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Pearson A, Polly PD. Temporal lobe evolution in Hominidae and the origin of human lobe proportions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25027. [PMID: 39360349 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Objectives Evolutionary changes in hominin social complexity have been associated with increases in absolute brain size. The temporal lobes are nestled in the middle cranial fossae (MCF) of the skull, the dimensions of which allow estimation of temporal lobe volume (TLV) in extant and fossil taxa. Materials and Methods The main aim of this study is to determine where along the hominid phylogeny, major temporal lobe size transitions occurred. We used computed tomography (CT) scans of crania, 3D photogrammetry data, and laser surface scans of endocranial casts to measure seven MCF metrics in 11 extant anthropoid taxa using multiple regressions to estimate TLV in 5 extant hominids and 10 fossil hominins. Phylogenetic comparative methods mapped temporal lobe size, brain size, and temporal lobe proportions onto phylogenetic trees broadly for Hominidae and specifically for Hominini. Results Extant Homo sapiens were not an outlier in relative brain size, temporal lobe size, or proportions of the temporal lobes, but some proportions within the lobe were uniquely altered. The most notable changes in relative temporal lobe size and proportions saw a decrease in relative temporal lobe size and proportions in the genus Pan compared to other extant great apes and fossil hominins while there was a relative increase in the temporal lobe width and length in Australopithecus-Paranthropus clade compared to the genus Homo and other extant great apes including modern humans. Discussion We do not find support for the social brain, environmental or functional craniology hypotheses alone but think it prudent to consider the implications of cerebral reorganization between the temporal lobes and other regions of the brain within the context of these hypotheses and with future investigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alannah Pearson
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - P David Polly
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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Sabbi KH, Kurilla SE, Monroe IG, Zhang Y, Menante A, Cole MF, Otali E, Kobusingye M, Emery Thompson M, Muller MN, Wrangham RW, Machanda ZP. Ecological variation in adult social play reveals a hidden cost of motherhood for wild chimpanzees. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1364-1369.e2. [PMID: 38490201 PMCID: PMC11002997 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.025] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Though common among humans, social play by adults is an uncommon occurrence in most animals, even between parents and offspring.1,2,3 The most common explanation for why adult play is so rare is that its function and benefits are largely limited to development, so that social play has little value later in life.3,4,5,6 Here, we draw from 10 years of behavioral data collected by the Kibale Chimpanzee Project to consider an alternative hypothesis: that despite its benefits, adult play in non-humans is ecologically constrained by energy shortage or time limitations. We further hypothesized that, since they may be the only available partners for their young offspring, mother chimpanzees pay greater costs of play than other adults. Our analysis of nearly 4,000 adult play bouts revealed that adult chimpanzees played both among themselves and with immature partners. Social play was infrequent when diet quality was low but increased with the proportion of high-quality fruits in the diet. This suggests that adults engage in play facultatively when they have more energy and/or time to do so. However, when diet quality was low and most adult play fell to near zero, play persisted between mothers and offspring. Increased use of play by adult chimpanzees during periods of resource abundance suggests that play retains value as a social currency beyond development but that its costs constrain its use. At the same time, when ecological conditions constrain opportunities for young to play, play by mothers fills a critical role to promote healthy offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris H Sabbi
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 110 Braker Hall, 8 Upper Campus Rd, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Sophia E Kurilla
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 110 Braker Hall, 8 Upper Campus Rd, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Isabelle G Monroe
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Eat Hall 1004, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yukun Zhang
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ashley Menante
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 110 Braker Hall, 8 Upper Campus Rd, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Megan F Cole
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Emily Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, PO Box 409, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | | | - Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; Kibale Chimpanzee Project, PO Box 409, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; Kibale Chimpanzee Project, PO Box 409, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Kibale Chimpanzee Project, PO Box 409, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 110 Braker Hall, 8 Upper Campus Rd, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Kibale Chimpanzee Project, PO Box 409, Fort Portal, Uganda
