample includes 299 gorilla skeletons, 115 of which are infants and juveniles, distributed between western lowland (G. gorilla gorilla), low and high elevation grauer (G. beringei graueri), and Virunga mountain gorillas (G. b. beringei). Limb bone and vertebral column lengths scaled to body mass are compared between subgroups by age group. RESULTS All G. beringei have relatively short 3rd metapodials and manual proximal phalanges compared to G. gorilla, and this difference is apparent in infancy. All G. beringei also have shortened total limb lengths relative to either body mass or vertebral column length, although patterns of variation in individual skeletal elements are more complex, and infants do not display the same patterns as adults. Mountain gorillas have relatively long clavicles, present in infancy, and a relatively long thoracic (but not lumbosacral) vertebral column. DISCUSSION A variety of environmental factors likely contributed to observed patterns of morphological variation among extant gorillas. We interpret the short hand and foot bones of all G. beringei as genetic adaptations to greater terrestriality in the last common ancestor of G. beringei; variation in other limb lengths to climatic adaptation, both genetic and developmental; and the larger thorax of G. b. beringei to adaptation to reduced oxygen pressure at high altitudes, again as a product of both genetic differences and environmental influences during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - M Loring Burgess
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephanie L Canington
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine Harper
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Rwanda Development Board, Department of Tourism and Conservation, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Shannon C McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Human Origins Program, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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16
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McGrath K, Eriksen AB, García-Martínez D, Galbany J, Gómez-Robles A, Massey JS, Fatica LM, Glowacka H, Arbenz-Smith K, Muvunyi R, Stoinski TS, Cranfield MR, Gilardi K, Shalukoma C, de Merode E, Gilissen E, Tocheri MW, McFarlin SC, Heuzé Y. Facial asymmetry tracks genetic diversity among Gorilla subspecies. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212564. [PMID: 35193404 PMCID: PMC8864355 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mountain gorillas are particularly inbred compared to other gorillas and even the most inbred human populations. As mountain gorilla skeletal material accumulated during the 1970s, researchers noted their pronounced facial asymmetry and hypothesized that it reflects a population-wide chewing side preference. However, asymmetry has also been linked to environmental and genetic stress in experimental models. Here, we examine facial asymmetry in 114 crania from three Gorilla subspecies using 3D geometric morphometrics. We measure fluctuating asymmetry (FA), defined as random deviations from perfect symmetry, and population-specific patterns of directional asymmetry (DA). Mountain gorillas, with a current population size of about 1000 individuals, have the highest degree of facial FA (explaining 17% of total facial shape variation), followed by Grauer gorillas (9%) and western lowland gorillas (6%), despite the latter experiencing the greatest ecological and dietary variability. DA, while significant in all three taxa, explains relatively less shape variation than FA does. Facial asymmetry correlates neither with tooth wear asymmetry nor increases with age in a mountain gorilla subsample, undermining the hypothesis that facial asymmetry is driven by chewing side preference. An examination of temporal trends shows that stress-induced developmental instability has increased over the last 100 years in these endangered apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate McGrath
- State University of New York, College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820, USA,Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France,Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA,Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Daniel García-Martínez
- Physical Anthropology Unit, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Galbany
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aida Gómez-Robles
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St, London WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Jason S. Massey
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Lawrence M. Fatica
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France,Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Halszka Glowacka
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix 85004, USA
| | - Keely Arbenz-Smith
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Richard Muvunyi
- Department of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Tara S. Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA
| | - Michael R. Cranfield
- Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kirsten Gilardi
- Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Chantal Shalukoma
- Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, Virunga National Park, Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Emmanuel de Merode
- Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, Virunga National Park, Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium,Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthew W. Tocheri
