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van Holstein LA, McKay HD, Pimiento C, Koops K. Multidimensional primate niche space sheds light on interspecific competition in primate evolution. Commun Biol 2024; 7:647. [PMID: 38802506 PMCID: PMC11130132 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06324-0] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Characterising how the totality of primate diversity is distributed across the order, and how it evolved, is challenging because diversity in individual traits often show opposing phylogenetic patterns. A species' combination of traits can be conceptualised as its 'niche'. Here, we describe and analyse seven-dimensional niche space, comprising 11 traits, for 191 primate species. Multifaceted diversity is distributed unequally among taxonomic groups. Cercopithecoidea and Hominidae occupy the largest areas of niche space, and are the most diverse families; platyrrhine families occupy small areas, and this space overlaps with strepsirrhines. The evolution of species' locations in niche space is regulated by selection for adaptive optima in trait combinations. Given that niche similarity results in interspecific competition, we quantify two measures of species' niche locations relative to others. We find that omnivores, frugivores, and species tolerating higher temperatures experience stronger interspecific competition. Hominidae occupation of niche space suggests competitive exclusion from niches by Cercopithecoidea over evolutionary time; but living great apes experience the lowest levels of interspecific competition. Callitrichids experience the highest levels of interspecific competition. Our results provide a standardised measure of primate niches that sheds light on the partitioning and evolution of primate diversity, and how this is driven by interspecific competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A van Holstein
- Clare College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - H D McKay
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - C Pimiento
- Department of Paleontology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - K Koops
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Pascual-Garrido A, Carvalho S, Almeida-Warren K. Primate archaeology 3.0. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24835. [PMID: 37671610 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non-technological activities, such as non-tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more "inclusive" primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate-environment interactions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Pascual-Garrido
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Katarina Almeida-Warren
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Hobaiter C, Klein H, Gruber T. Habitual ground nesting in the Bugoma Forest chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), Uganda. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23583. [PMID: 38037523 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23583] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
We report the presence of habitual ground nesting in a newly studied East African chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) population in the Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. Across a 2-year period, we encountered 891 night nests, 189 of which were classified as ground nests, a rate of ~21%. We find no preliminary evidence of socio-ecological factors that would promote its use and highlight local factors, such as high incidence of forest disturbance due to poaching and logging, which appear to make its use disadvantageous. While further study is required to establish whether this behavior meets the strict criteria for nonhuman animal culture, we support the argument that the wider use of population and group-specific behavioral repertoires in flagship species, such as chimpanzees, offers a tool to promote the urgent conservation action needed to protect threatened ecosystems, including the Bugoma forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Hobaiter
- Wild Minds Lab, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Bugoma Primate Conservation Project, Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, Hoima, Uganda
| | - Harmonie Klein
- Wild Minds Lab, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Thibaud Gruber
- Bugoma Primate Conservation Project, Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, Hoima, Uganda
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Kalan AK, Nakano R, Warshawski L. What we know and don't know about great ape cultural communication in the wild. Am J Primatol 2023:e23560. [PMID: 37828822 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Following the first descriptions of culture in primates, widespread agreement has developed that the term can be applied to nonhumans as group-specific, socially learned behaviors. While behaviors such as those involving extractive tool use have been researched intensively, we propose that behaviors that are more subtle, less likely to be ecologically constrained, and more likely to be socially shaped, such as cultural forms of communication, provide compelling evidence of culture in nonhuman primates. Additionally, cultural forms of communication can provide novel insights into animal cognition such as the capacity for conformity, conventionalized meanings, arbitrariness in signal forms, and even symbolism. In this paper we focus on evidence from studies conducted on wild great apes. First, we provide a thorough review of what exactly we do know, and by extension don't know, about great ape cultural communication. We argue that detailed research on both vocal and gestural communication in wild great apes shows a more nuanced and variable repertoire than once assumed, with increasing support for group-specific variation. Second, we discuss the relevance of great ape cultural communication and its potential for illustrating evolutionary continuity for human-like cultural attributes, namely cumulative culture and symbolism. In sum, a concerted effort to examine cultural forms of communication in great apes could reveal novel evidence for cultural capacities that have thus far been heavily debated in the literature and can simultaneously contribute to an improved understanding of the complex minds of our closest living relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammie K Kalan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robyn Nakano
