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Lhota S, Yap JL, Benedict ML, Ching K, Shaw B, Angkee BD, Lee N, Lee V, Mao JJ, Ruppert N. Is Malaysia's "mystery monkey" a hybrid between Nasalis larvatus and Trachypithecus cristatus? An assessment of photographs. INT J PRIMATOL 2022; 43:513-532. [PMID: 35498121 PMCID: PMC9039274 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00293-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Interspecific hybridization in primates is common but hybridization between distantly related sympatric primate species is rarely observed in the wild. We present evidence for a possible hybridization event between Nasalis larvatus and Trachypithecus cristatus in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, through assessment of photographs. We used a set of categorical characters and metric measurements to compare the putative hybrid with the likely parent species. Nonmetric comparison showed that this "mystery monkey" is intermediate in several characters. Measurements of limb proportions on photographs showed that the brachial, humerofemoral, and intermembral indexes are above 100 for N. larvatus and below 100 for T. cristatus on all photographs, whereas the crural index is higher than 100 in both species and the distributions of this index in the two species overlap. Brachial and intermembral indices of the putative hybrid were similar to those of N. larvatus. Crural and humerofemoral indices were closer to the values for T. cristatus than those of N. larvatus. Multiple observers confirmed the occurrence of mixed-species groups in the area, and interspecific mating has been photographed. The putative hybrid is now an adult female and was last photographed in September 2020 with an infant and swollen breast, suggesting lactation. We propose further noninvasive fecal sampling for genetic analyses to confirm the origins of this "mystery monkey." This case of hybridization may be related to anthropogenic changes to the landscape, whereby expansion of oil palm plantations confines N. larvatus and T. obscurus to narrow riverine forest patches along the Kinabatangan. This observation therefore also may have conservation implications, indicating limited mate access and dispersal opportunities for these threatened primates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10764-022-00293-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Lhota
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Ústí Nad Labem Zoo, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Jo Leen Yap
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- Malaysian Primatological Society, Kulim, Kedah Malaysia
| | | | - Ken Ching
- Eco-Education & Resources Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
| | - Bob Shaw
- Aspiration Images, Kiama, NSW Australia
| | | | - Nicole Lee
- Marvelous Vacation, Sandakan, Sabah Malaysia
| | - Vendon Lee
- Eco-Education & Resources Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
- Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jean-Jay Mao
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Ilan University, Ilan, Taiwan
| | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- Malaysian Primatological Society, Kulim, Kedah Malaysia
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Understanding the convoluted evolutionary history of the capped-golden langur lineage (Cercopithecidae: Colobinae)†. J Genet 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-021-01329-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Joshi J, Agarwal I. Integrative Taxonomy in the Indian Subcontinent: Current Progress and Prospects. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-021-00244-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Dasgupta D, Banerjee A, Karar R, Banerjee D, Mitra S, Sardar P, Karmakar S, Bhattacharya A, Ghosh S, Bhattacharjee P, Paul M. Altered Food Habits? Understanding the Feeding Preference of Free-Ranging Gray Langurs Within an Urban Settlement. Front Psychol 2021; 12:649027. [PMID: 33981276 PMCID: PMC8107681 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization affects concurrent human-animal interactions as a result of altered resource availability and land use pattern, which leads to considerable ecological consequences. While some animals have lost their habitat due to urban encroachment, few of them managed to survive within the urban ecosystem by altering their natural behavioral patterns. The feeding repertoire of folivorous colobines, such as gray langur, largely consists of plant parts. However, these free-ranging langurs tend to be attuned to the processed high-calorie food sources to attain maximum benefits within the concrete jungle having insignificant greenery. Therefore, besides understanding their population dynamics, the effective management of these urbanized, free-ranging, non-human primate populations also depends on their altered feeding habits. Here, we have used a field-based experimental setup that allows gray langurs to choose between processed and unprocessed food options, being independent of any inter-specific conflicts over resources due to food scarcity. The multinomial logit model reveals the choice-based decision-making of these free-ranging gray langurs in an urban settlement of West Bengal, India, where they have not only learned to recognize the human-provisioned processed food items as an alternative food source but also shown a keen interest in it. However, such a mismatch between the generalized feeding behavior of folivorous colobines and their specialized gut physiology reminds us of Liem's paradox and demands considerable scientific attention. While urbanization imposes tremendous survival challenges to these animals, it also opens up for various alternative options for surviving in close proximity to humans which is reflected in this study, and could guide us for the establishment of a sustainable urban ecosystem in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dishari Dasgupta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Arnab Banerjee
- Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.,Systems Ecology and Ecological Modelling Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
| | - Rikita Karar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Debolina Banerjee
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Shohini Mitra
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Purnendu Sardar
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India
| | - Srijita Karmakar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.,Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, India
| | | | - Swastika Ghosh
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Manabi Paul
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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Mewa Singh, Mridula Singh, Honnavalli N. Kumara, Dilip Chetry, Santanu Mahato. A history of primatology in India (In memory of Professor Sheo Dan Singh). JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2020. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.6524.12.13.16715-16735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
India harbors a wide diversity of primates with 24 species that include lorises, macaques, langurs and gibbons. Systematic research on the primates in India started about 60 years ago. In order to develop a historical perspective, we recognize three broad phases of primate research: largely natural history and base line research, primarily behavioral ecology research, and increasingly question and hypothesis-driven research. We describe the old and the recent primate research in the country and suggest research areas for the future.