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Mörchen J, Luhn F, Wassmer O, Kunz JA, Kulik L, van Noordwijk MA, Rianti P, Rahmaeti T, Utami Atmoko SS, Widdig A, Schuppli C. Orangutan males make increased use of social learning opportunities, when resource availability is high. iScience 2024; 27:108940. [PMID: 38333693 PMCID: PMC10850741 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans' colonization of diverse habitats relied on our ancestors' abilities to innovate and share innovations with others. While ecological impacts on innovations are well studied, their effect on social learning remains poorly understood. We examined how food availability affects social learning in migrant orangutan unflanged males, who may learn from local orangutans through peering (i.e., observational social learning). We analyzed 1,384 dyadic associations, including 360 peering events, among 46 wild Sumatran orangutan and 25 Bornean orangutan males, collected over 18 years. Migrants' peering rates significantly increased with higher food availability and time spent in proximity to others. Furthermore, migrants in the more sociable Sumatran population exhibited significantly higher peering rates compared to the Borneans, suggesting intrinsic and/or developmental effects of food availability on social learning. These findings emphasize the importance of investigating ecological effects on social learning on the immediate, developmental, and intrinsic levels for our understanding of cultural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mörchen
- Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behaviour and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Frances Luhn
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olivia Wassmer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia A. Kunz
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Lars Kulik
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maria A. van Noordwijk
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Comparative Socioecology, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Puji Rianti
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
- Animal Biosystematics and Ecology Division, Department of Biology, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
| | - Tri Rahmaeti
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia
| | - Sri Suci Utami Atmoko
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behaviour and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Caroline Schuppli
- Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Robbins MM, Akantorana M, Arinaitwe J, Breuer T, Manguette M, McFarlin S, Meder A, Parnell R, Richardson JL, Stephan C, Stokes EJ, Stoinski TS, Vecellio V, Robbins AM. Comparative life history patterns of female gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:564-574. [PMID: 37345324 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Several theories have been proposed to explain the impact of ecological conditions on differences in life history variables within and between species. Here we compare female life history parameters of one western lowland gorilla population (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and two mountain gorilla populations (Gorilla beringei beringei). MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared the age of natal dispersal, age of first birth, interbirth interval, and birth rates using long-term demographic datasets from Mbeli Bai (western gorillas), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Virunga Massif (mountain gorillas). RESULTS The Mbeli western gorillas had the latest age at first birth, longest interbirth interval, and slowest surviving birth rate compared to the Virunga mountain gorillas. Bwindi mountain gorillas were intermediate in their life history patterns. DISCUSSION These patterns are consistent with differences in feeding ecology across sites. However, it is not possible to determine the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for these differences, whether a consequence of genetic adaptation to fluctuating food supplies ("ecological risk aversion hypothesis") or phenotypic plasticity in response to the abundance of food ("energy balance hypothesis"). Our results do not seem consistent with the extrinsic mortality risks at each site, but current conditions for mountain gorillas are unlikely to match their evolutionary history. Not all traits fell along the expected fast-slow continuum, which illustrates that they can vary independently from each other ("modularity model"). Thus, the life history traits of each gorilla population may reflect a complex interplay of multiple ecological influences that are operating through both genetic adaptations and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha M Robbins
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Moses Akantorana
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Breuer
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie Manguette
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Shannon McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Angela Meder
- Berggorilla Regenwald Direkthilfe, Hoevelhof, Germany
| | - Richard Parnell
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jack L Richardson
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Claudia Stephan
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emma J Stokes
- Mbeli Bai Study, Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Tara S Stoinski
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Andrew M Robbins
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Preuschoft S, Marshall AJ, Scott L, Badriyah SN, Purba MDT, Yuliani E, Corbi P, Yassir I, Wibawanto MA, Kalcher-Sommersguter E. The Development of Feeding Competence in Rehabilitant Orphaned Orangutans and How to Measure It. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2111. [PMID: 37443909 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132111] [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: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
