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Koops K, Akankwasa W, Camara HD, Fitzgerald M, Keir A, Mamy G, Matsuzawa T, Péter H, Vicent K, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C. Flexible grouping patterns in a western and eastern chimpanzee community. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23593. [PMID: 38247391 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Primate social organizations, or grouping patterns, vary significantly across species. Behavioral strategies that allow for flexibility in grouping patterns offer a means to reduce the costs of group living. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have a fission-fusion social system in which temporary subgroups ("parties") change in composition because of local socio-ecological conditions. Notably, western chimpanzees (P. t. verus) are described as showing a higher degree of bisexual bonding and association than eastern chimpanzees, and eastern female chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii) are thought to be more solitary than western female chimpanzees. However, reported comparisons in sociality currently depend on a small number of study groups, particularly in western chimpanzees, and variation in methods. The inclusion of additional communities and direct comparison using the same methods are essential to assess whether reported subspecies differences in sociality hold in this behaviorally heterogeneous species. We explored whether sociality differs between two communities of chimpanzees using the same motion-triggered camera technology and definitions of social measures. We compare party size and composition (party type, sex ratio) between the western Gahtoy community in the Nimba Mountains (Guinea) and the eastern Waibira community in the Budongo Forest (Uganda). Once potential competition for resources such as food and mating opportunities were controlled for, subspecies did not substantially influence the number of individuals in a party. We found a higher sex-ratio, indicating more males in a party, in Waibira; this pattern was driven by a greater likelihood in Gahtoy to be in all-female parties. This finding is the opposite of what was expected for eastern chimpanzees, where female-only parties are predicted to be more common. Our results highlight the flexibility in chimpanzee sociality, and caution against subspecies level generalizations.
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Grants
- Newnham College, University of Cambridge
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
- Homerton College, University of Cambridge
- Gates Cambridge Trust
- #12002009 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #20002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #24000001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16H06 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Stichting Lucie Burgers
- PCEFP3_186967 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathelijne Koops
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Alex Keir
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gnan Mamy
- Institute de Recherche Environnementale de Bossou, Bossou, Guinea
| | - Tetsuro Matsuzawa
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Pedagogy, Chubu Gakuin University, Gifu, Japan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hella Péter
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Kizza Vicent
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Wild Minds Lab, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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2
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Hammer R, Stribos MS, Boehm PM, Pink KE, Herzele J, Wallner B, Huffman MA, Massen JJM, Pflüger LS. A novel methodological approach for group classification during fission of a semi-free-ranging group of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23463. [PMID: 36594448 PMCID: PMC10078252 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23463] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The self-initiated split of a social group, known as fission, is a challenge faced by many group-living animals. The study of group fission and the social restructuring process in real time provides insights into the mechanism of this biologically important process. Previous studies on fission in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) assigned individuals to newly reorganized groups mainly using behavioral observations and group attendance records based on periods before or after fission itself. Here, we present a novel framework for group classification during the process of fission that uses quantifiable behavioral variables and statistical analyses. The framework was tested on a group fission process at Affenberg Landskron (Austria), a park that housed around 160 semi-free-ranging Japanese macaques. The behavioral data were collected for 26 days during fission. We analyzed three behavioral developments recurrent in fissions in Japanese macaques, that is, independence of behavior, participation in group movements, and separation of nomadic ranges. These analyses were combined to assign individuals to different groups. Our study resulted in one main group (N = 33), one subgroup (N = 36) and 56 individuals whose group membership was still undefined. The demographic characteristics of these newly formed groups were comparable with those of fissioned groups in wild populations. Furthermore, we found that these newly forming groups showed early social dynamics of fission five months before group level movements, that is: grouping based on spatial proximity and spatial withdrawal of the subgroup to the periphery. These results underline the validity of our novel framework to study social dynamics in Japanese macaques during the process of fission. It represents an important addition to existing methods, and we recommend testing its scope in other primate societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Hammer
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mathieu S Stribos
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pia M Boehm
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina E Pink
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Herzele
- Affenberg Zoobetriebsgesellschaft mbH, Ossiach, Austria
| | - Bernard Wallner
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach, Austria
| | - Michael A Huffman
- Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach, Austria.,Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Aichi, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Jorg J M Massen
- Department of Biology, Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach, Austria
| | - Lena S Pflüger
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Research Center for Primatology, Ossiach, Austria
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3
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Fasbender D, Yamba U, Keuk K, Hart T, Hart J, Furuichi T. Bonobo social organization at the seasonal forest‐savanna ecotone of the Lomami national park. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23448. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Fasbender
- Department of Primatology and Wildlife Science, Graduate School of Science Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - Uyulu Yamba
- Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Kenneth Keuk
- Department of Primatology and Wildlife Science, Graduate School of Science Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - Terese Hart
- TL2 Project of the Frankfurt Zoological Society Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - John Hart
- TL2 Project of the Frankfurt Zoological Society Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo
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Kiffner C, Paciência FMD, Henrich G, Kaitila R, Chuma IS, Mbaryo P, Knauf S, Kioko J, Zinner D. Road-based line distance surveys overestimate densities of olive baboons. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263314. [PMID: 35108346 PMCID: PMC8809570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating population density and population dynamics is essential for understanding primate ecology and relies on robust methods. While distance sampling theory provides a robust framework for estimating animal abundance, implementing a constrained, non-systematic transect design could bias density estimates. Here, we assessed potential bias associated with line distance sampling surveys along roads based on a case study with olive baboons (Papio anubis) in Lake Manyara National Park (Tanzania). This was achieved by comparing density estimates of olive baboons derived from road transect surveys with density estimates derived from estimating the maximum number of social groups (via sleeping site counts) and multiplying this metric with the estimated average size of social groups. From 2011 to 2019, we counted olive baboons along road transects, estimated survey-specific densities in a distance sampling framework, and assessed temporal population trends. Based on the fitted half-normal detection function, the mean density was 132.5 baboons km-2 (95% CI: 110.4–159.2), however, detection models did not fit well due to heaping of sightings on and near the transects. Density estimates were associated with relatively wide confidence intervals that were mostly caused by encounter rate variance. Based on a generalized additive model, baboon densities were greater during the rainy seasons compared to the dry seasons but did not show marked annual trends. Compared to estimates derived from the alternative method (sleeping site survey), distance sampling along road transects overestimated the abundance of baboons more than threefold. Possibly, this overestimation was caused by the preferred use of roads by baboons. While being a frequently used technique (due to its relative ease of implementation compared to spatially randomized survey techniques), inferring population density of baboons (and possibly other species) based on road transects should be treated with caution. Beyond these methodological concerns and considering only the most conservative estimates, baboon densities in LMNP are among the highest across their geographic distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kiffner
- The School For Field Studies, Center For Wildlife Management Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
- Department of Human Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Ecology and Culture, Leipzig, Germany
- Junior Research Group Human‐Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Filipa M. D. Paciência
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, Germany Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Grace Henrich
- Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York State, United States of America
| | - Rehema Kaitila
- Tanzania National Parks, Conservation Science Unit (Veterinary), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Idrissa S. Chuma
- Tanzania National Parks, Conservation Science Unit (Veterinary), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Pay Mbaryo
- Tanzania National Parks, Conservation Science Unit (Veterinary), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Sascha Knauf
- Institute of International Animal Health / One Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
- Infection Biology Unit, Germany Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - John Kioko
- The School For Field Studies, Center For Wildlife Management Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, Germany Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Lindshield S, Hernandez-Aguilar RA, Korstjens AH, Marchant LF, Narat V, Ndiaye PI, Ogawa H, Piel AK, Pruetz JD, Stewart FA, van Leeuwen KL, Wessling EG, Yoshikawa M. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in savanna landscapes. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:399-420. [PMID: 34542218 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are the only great apes that inhabit hot, dry, and open savannas. We review the environmental pressures of savannas on chimpanzees, such as food and water scarcity, and the evidence for chimpanzees' behavioral responses to these landscapes. In our analysis, savannas were generally associated with low chimpanzee population densities and large home ranges. In addition, thermoregulatory behaviors that likely reduce hyperthermia risk, such as cave use, were frequently observed in the hottest and driest savanna landscapes. We hypothesize that such responses are evidence of a "savanna landscape effect" in chimpanzees and offer pathways for future research to understand its evolutionary processes and mechanisms. We conclude by discussing the significance of research on savanna chimpanzees to modeling the evolution of early hominin traits and informing conservation programs for these endangered apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Lindshield
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - R Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amanda H Korstjens
- Life and Environmental Sciences Department, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole, UK
| | | | - Victor Narat
- CNRS/MNHN/Paris Diderot, UMR 7206 Eco-anthropology, Paris, France
| | - Papa Ibnou Ndiaye
- Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Hideshi Ogawa
- School of International Liberal Studies, Chukyo University, Toyota, Aichi, Japan
| | - Alex K Piel
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jill D Pruetz
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Fiona A Stewart
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK.,School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Kelly L van Leeuwen
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole, UK
| | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Midori Yoshikawa
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Ibaraki, Tokyo, Japan
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Fotang C, Bröring U, Roos C, Enoguanbhor EC, Abwe EE, Dutton P, Schierack P, Angwafo TE, Birkhofer K. Human Activity and Forest Degradation Threaten Populations of the Nigeria–Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Western Cameroon. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00191-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIncreased human activities such as commodity-led deforestation, extension of agriculture, urbanization, and wildfires are major drivers of forest loss worldwide. In Cameroon, these activities cause a loss of suitable primate habitat and could ultimately threaten the survival of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). We derived independent estimates of the population size of the Endangered Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, Cameroon, and surrounding unprotected forest areas through 1) direct observations, 2) camera trapping, 3) distance sampling, 4) marked nest counts, and 5) standing crop nest counts. In addition, we georeferenced signs of chimpanzee and human activity along line transects. We used a generalized linear mixed model to predict the occurrence of chimpanzees in response to edge length (measured as the perimeter of core forest patches), core area of forest patches (measured as area of forest patches beyond an edge width of 100 m), habitat perforation (measured as the perimeter of nonforested landscape within core forest patches), patch size(measured as area of forest patches), and forest cover. Chimpanzee density estimates ranged from 0.1 (direct observation) to 0.9 (distance sampling) individuals km−2 depending on estimation method with a mean nest group size of 7 ± 5.4 (SD). The mean encounter rate for signs of chimpanzee activity was significantly higher in mature forests (2.3 signs km−1) than in secondary forests (0.3 signs km−1) and above 1000 m elevation (4.0 signs km−1) than below 1000 m (1.0 signs km−1). The mean encounter rate for signs of human activity was significantly higher in secondary (8.0 signs km−1) than in mature forests (0.9 signs km−1). Secondary forests, habitat perforation, and edge length had a significant negative effect on the occurrence of chimpanzee signs. Overall, human activity and forest degradation affected the number of observed chimpanzee signs negatively. Regular antipoaching patrols and reforestation programs in degraded areas could potentially reduce threats to populations of endangered species and may increase suitable habitat area.
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7
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Marchant LF, Wessling EG, Lindshield SM. Introduction to the Special Issue on Savanna Chimpanzees. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00188-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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