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lindsey Warshawski
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Morgan D, Strindberg S, McElmurray P, Zambarda A, Singono I, Huskisson S, Musgrave S, Ayina CE, Funkhouser J, Hellmuth H, Joshi P, Cassidy R, Sanz C. Extending the conservation impact of great ape research: Flagship species sites facilitate biodiversity assessments and land preservation. Primates 2023:10.1007/s10329-023-01080-x. [PMID: 37682371 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01080-x] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
To inform regional conservation planning, we assessed mammalian and avian biodiversity in the Djéké Triangle, which is an intact forest with long-term research and tourism focused on western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). This critical region serves as a conservation conduit between the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in the Republic of Congo and the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in Central African Republic. Wildlife inventories were conducted to determine if biodiversity in the Djéké Triangle (initially part of a logging concession) was equivalent to the NNNP. Camera traps (CTs) were deployed to estimate species richness, relative abundance, naïve occupancy, and activity patterns of medium-to-large species in mixed species and monodominant Gilbertiodendron forests that comprise the majority of regional terra firma. Species inventories were collected from CTs positioned on a grid and at termite nests throughout the Djéké Triangle and compared to CTs placed in the Goualougo Triangle located within the NNNP. From 10,534 camera days at 65 locations, we identified 34 mammal and 16 bird species. Allaying concerns of wildlife depletion, metrics of species richness in the Djéké Triangle surpassed those of the Goualougo Triangle. Many species were observed to occur across habitats, while others showed habitat specificity, with termite mounds indicated as an important microhabitat feature. Our comparisons of animal activity budgets in different habitat types provide important reference information for other populations and contexts. In conclusion, this study provided empirical evidence of the high conservation value of this region that contributed to increasing the protected status of the Djéké Triangle.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA.
| | - Samantha Strindberg
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York, NY, 10460, USA
| | - Philip McElmurray
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | - Alice Zambarda
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Igor Singono
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Sarah Huskisson
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - Stephanie Musgrave
- Department of Anthropology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA
| | - Crepin Eyana Ayina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Jake Funkhouser
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | | | - Priyanka Joshi
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - Rod Cassidy
- Sangha Lodge, Bayanga, Central African Republic
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
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Wessling EG, Surbeck M. Failure to account for behavioral variability significantly compromises accuracy in indirect population monitoring. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. G. Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
| | - M. Surbeck
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
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Characterization of Pan social systems reveals in-group/out-group distinction and out-group tolerance in bonobos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201122119. [PMID: 35727986 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201122119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human between-group interactions are highly variable, ranging from violent to tolerant and affiliative. Tolerance between groups is linked to our unique capacity for large-scale cooperation and cumulative culture, but its evolutionary origins are understudied. In chimpanzees, one of our closest living relatives, predominantly hostile between-group interactions impede cooperation and information flow across groups. In contrast, in our other closest living relative, the bonobo, tolerant between-group associations are observed. However, as these associations can be frequent and prolonged and involve social interactions that mirror those within groups, it is unclear whether these bonobos really do belong to separate groups. Alternatively, the bonobo grouping patterns may be homologous to observations from the large Ngogo chimpanzee community, where individuals form within-group neighborhoods despite sharing the same membership in the larger group. To characterize bonobo grouping patterns, we compare the social structure of the Kokolopori bonobos with the chimpanzee group of Ngogo. Using cluster analysis, we find temporally stable clusters only in bonobos. Despite the large spatial overlap and frequent interactions between the bonobo clusters, we identified significant association preference within but not between clusters and a unique space use of each cluster. Although bonobo associations are flexible (i.e., fission-fusion dynamics), cluster membership predicted the bonobo fission compositions and the spatial cohesion of individuals during encounters. These findings suggest the presence of a social system that combines clear in-group/out-group distinction and out-group tolerance in bonobos, offering a unique referential model for the evolution of tolerant between-group interactions in humans.
