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Judson K, Sanz C, Ebombi TF, Massamba JM, Teberd P, Abea G, Mbebouti G, Matoumona JKB, Nkoussou EG, Zambarda A, Brogan S, Stephens C, Morgan D. Socioecological factors influencing intraspecific variation in ranging dynamics of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Ndoki Forest. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23586. [PMID: 38151775 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23586] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Ranging dynamics are physical and behavioral representations of how different socioecological factors affect an organism's spatial decisions and space use strategies. Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are a model species to investigate the drivers of spatial dynamics based on both the natural variation in socioecological factors within the species and compared with their mountain gorilla counterparts. In this study, we evaluate the influences of resource seasonality and social dynamics on variation in home range size, utilization, and intergroup overlap among multiple gorilla groups over an 8-year study period in the northern Republic of Congo. This study shows that western lowland gorillas can have small home ranges comparable to mountain gorillas, rather than universally larger home ranges as previously supposed, and that home ranges are stable through time. The largest source of variation in space use was the degree of intergroup home range overlap. The study groups did not demonstrate intraspecific variation in range size nor changes in intergroup overlap with respect to seasonality of fruit resources, but all groups demonstrated expansion of monthly range and core area with group size, matching predictions of intragroup feeding competition. These findings highlight the potential impact of intergroup relationships on space use and prompt further research on the role of social dynamics in ranging strategies. In this study, we reveal a greater degree of variability and flexibility in gorilla ranging behavior than previously realized which is relevant to improving comparative studies and informing conservation strategies on behalf of these endangered primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Judson
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | - Jean Marie Massamba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Prospère Teberd
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaston Abea
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaeton Mbebouti
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Alice Zambarda
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Sean Brogan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - David Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Sanz CM, Strait D, Eyana Ayina C, Massamba JM, Ebombi TF, Ndassoba Kialiema S, Ngoteni D, Mbebouti G, Koni Boue DR, Brogan S, Funkhouser JA, Morgan DB. Interspecific interactions between sympatric apes. iScience 2022; 25:105059. [PMID: 36147956 PMCID: PMC9485909 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gorillas reside in sympatry with chimpanzees over the majority of their range. Compiling all known reports of overlap between apes and augmenting these with observations made over twenty years in the Ndoki Forest, we examine the potential predation-related, foraging, and social contexts of interspecific associations between gorillas and chimpanzees. We reveal a greater diversity of interactions than previously recognized, which range from play to lethal aggression. Furthermore, there are indications that interactions between ape species may serve multiple functions. Interactions between gorillas and chimpanzees were most common during foraging activities, but they also overlapped in several other contexts. From a social perspective, we provide evidence of consistent relationships between particular chimpanzee-gorilla dyads. In addition to providing new insights into extant primate community dynamics, the diversity of interactions between apes points to an entirely new field of study in early human origins as early hominins also likely had opportunities to associate. First evidence of social relationships between chimpanzees and gorillas is reported Social ties between chimpanzees and gorillas persisted over years and across contexts Ape species engaged in a wide range of interactions, from play to aggression Coexisting great apes may inform us about interactions between some early hominins
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Affiliation(s)
- Crickette M Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - David Strait
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Crepin Eyana Ayina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Jean Marie Massamba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Thierry Fabrice Ebombi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | - Delon Ngoteni
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaeton Mbebouti
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | - Sean Brogan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Jake A Funkhouser
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - David B Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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Southern LM, Deschner T, Pika S. Lethal coalitionary attacks of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) on gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the wild. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14673. [PMID: 34282175 PMCID: PMC8290027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93829-x] [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: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecies violence, including lethal interactions, is a relatively common phenomenon in mammals. Contrarily, interspecies violence has mainly been investigated in the context of predation and received most research attention in carnivores. Here, we provide the first information of two lethal coalitionary attacks of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) on another hominid species, western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), that occur sympatrically in the Loango National Park in Gabon. In both events, the chimpanzees significantly outnumbered the gorillas and victims were infant gorillas. We discuss these observations in light of the two most widely accepted theoretical explanations for interspecific lethal violence, predation and competition, and combinations of the two-intraguild predation and interspecific killing. Given these events meet conditions proposed to trigger coalitional killing of neighbours in chimpanzees, we also discuss them in light of chimpanzees' intraspecific interactions and territorial nature. Our findings may spur further research into the complexity of interspecies interactions. In addition, they may aid in combining field data from extant models with the Pliocene hominid fossil record to better understand behavioural adaptations and interspecific killing in the hominin lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Southern
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Artilleriestrasse 34, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Interim Group Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Pika
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Artilleriestrasse 34, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany.