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada P7B 5E1,Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France,Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Yann Heuzé
- State University of New York, College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820, USA
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17
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Parallel lasers and digital photography to estimate limb size of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Primates 2022; 63:217-224. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00982-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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18
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Turcotte CM, Mann EHJ, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Montague MJ, Dickinson E, Bauman Surratt S, Martinez M, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in free-ranging rhesus macaques. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:314-327. [PMID: 35571460 PMCID: PMC9094693 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective Reconstructing the social lives of extinct primates is possible only through an understanding of the interplay between morphology, sexual selection pressures, and social behavior in extant species. Somatic sexual dimorphism is an important variable in primate evolution, in part because of the clear relationship between the strength and mechanisms of sexual selection and the degree of dimorphism. Here, we examine body size dimorphism across ontogeny in male and female rhesus macaques to assess whether it is primarily achieved via bimaturism as predicted by a polygynandrous mating system, faster male growth indicating polygyny, or both. Methods We measured body mass in a cross-sectional sample of 364 free-ranging rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico to investigate size dimorphism: 1) across the lifespan; and 2) as an outcome of sex-specific growth strategies, including: a) age of maturation; b) growth rate; and c) total growth duration, using regression models fit to sex-specific developmental curves. Results Significant body size dimorphism was observed by prime reproductive age with males 1.51 times the size of females. Larger male size resulted from a later age of maturation (males: 6.8-7.8 years versus females: 5.5-6.5 years; logistic model) and elevated growth velocity through the pre-prime period (LOESS model). Though males grew to larger sizes overall, females maintained adult size for longer before senescence (quadratic model). Discussion The ontogeny of size dimorphism in rhesus macaques is achieved by bimaturism and a faster male growth rate. Our results provide new data for understanding the development and complexities of primate dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M. Turcotte
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva H. J. Mann
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michala K. Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I. Villamil
- School of Health and Allied Sciences, Universidad Central del Caribe, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA,Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | | | - Melween Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Scott A. Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C. Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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19
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Glowacka H, Schwartz GT. A biomechanical perspective on molar emergence and primate life history. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj0335. [PMID: 34613774 PMCID: PMC8494445 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj0335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The strong relationship between M1 emergence age and life history across primates provides a means of reconstructing fossil life history. The underlying process that leads to varying molar emergence schedules, however, remains elusive. Using three-dimensional data to quantify masticatory form in ontogenetic samples representing 21 primate species, we test the hypothesis that the location and timing of molar emergence are constrained to avoid potentially dangerous distractive forces at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) throughout growth. We show that (i) molars emerge in a predictable position to safeguard the TMJ, (ii) the rate and duration of jaw growth determine the timing of molar emergence, and (iii) the rate and cessation age of jaw growth is related to life history. Thus, orofacial development is constrained by biomechanics throughout ontogeny. This integrative perspective on primate skull growth is consistent with a long sought-after causal explanation underlying the correlation between molar emergence and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halszka Glowacka
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
- Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Gary T. Schwartz
- Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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20
