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Toyoda A, Gonçalves A, Maruhashi T, Malaivijitnond S, Matsuda I. Necrophilic behaviour in wild stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides). Sci Rep 2024; 14:10946. [PMID: 38740882 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61678-z] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Necrophilic behavior (attempted copulation with corpses) has been scarcely reported in non-human primates, especially in the wild. Here is the first case of necrophilic behavior observed in wild stump-tailed macaques in Thailand. Six groups of total N > 460 individuals have been identified and habituated. The corpse of an adult female was found and directly observed for 2 days and by camera trap for 3 days. The cause of death could not be identified, but no prominent physical injury was detected. Within 3 days of the observation, three different males attempted copulation with the corpse. Noteworthy for this observation was that not only males in the group of the dead female but also males from different groups interacted with the corpse. Taken together, these observations suggest that some cues emanating from the corpse coupled with a nonresistant/passive orientation may have triggered these responses in the males. Given that necrophiliac responses have been scarcely reported in non-human primates, our findings provide new insight into these behaviors and to comparative thanatology in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aru Toyoda
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan.
- The Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-0081, Japan.
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, 18110, Thailand.
- Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan.
| | - André Gonçalves
- Section of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Japan
| | | | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, 18110, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Ikki Matsuda
- Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan
- Chubu Institute for Advanced Studies, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, 4878501, Japan
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, Kasugai, Aichi, 4878501, Japan
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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2
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Roura-Torres B, Amblard-Rambert P, Lepou P, Kappeler PM, Charpentier MJE. Stillbirth of a mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) in the wild: perinatal behaviors and delivery sequences. Primates 2024; 65:75-80. [PMID: 38133716 PMCID: PMC10884356 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01112-6] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Birth is a fundamental event in the life of animals, including our own species. More reports of wild non-human primate births and stillbirths are thus needed to better understand the evolutionary pressures shaping parturition behaviors in our lineage. In diurnal non-human primates, births generally occur at night, when individuals are resting. Consequently, they are difficult to observe in the wild and most of the current knowledge regarding perinatal behaviors comes from rare daytime births. Information about stillbirths is even rarer and their proximate causes are generally unknown. Here, we present detailed observations of a daytime birth of a stillborn wild mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx). During this event, which lasted an entire day, we recorded the behaviors of the parturient female ad libitum, using video recordings and photos. The 5-year-old female was primiparous and of low dominance rank. The length of her pregnancy was shorter than usual and the partum phase was extremely long compared to other birth reports in non-human primates. The female disappeared shortly after this event and was assumed to have died. We discuss the possible causes of this stillbirth including the infant's presentation at birth and maternal inexperience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta Roura-Torres
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37007, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach, Georg-August University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- ISEM, UMR5554-University of Montpellier/CNRS/IRD/EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon (cc065), 34905, Montpellier, France.
| | | | - Pascal Lepou
- Projet Mandrillus, Parc de la Lékédi, BP 52, Bakoumba, Gabon
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37007, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach, Georg-August University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marie J E Charpentier
- ISEM, UMR5554-University of Montpellier/CNRS/IRD/EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon (cc065), 34905, Montpellier, France
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraβe 5, 78467, Constance, Germany
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3
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Kaigaishi Y, Yamamoto S. A report of stillbirth and subsequent maternal cannibalism observed in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques at Awajishima, Japan. Primates 2023; 64:573-578. [PMID: 37603116 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01091-8] [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: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
How primate mothers interact with their dead infants has attracted much attention from primatologists. In particular, the care given to infant corpses has been well documented, and some researchers have employed quantitative analyses to explore the underlying mechanisms of this behavior. In contrast, instances of maternal cannibalism, another striking response to dead infants, are relatively uncommon and the factors contributing to this phenomenon remain unclear among primates. Here, we report a new case of stillbirth and subsequent maternal cannibalism that occurred in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques residing on Awajishima Island, Japan. In the observed case, a multiparous female gave a stillbirth in the winter of 2022. The newborn appeared premature due to the lack of hair and unformed limbs, and the unseasonal birth. Initially, the mother cared for the newborn by licking and holding the body, but she suddenly began consuming the entire corpse, except for the parts around the head. This is the first case of maternal cannibalism by a multiparous mother of free-ranging Japanese macaque. We compared this case with those previously reported in Old World monkeys, and discussed the possible link between stillbirth, maternal care, and cannibalization towards deceased infants. In order to understand how primates comprehend the concepts of "death" and how their maternal relationships have evolved, it would be important to focus not only on maternal care toward dead infants but also cannibalism that could occur at the end of the caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Kaigaishi
- Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Yoshida Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto, Japan.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Yoshida Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24,Tanakasekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto, Japan
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Casetta G, Nolfo AP, Palagi E. Record of thanatology and cannibalism in drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus). Primates 2023; 64:475-481. [PMID: 37368091 PMCID: PMC10474171 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01075-8] [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: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Comparative thanatology includes the scientific study of death in non-human animals, which involves emotional, social, and exploratory responses of individuals and groups towards corpses. Stillborn babies and dead infants often elicit maternal and alloparental care that can persist for days, weeks, or even months, especially in primates. After this period, cannibalistic acts can occur not only by groupmates but also by the mother. Such cannibalism has been reported both in captive and wild primate groups, suggesting that the phenomenon is evolutionary adaptive. Here, we report a case in drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus), a largely unstudied monkey species. We collected data from the birth to the death of the infant on maternal and alloparental care towards the newborn across three phases: pre-mortem, post-mortem, and post-mortem cannibalism. The mother maintained high levels of grooming after the infant's death. Both the mother and other group members interacted with the dead baby by trying to engage its gaze. Two days after the death, the mother started to eat the corpse until it was almost completely consumed; there was no sharing with other group members. Although we cannot draw firm conclusions about potential benefits of the mother's behavior, this observation on drills adds a piece to the puzzle of thanatological behaviors and cannibalism in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Casetta
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Paolo Nolfo
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011, Pisa, Calci, Italy.
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Minami T, Ishikawa H. Reactions to a dead adult female in Japanese macaques at Arashiyama: Why did a non-affiliated female groom the corpse? Primates 2023; 64:199-205. [PMID: 36637777 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01048-3] [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: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Reporting reactions to death in nonhuman primates can provide valuable information for understanding the evolutionary origin of human ways of dealing with death. Although many studies have reported nonhuman primates' reactions to infant corpses, less is known about their reactions toward dead adults or adolescents. The deaths of adult primates, who usually form complex social relationships, may have social impacts. Here, we described in detail the reactions of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) to the corpse of an adult female in a free-ranging multi-male multi-female group. We analyzed quantitative data on the whole group to determine how death-related behaviors were related to social relationships. Most group members in this case, including social partners of the deceased, exhibited no notable interest in the corpse. Only one adult female, who was not a grooming partner of the female before she died, touched and groomed the corpse. We examined four possible reasons why this female groomed the corpse: unawareness of death, learning about death, desire to consume insects, and reputation-building with other group members. This study highlights the potential value of closer examination of associations between reactions to dead adults or adolescents and social relationships before and after death in primate groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Minami
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. .,Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo, Japan
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Soldati A, Fedurek P, Crockford C, Adue S, Akankwasa JW, Asiimwe C, Asua J, Atayo G, Chandia B, Freymann E, Fryns C, Muhumuza G, Taylor D, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C. Dead-infant carrying by chimpanzee mothers in the Budongo Forest. Primates 2022; 63:497-508. [PMID: 35819534 PMCID: PMC9274961 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00999-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that non-human primates can respond to deceased conspecifics in ways that suggest they experience psychological states not unlike humans, some of which could indicate they exhibit a notion of death. Here, we report long-term demographic data from two East African chimpanzee groups. During a combined 40-year observation period, we recorded 191 births of which 68 died in infancy, mostly within the first year. We documented the post-mortem behaviour of the mothers and describe nine occasions where Budongo chimpanzee mothers carried infants for 1-3 days after their death, usually until the body started to decompose. We also observed three additional cases of extended carrying lasting for more than 2 weeks, one of which was followed by the unusual extended carrying of an object and another which lasted 3 months. In each case, the corpses mummified. In addition, we report four instances of recurring dead-infant carrying by mothers, three of whom carried the corpse for longer during the second instance. We discuss these observations in view of functional hypotheses of dead-infant carrying in primates and the potential proximate mechanisms involved in this behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Soldati
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda.