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Ulibarri LR, Gartland KN. Ranging and territoriality in red-shanked doucs (Pygathrix nemaeus) at Son Tra Nature Reserve, Vietnam. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23292. [PMID: 34170034 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23292] [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: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The home ranges of odd-nosed colobines as reported by a number of studies can vary greatly both within and between taxa. Evaluating Pygathrix, particularly within the context of the odd-nosed colobines, has proven challenging due to the comparable dearth of published data on all three species-Pygathrix nigripes, Pygathrix cinerea, and Pygathrix nemaeus. This dearth has also proven challenging when assessing territoriality within Pygathrix and contextualizing this behavior to odd-nosed colobines. For this study, we set out to assess home range, daily path length, and territoriality in a population of P. nemaeus at Son Tra Nature Reserve in Vietnam. We collected a total of 259 h of behavioral data using 10-min focal follows with 1-min instantaneous scans, including GPS recordings for each follow. We collected phenology and weather data, which were then used with Pearson's correlations to test whether ecological factors influenced variation in ranging or daily path length at both the monthly and seasonal levels. Finally, we used the Mitani-Rodman defendability index to assess territoriality in P. nemaeus. We found that our population of P. nemaeus had a home range of 36.00 ha with a core area of 8.02 ha and an average daily path length of 509.11 ± 244.87 m. Daily path length was correlated to precipitation such that daily path lengths were shorter during increases in rainfall (r(17) = 0.52, p = .03). These measures resulted in a defendability index of 0.75, suggesting that the population of P. nemaus on Son Tra does not travel far enough each day to actively defend territorial borders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kylen N Gartland
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Leeds A, Boyer D, Ross SR, Lukas KE. Patterns of wounding in mixed-sex social groups of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Ten Eyck GR, Ten Eyck LM. Serotonin and vasotocin function in territoriality. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 199:173068. [PMID: 33144208 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This ethopharmacological investigation comprised a long-term field study that examined the function of serotonergic and vasotonergic systems in territoriality. Adult territorial and non-territorial (silent) male coquí frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) were injected (IP) with either arginine vasotocin (AVT) or one of two serotonin agonists, 5-HT2A/2C selective agonist, (±) DOI - [(±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane], or 2) the 5-HT1A selective agonist, 8-OH-DPAT - [(±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene]. Control groups received saline injections. Each male received two injections. Following the first injection, whether AVT or a 5HT agonist, the male was observed so that behavior could be documented prior to the second injection, which consisted of the other drug class. All frogs were marked, placed back in the exact location as captured, and observed for all behaviors and vocalizations. Territoriality in E. coqui includes several behavioral components: movement into a calling site, presentation of dominant physical displays, emitting advertisement calls, and defense a territory (including the use of physical force and/or aggressive vocalizations). This investigation found that particular territorial behaviors were significantly influenced by 5HT and AVT action. Initiation of advertisement calling is activated by AVT and suppressed by 5HT, calling rate is affected by 5HT activation, presentation of dominant physical displays are activated by AVT and repressed by 5HT activation, and movement associated with activation of territorial behavior is stimulated by AVT. These data suggested that both 5HT and AVT have a profound impact on territoriality and are two fundamental neuroendocrine systems that govern territorial behavior in social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Ten Eyck
- NYU Langone Health Center, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Department of Foundations of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA.
| | - Lily M Ten Eyck
- NYU Langone Health Center, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Department of Foundations of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA
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Morrison RE, Hirwa JP, Mucyo JPS, Stoinski TS, Vecellio V, Eckardt W. Inter‐group relationships influence territorial defence in mountain gorillas. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2852-2862. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Morrison
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Musanze Rwanda
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | | | | | - Tara S. Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Musanze Rwanda
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Atlanta GA USA
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