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Rosenbaum S, Eckardt W, Stoinski TS, Umuhoza R, Kuzawa CW, Santymire RM. Group structure, but not dominance rank, predicts fecal androgen metabolite concentrations of wild male mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23295. [PMID: 34223661 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Androgens are important mediators of male-male competition in many primate species. Male gorillas' morphology is consistent with a reproductive strategy that relies heavily on androgen-dependent traits (e.g., extreme size and muscle mass). Despite possessing characteristics typical of species with an exclusively single-male group structure, multimale groups with strong dominance hierarchies are common in mountain gorillas. Theory predicts that androgens should mediate their dominance hierarchies, and potentially vary with the type of group males live in. We validated the use of a testosterone enzyme immunoassay (T-EIA R156/7, CJ Munro, UC-Davis) for use with mountain gorilla fecal material by (1) examining individual-level androgen responses to competitive events, and (2) isolating assay-specific hormone metabolites via high-performance liquid chromatography. Males had large (2.6- and 6.5-fold), temporary increases in fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) after competitive events, and most captured metabolites were testosterone or 5α-dihydrotestosterone-like androgens. We then examined the relationship between males' dominance ranks, group type, and FAM concentrations. Males in single-male groups had higher FAM concentrations than males in multimale groups, and a small pool of samples from solitary males suggested they may have lower FAM than group-living peers. However, data from two different time periods (n = 1610 samples) indicated there was no clear relationship between rank and FAM concentrations, confirming results from the larger of two prior studies that measured urinary androgens. These findings highlight the need for additional research to clarify the surprising lack of a dominance hierarchy/androgen relationship in mountain gorillas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Winnie Eckardt
- Karisoke Research Center, Musanze, Rwanda.,The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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21
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Chest beats as an honest signal of body size in male mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Sci Rep 2021; 11:6879. [PMID: 33833252 PMCID: PMC8032651 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86261-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic signals that reliably indicate body size, which usually determines competitive ability, are of particular interest for understanding how animals assess rivals and choose mates. Whereas body size tends to be negatively associated with formant dispersion in animal vocalizations, non-vocal signals have received little attention. Among the most emblematic sounds in the animal kingdom is the chest beat of gorillas, a non-vocal signal that is thought to be important in intra and inter-sexual competition, yet it is unclear whether it reliably indicates body size. We examined the relationship among body size (back breadth), peak frequency, and three temporal characteristics of the chest beat: duration, number of beats and beat rate from sound recordings of wild adult male mountain gorillas. Using linear mixed models, we found that larger males had significantly lower peak frequencies than smaller ones, but we found no consistent relationship between body size and the temporal characteristics measured. Taken together with earlier findings of positive correlations among male body size, dominance rank and reproductive success, we conclude that the gorilla chest beat is an honest signal of competitive ability. These results emphasize the potential of non-vocal signals to convey important information in mammal communication.
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22
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Lonsdorf EV, Stanton MA, Wellens KR, Murray CM. Wild chimpanzee offspring exhibit adult-like foraging patterns around the age of weaning. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:268-281. [PMID: 33713419 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The prolonged juvenile period exhibited by primates is an evolutionary conundrum. Here we examine wild chimpanzee feeding development in the context of two hypotheses regarding prolonged development in primates: the needing-to-learn hypothesis and the expensive brain hypothesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS We studied wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) offspring at Gombe National Park, Tanzania. We analyzed 41 years of observational behavioral data collected between 1975 and 2016 from 81 offspring. We characterized feeding development in the first 10 years of life via four different measures: (1) proportion of observation time spent feeding; (2) diet composition; (3) diet breadth; and (4) diet maturity as measured by similarity to maternal diet. We used mixed effects models to examine changes with age and by sex, while controlling for season. RESULTS Feeding time, diet breadth, and diet maturity exhibited the most substantial increases with age in the first 6 years, with no significant change thereafter. Males and females showed different patterns of change in diet breadth by age, but did not differ by age 10. Diet composition did not change significantly with age and did not differ by sex. DISCUSSION We found that chimpanzee offspring attained adult-like feeding behaviors between 4 and 6 years of age, concomitant with the completion of weaning. Thus, our data do not support the needing-to-learn feeding skills hypothesis of a prolonged juvenile period, but additional data are needed to evaluate how and when adolescent chimpanzees are able to make foraging decisions independent of their mothers. Existing data on growth provides support for the expensive brain hypothesis, however, these hypotheses are not necessarily mutually exclusive. As more studies across taxa accumulate sufficient datasets on a range of developmental metrics, we will be able to achieve a more robust understanding of prolonged development in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.,Biological Foundations of Behavior Program, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Margaret A Stanton