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sam Adue
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | | | | | - Jackson Asua
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Gideon Atayo
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | | | - Elodie Freymann
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Department of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Caroline Fryns
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | | | - Derry Taylor
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
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Pokharel SS, Sharma N, Sukumar R. Viewing the rare through public lenses: insights into dead calf carrying and other thanatological responses in Asian elephants using YouTube videos. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211740. [PMID: 35620003 PMCID: PMC9114935 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Documenting the behavioural repertoire of an animal species is important for understanding that species' natural history. Many behaviours such as mating, parturition and death may be observed only rarely in the wild due to the low frequency of occurrence, short duration and the species' elusiveness. Opportunistic documentation of rare behaviours is therefore valuable for deciphering the behavioural complexity in a species. In this context, digital platforms may serve as useful data sources for studying rare behaviours in animals. Using videos uploaded on YouTube, we document and construct a tentative repertoire of thanatological responses (death-related behaviours) in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). The most frequently observed thanatological responses included postural changes, guarding/keeping vigil, touching, investigating the carcass, epimeletic behaviours and vocalizations. We also describe some infrequently observed behaviours, including carrying dead calves by adult females, re-assurance-like behaviours and attempts to support dying or dead conspecifics, some of which were only known anecdotally in Asian elephants. Our observations indicate the significance of open-source video data on digital platforms for gaining insights into rarely observed behaviours and support the accumulating evidence for higher cognitive abilities of Asian elephants in the context of comparative thanatology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nachiketha Sharma
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Raman Sukumar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
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Maternal caretaking behavior towards a dead juvenile in a wild, multi-level primate society. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4780. [PMID: 35314735 PMCID: PMC8938436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08660-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal caretaking and transport of dead infants are widespread among nonhuman primates, having been reported in numerous species of monkeys and apes. By contrast, accounts of such behaviors toward dead juveniles are scarce. Here, we describe responses by the mother and other group members to the death of a juvenile in a wild, multi-level group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Following the juvenile’s fatal accident, his mother transported and cared for the corpse for four days. Immature monkeys belonging to the same one-male unit, and some individuals from other social units also showed interest in and tended the corpse. Comparisons of this case with those involving the deaths of infants and an adult female in the same population highlight possible effects of physiological, psychological and emotional factors in primate thanatological responses, and provide an additional perspective on the origin and evolution of compassionate acts.
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Gonçalves A, Hattori Y, Adachi I. Staring death in the face: chimpanzees' attention towards conspecific skulls and the implications of a face module guiding their behaviour. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210349. [PMID: 35345434 PMCID: PMC8941397 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chimpanzees exhibit a variety of behaviours surrounding their dead, although much less is known about how they respond towards conspecific skeletons. We tested chimpanzees' visual attention to images of conspecific and non-conspecific stimuli (cat/chimp/dog/rat), shown simultaneously in four corners of a screen in distinct orientations (frontal/diagonal/lateral) of either one of three types (faces/skulls/skull-shaped stones). Additionally, we compared their visual attention towards chimpanzee-only stimuli (faces/skulls/skull-shaped stones). Lastly, we tested their attention towards specific regions of chimpanzee skulls. We theorized that chimpanzee skulls retaining face-like features would be perceived similarly to chimpanzee faces and thus be subjected to similar biases. Overall, supporting our hypotheses, the chimpanzees preferred conspecific-related stimuli. The results showed that chimpanzees attended: (i) significantly longer towards conspecific skulls than other species skulls (particularly in forward-facing and to a lesser extent diagonal orientations); (ii) significantly longer towards conspecific faces than other species faces at forward-facing and diagonal orientations; (iii) longer towards chimpanzee faces compared with chimpanzee skulls and skull-shaped stones, and (iv) attended significantly longer to the teeth, similar to findings for elephants. We suggest that chimpanzee skulls retain relevant, face-like features that arguably activate a domain-specific face module in chimpanzees' brains, guiding their attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Gonçalves
- Language and Intelligence Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 484-8506 Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuko Hattori
- Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 484-8506 Aichi, Japan
| | - Ikuma Adachi
- Language and Intelligence Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 484-8506 Aichi, Japan
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