For critically endangered species, restorative conservation becomes increasingly important. Successful re-introduction of rescued wild orangutan orphans requires rehabilitation mimicking maternal rearing in the wild. Feeding competence-what to eat, where and when to find food-needs to be learned before re-introduction. We observed seven orphans (2-10 years old) for a period of 3 years during their rehabilitation at the Yayasan Jejak Pulang forest school. Of the 111 plant genera eaten by the orphans, 92 percent were known orangutan food plants. Five plant genera were eaten by all orphans in over 90 percent of the months within the observation period. The Fruit Availability Index (FAI) was used to predict which parts of a plant were consumed by the orphans. We found that the orphans ate primarily fruit when the FAI was high, but consumed more young leaves, cambium, and pith when FAI was low. Thus, the orphans exhibited food choices very similar to mature wild orangutans and appropriate to forest productivity. The orphans' acquisition of feeding competence was facilitated by their immersion into a natural forest environment in combination with possibilities for observational learning from conspecifics as well as caregivers modelling food processing and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Preuschoft
- Ape Protection Unit, Four Paws, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
- Yayasan Jejak Pulang, Samboja 75276, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Andrew J Marshall
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Program in the Environment, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lorna Scott
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37083 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Erma Yuliani
- Yayasan Jejak Pulang, Samboja 75276, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Paloma Corbi
- Ape Protection Unit, Four Paws, 22767 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ishak Yassir
- BPSILHK, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Samboja 75276, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - M Ari Wibawanto
- BKSDA Kalimantan Timur, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Samarinda 75243, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Elfriede Kalcher-Sommersguter
- Ape Protection Unit, Four Paws International, 1150 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
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6
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Beeby N, Rothman JM, Baden AL. Nutrient balancing in a fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23484. [PMID: 36891766 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23484] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Animals' foraging behavior and dietary choices are, in part, driven by their ultimate function: to meet nutritional demands. However, depending on their degree of dietary specialization and the availability and distribution of food resources in their environment, species may utilize different nutritional strategies. With shifting plant phenology, increasing unpredictability of fruiting, and declining food quality in response to anthropogenic climate change, existing nutritional constraints may become exacerbated. Such changes are especially concerning for Madagascar's endemic fruit specialists given the nutrient-limitation of the island's landscapes. In this study, we examined the nutritional strategy of one such fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), over a 12-month period (January to December 2018) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. We hypothesized that Varecia would balance nonprotein energy (NPE) to protein (AP) at a high ratio similar to other frugivorous primates, and that they would prioritize protein intake given their high degree of frugivory. We found that Varecia balance NPE:AP at a ratio of 11:1, higher than in any other primate studied to date; however, diets shifted such that nutrient balancing varied seasonally (12.6:1 abundant-9.6:1 lean). Varecia meet NRC suggested recommendations of 5-8% of calories from protein, despite having a diet mostly comprising fruits. However, seasonal shifts in NPE intakes result in significant energy shortfalls during fruit-lean seasons. Flowers provide an important source of NPE during these periods, with flower consumption best predicting lipid intake, suggesting this species' ability to shift resource use. Nevertheless, achieving adequate and balanced nutrient intakes may become precarious in the face of increasing unpredictability in plant phenology and other environmental stochasticities resulting from climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Beeby
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of City University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrea L Baden
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of City University of New York, New York, USA
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7
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Liao W, Harrison T, Yao Y, Liang H, Tian C, Feng Y, Li S, Bae CJ, Wang W. Evidence for the latest fossil Pongo in southern China. J Hum Evol 2022; 170:103233. [PMID: 36030625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pongo fossils with precise absolute age brackets are rare, limiting our understanding of their taxonomy and spatiotemporal distribution in southern China during the Late Pleistocene. Twenty-four isolated teeth of fossil orangutans were recently discovered during excavations at Yicun Cave in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. Here, we dated the fossil-bearing layer using Uranium-series dating of the associated flowstone and soda straw stalactites. Our results date the Yicun orangutan fossils to between 66 ± 0.32 ka and 57 ± 0.26 ka; thus, these fossils currently represent the last appearance datum of Pongo in southern China. We further conducted a detailed morphological comparison of the Yicun fossil teeth with large samples of fossil (n = 2454) and extant (n = 441) orangutans from mainland and island Southeast Asia to determine their taxonomic position. Compared