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.,Biological Foundations of Behavior Program, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.,School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, USA
| | - Kaitlin R Wellens
- Department of Biology, Trinity Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Carson M Murray
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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23
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McGrath K, Limmer LS, Lockey AL, Guatelli-Steinberg D, Reid DJ, Witzel C, Bocaege E, McFarlin SC, El Zaatari S. 3D enamel profilometry reveals faster growth but similar stress severity in Neanderthal versus Homo sapiens teeth. Sci Rep 2021; 11:522. [PMID: 33436796 PMCID: PMC7804262 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80148-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress disrupts growth and creates horizontal grooves on the tooth surface in humans and other mammals, yet there is no consensus for their quantitative analysis. Linear defects are considered to be nonspecific stress indicators, but evidence suggests that intermittent, severe stressors create deeper defects than chronic, low-level stressors. However, species-specific growth patterns also influence defect morphology, with faster-growing teeth having shallower defects at the population level. Here we describe a method to measure the depth of linear enamel defects and normal growth increments (i.e., perikymata) from high-resolution 3D topographies using confocal profilometry and apply it to a diverse sample of Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens anterior teeth. Debate surrounds whether Neanderthals exhibited modern human-like growth patterns in their teeth and other systems, with some researchers suggesting that they experienced more severe childhood stress. Our results suggest that Neanderthals have shallower features than H. sapiens from the Upper Paleolithic, Neolithic, and medieval eras, mirroring the faster growth rates in Neanderthal anterior teeth. However, when defect depth is scaled by perikymata depth to assess their severity, Neolithic humans have less severe defects, while Neanderthals and the other H. sapiens groups show evidence of more severe early life growth disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate McGrath
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Univ. Bordeaux, Bâtiment B8, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615, Pessac, France. .,Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
| | - Laura Sophia Limmer
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annabelle-Louise Lockey
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 4034 Smith Laboratory, 174 W 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Donald J Reid
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Carsten Witzel
- Department of Biology, Universität Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Emmy Bocaege
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Shannon C McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.,Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Sireen El Zaatari
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
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Sinayitutse E, Modry D, Slapeta J, Nyiramana A, Mudakikwa A, Muvunyi R, Eckardt W. Daily defecation outputs of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Primates 2020; 62:311-320. [PMID: 33221967 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00874-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Increasing population density can increase infectious disease risk and thus reduce population growth and size. Host-parasite interactions of threatened animals that remain in small protected forest fragments therefore need to be monitored carefully. Due to extreme conservation efforts, the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) population in the 450-km2 Virunga Massif has more than doubled since 1973, reaching 604 individuals in 2016. To better understand changes in the transmission risks of soil-borne and other enteric pathogens for mountain gorillas, we determined defecation outputs of different age-sex classes and the diurnal variation in feces deposition. We weighed 399 wet fecal samples deposited at nest sites and on trails between nest sites by gorillas of varying age and sex, determined by lobe diameter, from five social groups (n = 58 gorillas) that range in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. We found increasing daily average defecation outputs with increasing age-sex class (infants, 435 g; juveniles, 1346 g; medium-sized gorillas, 2446 g; silverbacks, 3609 g). Gorillas deposited two- to threefold the amount of feces at nest sites compared to on trails, suggesting that nest sites may function as hotspots for enteric pathogen infections through direct contact or when gorillas ingest foods contaminated with infectious larvae during site revisits in intervals matching the maturation period of environmentally transmitted gastrointestinal parasites. In combination with ranging and demographic data, these findings will enable the modeling of spatiotemporal variation in soil contamination and infectious disease risk for Virunga gorillas as their population density continues to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elie Sinayitutse
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30315, USA.