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van der Wal JEM, Spottiswoode CN, Uomini NT, Cantor M, Daura‐Jorge FG, Afan AI, Attwood MC, Amphaeris J, Balasani F, Begg CM, Blair CJ, Bronstein JL, Buanachique IO, Cuthill RRT, Das J, Deb A, Dixit T, Dlamini GS, Dounias E, Gedi II, Gruber M, Hoffmann LS, Holzlehner T, Isack HA, Laltaika EA, Lloyd‐Jones DJ, Lund J, Machado AMS, Mahadevan L, Moreno IB, Nwaogu CJ, Pereira VL, Pierotti R, Rucunua SA, dos Santos WF, Serpa N, Smith BD, Tolkova I, Tun T, Valle‐Pereira JVS, Wood BM, Wrangham RW, Cram DL. Safeguarding human–wildlife cooperation. Conserv Lett 2022; 15:e12886. [PMID: 36248252 PMCID: PMC9540276 DOI: 10.1111/conl.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human–wildlife cooperation occurs when humans and free‐living wild animals actively coordinate their behavior to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. These interactions provide important benefits to both the human and wildlife communities involved, have wider impacts on the local ecosystem, and represent a unique intersection of human and animal cultures. The remaining active forms are human–honeyguide and human–dolphin cooperation, but these are at risk of joining several inactive forms (including human–wolf and human–orca cooperation). Human–wildlife cooperation faces a unique set of conservation challenges, as it requires multiple components—a motivated human and wildlife partner, a suitable environment, and compatible interspecies knowledge—which face threats from ecological and cultural changes. To safeguard human–wildlife cooperation, we recommend: (i) establishing ethically sound conservation strategies together with the participating human communities; (ii) conserving opportunities for human and wildlife participation; (iii) protecting suitable environments; (iv) facilitating cultural transmission of traditional knowledge; (v) accessibly archiving Indigenous and scientific knowledge; and (vi) conducting long‐term empirical studies to better understand these interactions and identify threats. Tailored safeguarding plans are therefore necessary to protect these diverse and irreplaceable interactions. Broadly, our review highlights that efforts to conserve biological and cultural diversity should carefully consider interactions between human and animal cultures. Please see AfricanHoneyguides.com/abstract‐translations for Kiswahili and Portuguese translations of the abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. M. van der Wal
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Claire N. Spottiswoode
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Mauricio Cantor
- Department of Ecology and Zoology Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianopolis Brazil
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Centre of Marine Studies Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Fábio G. Daura‐Jorge
- Department of Ecology and Zoology Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianopolis Brazil
| | - Anap I. Afan
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute University of Jos Jos Nigeria
| | | | - Jenny Amphaeris
- School of Arts, Culture and Language Bangor University Bangor UK
| | | | - Colleen M. Begg
- Niassa Carnivore Project TRT Conservation Foundation Cape Town South Africa
| | - Cameron J. Blair
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - Rion R. T. Cuthill
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jewel Das
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of Chittagong Chittagong Bangladesh
| | - Apurba Deb
- Department of Conservation and Climate Government of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Tanmay Dixit
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Edmond Dounias
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | | | - Martin Gruber
- Department of Anthropology and Cultural Research University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Lilian S. Hoffmann
- Cytogenetics and Evolution Lab, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Tobias Holzlehner
- Seminar für Ethnologie Martin‐Luther‐University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle Germany
| | | | - Eliupendo A. Laltaika
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority Ngorongoro Tanzania
| | - David J. Lloyd‐Jones
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Jess Lund
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Alexandre M. S. Machado
- Department of Ecology and Zoology Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianopolis Brazil
| | - L. Mahadevan
- Department of Physics Harvard University Boston Massachusetts USA
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Ignacio B. Moreno
- Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Imbé Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Chima J. Nwaogu
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Science and Innovation‐National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - Raymond Pierotti
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas USA
| | | | | | - Nathalia Serpa
- Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Imbé Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | | | - Irina Tolkova
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | | | | | - Brian M. Wood
- Department of Anthropology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California USA
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Richard W. Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
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