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Pareja MN, McKinney T, Mayhew JA, Setchell JM, Nash SD, Heaton R. A new identification of the monkeys depicted in a Bronze Age wall painting from Akrotiri, Thera. Primates 2019; 61:159-168. [PMID: 31808015 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00778-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bronze Age Aegean (ca. 3500-1100 B.C.) wall paintings from the islands of Crete and Thera depict monkeys in a variety of roles such as running wild in nature, possibly following (trained) commands, and participating in sacred activities. These images, while stylistically Aegean, are traditionally considered closely related to-and descendant from-Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Mesopotamian monkey imagery. While monkey depictions in the latter regions may provide species-specific characteristics, Aegean wall paintings typically lack this level of detail. In an attempt to better understand the relationships between the monkeys depicted in Aegean wall paintings and the species that were encountered by the Aegean, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian peoples, a collaborative team of primatologists, a taxonomic illustrator, and an art historian/archaeologist identified species-indicative visual characteristics. This collaborative approach led us to identify a new region that serves as a source for monkey iconography: the Indus River Valley. With an emphasis on the primatological aspect and the growing corpus of possible Indus goods and possible species found in the Aegean, a broader iconographic and socioreligious sphere of interaction emerges. In this expanded system, Mesopotamia functions as an intermediary that enables the movement of goods, raw materials, people, and iconography between the east and west. Mesopotamia may have even afforded an opportunity for Aegean peoples to encounter the creatures themselves, first-hand. Of primary importance to the methodology employed for this project is the cooperation of scholars from disparate disciplines-the stitching together of various projects and experiences in attempt to answer both new and previously unanswerable questions. This type of interdisciplinary approach can be applied to other species, sites, paintings, and objects to hone our understanding of period, place, animal, movement, and trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Nicole Pareja
- University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Tracie McKinney
- Human Biology, School of Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Jessica A Mayhew
- Department of Anthropology and Museum Studies, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, USA
| | | | - Stephen D Nash
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Ray Heaton
- Primate Society of Great Britain, Linnean Society, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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Dixit J, Zachariah A, P. K. S, Chandramohan B, Shanmuganatham V, Karanth KP. Reinvestigating the status of malaria parasite (Plasmodium sp.) in Indian non-human primates. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006801. [PMID: 30521518 PMCID: PMC6298686 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human parasites and pathogens have closely related counterparts among non-human primates. For example, non-human primates harbour several species of malaria causing parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Studies suggest that for a better understanding of the origin and evolution of human malaria parasites it is important to know the diversity and evolutionary relationships of these parasites in non-human primates. Much work has been undertaken on malaria parasites in wild great Apes of Africa as well as wild monkeys of Southeast Asia however studies are lacking from South Asia, particularly India. India is one of the major malaria prone regions in the world and exhibits high primate diversity which in turn provides ideal setting for both zoonoses and anthropozoonoses. In this study we report the molecular data for malaria parasites from wild populations of Indian non-human primates. We surveyed 349 fecal samples from five different Indian non-human primates, while 94 blood and tissue samples from one of the Indian non-human primate species (Macaca radiata) and one blood sample from M. mulatta. Our results confirm the presence of P. fragile, P. inui and P. cynomolgi in Macaca radiata. Additionally, we report for the first time the presence of human malarial parasite, P. falciparum, in M. mulatta and M. radiata. Additionally, our results indicate that M. radiata does not exhibit population structure probably due to human mediated translocation of problem monkeys. Human mediated transport of macaques adds an additional level of complexity to tacking malaria in human. This issue has implications for both the spread of primate as well as human specific malarias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotsana Dixit
- TE-11, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, India
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Arun Zachariah
- Department of Forests and Wildlife, Sulthan Batheri, Wayanad District, Kerala State, India
| | - Sajesh P. K.
- Scigenom Research Foundation, Cochin, Kerala, India
| | - Bathrachalam Chandramohan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
| | - Vinoth Shanmuganatham
- TE-11, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - K. Praveen Karanth
- TE-11, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, India
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Singh M, Kumara HN, Kavana TS, Erinjery JJ, Kumar S. Demography and reproductive output in langurs of the Western Ghats, India. Primates 2016; 57:501-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0550-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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