- The University of Rwanda, Butare, Huye, Rwanda.
| | - David Modry
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackéhotřida 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
- University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackéhotřida 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 370, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Slapeta
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | | | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Richard Muvunyi
- Department of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Winnie Eckardt
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30315, USA
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Ruff CB, Junno JA, Eckardt W, Gilardi K, Mudakikwa A, McFarlin SC. Skeletal ageing in Virunga mountain gorillas. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190606. [PMID: 32951549 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone loss and heightened fracture risk are common conditions associated with ageing in modern human populations and have been attributed to both hormonal and other metabolic and behavioural changes. To what extent these age-related trends are specific to modern humans or generally characteristic of natural populations of other taxa is not clear. In this study, we use computed tomography to examine age changes in long bone and vertebral structural properties of 34 wild-adult Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) whose skeletons were recovered from natural accumulations. Chronological ages were known or estimated from sample-specific dental wear formulae and ranged between 11 and 43 years. Gorillas show some of the same characteristics of skeletal ageing as modern humans, including endosteal and some periosteal expansion. However, unlike in humans, there is no decline in cortical or trabecular bone density, or in combined geometric-density measures of strength, nor do females show accelerated bone loss later in life. We attribute these differences to the lack of an extended post-reproductive period in gorillas, which provides protection against bone resorption. Increases in age-related fractures (osteoporosis) in modern humans may be a combined effect of an extended lifespan and lower activity levels earlier in life. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | | | - Kirsten Gilardi
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Shannon C McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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Kelley J, Schwartz GT, Smith TM. Age at first molar emergence in Pan troglodytes verus and variation in the timing of molar emergence among free-living chimpanzees. J Hum Evol 2020; 145:102823. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Wright E, Galbany J, McFarlin SC, Ndayishimiye E, Stoinski TS, Robbins MM. Dominance rank but not body size influences female reproductive success in mountain gorillas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233235. [PMID: 32492071 PMCID: PMC7269200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
According to life history theory, natural selection has shaped trade-offs for allocating energy among growth, reproduction and maintenance to maximize individual fitness. In social mammals body size and dominance rank are two key variables believed to influence female reproductive success. However, few studies have examined these variables together, particularly in long-lived species. Previous studies found that female dominance rank correlates with reproductive success in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), which is surprising given they have weak dominance relationships and experience seemingly low levels of feeding competition. It is not currently known whether this relationship is primarily driven by a positive correlation between rank and body size. We used the non-invasive parallel laser method to measure two body size variables (back breadth and body length) of 34 wild adult female mountain gorillas, together with long-term dominance and demography data to investigate the interrelationships among body size, dominance rank and two measures of female reproductive success (inter-birth interval N = 29 and infant mortality N = 64). Using linear mixed models, we found no support for body size to be significantly correlated with dominance rank or female reproductive success. Higher-ranking females had significantly shorter inter-birth intervals than lower-ranking ones, but dominance rank was not significantly correlated with infant mortality. Our results suggest that female dominance rank is primarily determined by factors other than linear body dimensions and that high rank provides benefits even in species with weak dominance relationships and abundant year-round food resources. Future studies should focus on the mechanisms behind heterogeneity in female body size in relation to trade-offs in allocating energy to growth, maintenance and lifetime reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Wright
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Jordi Galbany
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Eric Ndayishimiye
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tara S. Stoinski