to other fossil and extant orangutan samples, the Yicun Pongo assemblage has larger teeth and displays greater variation in occlusal structure. Based on the high frequency of cingular remnants and light to moderate enamel wrinkling of the molars, we assigned the Yicun fossils to Pongo weidenreichi, a species that was widespread in southern China throughout the Pleistocene. Lastly, we used published stable carbon isotope data of Early to Late Pleistocene mammalian fossil teeth from mainland Southeast Asia to reconstruct changes in the paleoenvironment and to interpret dental size variation of Pongo assemblages in a broader temporal and environmental context. The carbon isotope data show that dental size reduction in Pongo is associated with environmental changes. These morphological changes in Pongo appear to coincide with the expansion of savannah biomes and the contraction of forest habitats from the Middle Pleistocene onward. The variation in dental size of forest-dwelling Pongo in mainland Southeast Asia may have resulted from habitat differentiation during the Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liao
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Yanyan Yao
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China; Anthropology Museum of Guangxi, Nanning, 530012, China
| | - Hua Liang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Chun Tian
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yuexing Feng
- Radiogenic Isotope Facility, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sheng Li
- No.3 Institute of Geological & Mineral Resources Survey of Henan Geological Bureau, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Christopher J Bae
- Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2424 Maile Way, 346 Saunders Hall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, 72 Jimo-Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China.
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Robbins MM, Ortmann S, Seiler N. Dietary variability of western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271576. [PMID: 36001558 PMCID: PMC9401121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal variability in the availability of food resources will lead to variation in a species’ diet, which can then influence patterns of space use, sociality, and life history characteristics. Despite such potential impacts, little information is available about dietary variability for some species with large geographical ranges. Here we quantify the diet and nutritional content of plants consumed by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Loango National Park, Gabon over a 2.6 year period and make comparisons with two study sites located 800 km away. The major foods consumed by the Loango gorillas differed greatly from the other two study sites, but gorillas at all three locations spent a similar proportion of feeding time consuming herbaceous vegetation and tree leaves (~ 50%) and fruit (35%). The Loango gorillas spent approximately 10% of feeding time eating nuts, which were not consumed at the other two study sites. Gorillas at those sites spent about 5% of feeding time eating insects, which were not consumed by Loango gorillas. Even though the species composition of the diet differed among the three sites, the nutritional composition of the major food items differed very little, suggesting that western gorillas consume foods of similar nutritional values to meet their dietary needs. This study shows the flexibility of diet of a species with a wide geographic distribution, which has implications for understanding variation in life history characteristics and can be useful for conservation management plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha M. Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Seiler
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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After the smoke has cleared: Extended low fruit productivity following forest fires decreased gregariousness and social tolerance among wild female Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00263-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAs climate change continues to fundamentally alter resource landscapes, the ability to flexibly respond to spatio-temporal changes in the distribution of preferred food sources is increasingly important for the overall health and fitness of animals living in seasonal, variable, and/or changing environments. Here, we investigate the effects of an uncharacteristically long period of fruit scarcity, following widespread thick haze caused by peat and forest fires in 2015, on the behaviour and sociality of female Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). We collected data from 2010 to 2018 at Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and compared the activity, diet, and association patterns of adult females during low-fruit periods before the fires, i.e., regular, seasonal periods of low fruit availability (“pre-fire”), and after the fires, i.e., during the extended period of low fruit availability (“post-fire”). First, we found that, post-fire, female orangutans adopted a more extreme energy-saving activity pattern and diet — resting more, travelling less, and diet-switching to less-preferred foods — compared to pre-fire. Second, we found that the probabilities of association between females and their weaned immature offspring, and between related and unrelated adult females were lower, and the probability of agonism between unrelated females was higher, post-fire than pre-fire. This change in energetic strategy, and the general reduction in gregariousness and social tolerance, demonstrates how forest fires can have lasting consequences for orangutans. Fission–fusion species such as orangutans can mitigate the effects of changes in resource landscapes by altering their (sub)grouping patterns; however, this may have long-term indirect consequences on their fitness.