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Runestad Connour J, Glander KE. Sexual dimorphism and growth in Alouatta palliata based on 20+ years of field data. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:545-566. [PMID: 32474912 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Alouatta palliata patterns of growth and sexual dimorphism are evaluated using 20 plus years of field data. Comparisons are made to other species of Alouatta and other New World primates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records of 92 A. palliata from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, were used to generate growth curves for body mass and linear measurements. Timing of growth for the properties was compared, and males and females were contrasted. Slopes and elevations for periods of rapid growth were evaluated. Growth allometry and proportion ratios were also explored. RESULTS Body mass growth is rapid during the first 2 years. Males and females begin to diverge around a year of age as male growth increases and female growth slows. Adult mass for both is reached about 4 years of age. Linear measurements show rapid growth the first 18 months for both sexes. Differences develop as males continue the same rate of linear growth while female growth slows. Adult size is reached for head and body length around 3 years, and for hind-foot and tail lengths around 2 years. DISCUSSION A. palliata males grow in mass more rapidly than females, while both grow similarly in linear dimensions, so that dimorphism is more pronounced in mass. This pattern is seen in other dimorphic New World primates. Male A. palliata may grow more rapidly than A. seniculus, reflecting earlier emigration for A. palliata males. Linear dimensions reach adult proportions earlier than body mass. For hind-foot and tail, this is probably an adaptation for gripping.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth E Glander
- Evolutionary Anthropology Department, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Ostrofsky KR, Robbins MM. Fruit-feeding and activity patterns of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:3-20. [PMID: 32274796 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Availability of fruit is an important factor influencing variation in great ape foraging strategies and activity patterns. This study aims to quantify how frugivory influences activity budgets across age-sex classes of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. MATERIALS AND METHODS Daily proportions of fruit-feeding and activity budgets were calculated using 6 years of observational data on four habituated groups. We fitted generalized linear mixed models to test for age-sex differences in the amount of fruit-feeding, and to test whether these factors influence the proportion of time spent feeding, resting, and traveling. RESULTS Bwindi mountain gorillas spent on average 15% of feeding time consuming fruit, with monthly variation ranging from 0 to 70%. Greater amounts of fruit-feeding were associated with more time feeding and traveling, and less time resting. Immatures tended to spend more feeding time on fruit than adults, but less overall time feeding and more time traveling. There were no significant differences in the amount of fruit-feeding and overall feeding time between adult females and silverback males, despite differences in body size. DISCUSSION This study confirms that gorillas are frugivorous, and only the Virunga mountain gorilla population can be characterized as highly folivorous. Along with other frugivorous great apes, Bwindi mountain gorillas alter their activity patterns in response to varying amounts of fruit in their diet. A better understanding of how variable ecological conditions can drive diversity even within a subspecies has important implications for understanding relationships between ecology, body size, and foraging strategies in great apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R Ostrofsky
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Martha M Robbins
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Samuni L, Tkaczynski P, Deschner T, Löhrrich T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Maternal effects on offspring growth indicate post-weaning juvenile dependence in chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus). Front Zool 2020; 17:1. [PMID: 31911809 PMCID: PMC6945487 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0343-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In animals with altricial offspring, most growth occurs after birth and may be optimized by post-natal maternal care. Maternal effects on growth may be influenced by individual characteristics of the mothers, such as social status, individual investment strategies and the length of association with offspring. The prolonged juvenile dependence seen in humans is a distinctive life history adaptation, which may have evolved to facilitate sustained somatic and brain growth.In chimpanzees, offspring are typically weaned at approximately 4 years old, yet immature individuals continue to associate with their mothers for up to 10 years beyond weaning. Whether this lengthy association or the individual characteristics of mothers influences growth patterns in this species is not clear.The relationship between urinary creatinine and specific gravity is an established non-invasive measure of muscle mass in humans and chimpanzees. We analysed the urinary creatinine and specific gravity of 1318 urine samples from 70 wild chimpanzees from the Taï Forest, Ivory Coast aged 4 to 15 years. RESULTS We showed a clear increase in urinary creatinine levels with age in both males and females, replicating established growth curves in this species and reaffirming this measure as a reliable proxy for lean body mass. Comparing those who experience maternal loss (orphans) with non-orphan chimpanzees, maternal presence beyond weaning age and into late juvenility positively influenced offspring muscle mass throughout ontogeny such that orphans had significantly less muscle mass than age-matched non-orphans. In age-matched offspring with mothers, those with high-ranking mothers had greater muscle mass. Accounting for variation in muscle mass attributable to maternal presence, we found no effect of maternal investment (length of inter birth interval, from own birth to birth of following sibling) on offspring muscle mass. CONCLUSION Chimpanzee mothers have an extended and multi-faceted influence on offspring phenotypes. Our results suggest that maternal investment extends beyond lactation and into early adulthood and has clear benefits to offspring physical development. Therefore, prolonged juvenile dependence, although unique in its form in human societies, may be a trait with deeper evolutionary origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liran Samuni
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patrick Tkaczynski
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Therese Löhrrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
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31
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Faster growth corresponds with shallower linear hypoplastic defects in great ape canines. J Hum Evol 2019; 137:102691. [PMID: 31704354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Deeper or more 'severe' linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) defects are hypothesized to reflect more severe stress during development, but it is not yet clear how depth is influenced by intrinsic enamel growth patterns. Recent work documented inter- and intraspecific differences in LEH defect depth in extant great apes, with mountain gorillas having shallower defects than other taxa, and females having deeper defects than males. Here, we assess the correspondence of inter- and intraspecific defect depth and intrinsic aspects of enamel growth: enamel extension rates, outer enamel striae of Retzius angles, and linear enamel thickness. Thin sections of great ape canines (n = 40) from Gorilla beringei beringei, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pongo spp. were analyzed. Enamel extension rates were calculated within deciles of enamel-dentine junction length. Linear enamel thickness and the angle of intersection between striae of Retzius and the outer enamel surface were measured in the imbricational enamel. Mountain gorillas have faster enamel extension rates and shallower striae angles than the other taxa examined. Mountain gorillas have thinner imbricational enamel than western lowland gorillas and orangutans, but not chimpanzees. In the combined-taxon sample, females exhibit larger striae angles and thicker imbricational enamel than males. Enamel extension rates are highly negatively correlated with striae angles and LEH defect depth. Enamel growth variation corresponds with documented inter- and intraspecific differences in LEH defect depth in great ape canines. Mountain gorillas have shallower striae angles and faster extension rates than other taxa, which might explain their shallow LEH defect morphology and the underestimation of their LEH prevalence in previous studies. These results suggest that stressors of similar magnitude and timing might produce defects of different depths in one species or sex vs. another, which has implications for interpretations of stress histories in hominins with variable enamel growth patterns.
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Lee SM, Murray CM, Lonsdorf EV, Fruth B, Stanton MA, Nichols J, Hohmann G. Wild bonobo and chimpanzee females exhibit broadly similar patterns of behavioral maturation but some evidence for divergence. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:100-109. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Lee
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Carson M. Murray
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | | | - Barbara Fruth
- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Sciences and PsychologyLiverpool John Moores University Liverpool United Kingdom
- Centre for Research and ConservationRoyal Zoological Society of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - Margaret A. Stanton
- Department of PsychologyFranklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia
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Wright E, Galbany J, McFarlin SC, Ndayishimiye E, Stoinski TS, Robbins MM. Male body size, dominance rank and strategic use of aggression in a group-living mammal. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Dispersal and reproductive careers of male mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Primates 2019; 60:133-142. [PMID: 30847670 PMCID: PMC6428796 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00718-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key event in the life of an animal and it influences individual reproductive success. Male mountain gorillas exhibit both philopatry and dispersal, resulting in a mixed one-male and multimale social organization. However, little is known about the relationship between male dispersal or philopatry and reproductive careers in Bwindi mountain gorillas. Here we analyze data spanning from 1993 to 2017 on social groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda to examine the proportion of males that disperse, age of dispersal, pathways to attaining alpha status, fate of dispersing males and philopatric males, and male tenure length as well as make comparisons of these variables to the Virunga mountain gorilla population. We report previously undocumented cases of dispersal by immature males and old males and we also observed the only known case of a fully mature male immigrating into a breeding group. We used genetic tracking of known individuals to estimate that a minimum of 25% of males that disperse to become solitary males eventually form new groups. No differences were found between the Bwindi and Virunga population in the age of male dispersal, the proportion of males that disperse, the age of alpha male acquisition, and dominance tenure length. The lack of differences may be due to small sample sizes or because the observed ecological variability does not lead to life history differences between the populations. Males in both populations follow variable strategies to attain alpha status leading to the variable one-male and multimale social organization, including dispersal to become solitary and eventually form a group, via group fissioning, usurping another alpha male, or inheriting the alpha position when a previous group leader dies.
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Robbins MM, Robbins AM. Variation in the social organization of gorillas: Life history and socioecological perspectives. Evol Anthropol 2018; 27:218-233. [PMID: 30325554 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
A focus of socioecological research is to understand how ecological, social, and life history factors influence the variability of social organization within and between species. The genus Gorilla exhibits variability in social organization with western gorilla groups being almost exclusively one-male, yet approximately 40% of mountain gorilla groups are multimale. We review five ultimate causes for the variability in social organization within and among gorilla populations: human disturbance, ecological constraints on group size, risk of infanticide, life history patterns, and population density. We find the most evidence for the ecological constraints and life history hypotheses, but an over-riding explanation remains elusive. The variability may hinge on variation in female dispersal patterns, as females seek a group of optimal size and with a good protector male. Our review illustrates the challenges of understanding why the social organization of closely related species may deviate from predictions based on socioecological and life history theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha M Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrew M Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Canington
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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37
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Dunham NT, McNamara A, Shapiro L, Hieronymus T, Young JW. A user's guide for the quantitative analysis of substrate characteristics and locomotor kinematics in free‐ranging primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:569-584. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
| | - Allison McNamara
- Department of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas
| | - Liza Shapiro
- Department of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas
| | - Tobin Hieronymus
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
| | - Jesse W. Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
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Bogin B, Varea C, Hermanussen M, Scheffler C. Human life course biology: A centennial perspective of scholarship on the human pattern of physical growth and its place in human biocultural evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:834-854. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barry Bogin
- School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences; Loughborough University, LE11 3TU; UK
| | - Carlos Varea
- Department of Biology, Physical Anthropology Group; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | | | - Christiane Scheffler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology; University of Potsdam; Potsdam 14469 Germany
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Breuer T, Manguette M, Groenenberg M. Gorilla
Gorilla
spp conservation – from zoos to the field and back: examples from the Mbeli Bai Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/izy.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Breuer
- Global Conservation Program Wildlife Conservation Society 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx New York 10460 USA
| | - M. Manguette
- Department of Primatology Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Deutscher Platz 6 04103 Leipzig Germany
- Mbeli Bai Study Nouabalé‐Ndoki National Park Wildlife Conservation Society B.P. 14537 Brazzaville Congo
| | - M. Groenenberg
- Mbeli Bai Study Nouabalé‐Ndoki National Park Wildlife Conservation Society B.P. 14537 Brazzaville Congo
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McGrath K, El‐Zaatari S, Guatelli‐Steinberg D, Stanton MA, Reid DJ, Stoinski TS, Cranfield MR, Mudakikwa A, McFarlin SC. Quantifying linear enamel hypoplasia in Virunga Mountain gorillas and other great apes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:337-352. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate McGrath
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC 20052
| | - Sireen El‐Zaatari
- Department of Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and PaleoenvironmentEberhard Karls Universität TübingenTübingen 72070 Germany
| | | | - Margaret A. Stanton
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC 20052
| | - Donald J. Reid
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC 20052
| | | | - Michael R. Cranfield
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary ProjectUniversity of California at Davis California 95616
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and ConservationRwanda Development BoardKigali Rwanda
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC 20052
- Division of MammalsNational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington DC 20560
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Ruff CB, Burgess ML, Junno J, Mudakikwa A, Zollikofer CPE, Ponce de León MS, McFarlin SC. Phylogenetic and environmental effects on limb bone structure in gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:353-372. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Ruff
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineCenter for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 E. Monument StBaltimore Maryland 21205
| | - M. Loring Burgess
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineCenter for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 E. Monument StBaltimore Maryland 21205
| | | | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and ConservationRwanda Development BoardKigali Rwanda
| | | | | | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC
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