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Sherman J, Unwin S, Travis DA, Oram F, Wich SA, Jaya RL, Voigt M, Santika T, Massingham E, Seaman DJI, Meijaard E, Ancrenaz M. Disease Risk and Conservation Implications of Orangutan Translocations. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:749547. [PMID: 34869722 PMCID: PMC8633116 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.749547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Critically Endangered orangutans are translocated in several situations: reintroduced into historic range where no wild populations exist, released to reinforce existing wild populations, and wild-to-wild translocated to remove individuals from potentially risky situations. Translocated orangutans exposed to human diseases, including Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), pose risks to wild and previously released conspecifics. Wildlife disease risk experts recommended halting great ape translocations during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize risk of disease transmission to wild populations. We collected data on orangutan releases and associated disease risk management in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and developed a problem description for orangutan disease and conservation risks. We identified that at least 15 rehabilitated ex-captive and 27 wild captured orangutans were released during the study period. Identified disease risks included several wild-to-wild translocated orangutans in direct contact or proximity to humans without protective equipment, and formerly captive rehabilitated orangutans that have had long periods of contact and potential exposure to human diseases. While translocation practitioners typically employ mitigation measures to decrease disease transmission likelihood, these measures cannot eliminate all risk, and are not consistently applied. COVID-19 and other diseases of human origin can be transmitted to orangutans, which could have catastrophic impacts on wild orangutans, other susceptible fauna, and humans should disease transmission occur. We recommend stakeholders conduct a Disease Risk Analysis for orangutan translocation, and improve pathogen surveillance and mitigation measures to decrease the likelihood of potential outbreaks. We also suggest refocusing conservation efforts on alternatives to wild-to-wild translocation including mitigating human-orangutan interactions, enforcing laws and protecting orangutan habitats to conserve orangutans in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve Unwin
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic A Travis
- One Health Division, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Felicity Oram
- Pongo Alliance-Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Serge A Wich
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maria Voigt
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Truly Santika
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Massingham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Dave J I Seaman
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Meijaard
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan, Darussalam, Brunei
| | - Marc Ancrenaz
- Pongo Alliance-Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.,Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan, Darussalam, Brunei.,HUTAN, Sandakan, Malaysia
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11
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Muehlbauer AL, Richards AL, Alazizi A, Burns MB, Gomez A, Clayton JB, Petrzelkova K, Cascardo C, Resztak J, Wen X, Pique-Regi R, Luca F, Blekhman R. Interspecies variation in hominid gut microbiota controls host gene regulation. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110057. [PMID: 34818542 PMCID: PMC8647622 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome exhibits extreme compositional variation between hominid hosts. However, it is unclear how this variation impacts host physiology across species and whether this effect can be mediated through microbial regulation of host gene expression in interacting epithelial cells. Here, we characterize the transcriptional response of human colonic epithelial cells in vitro to live microbial communities extracted from humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. We find that most host genes exhibit a conserved response, whereby they respond similarly to the four hominid microbiomes. However, hundreds of host genes exhibit a divergent response, whereby they respond only to microbiomes from specific host species. Such genes are associated with intestinal diseases in humans, including inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease. Last, we find that inflammation-associated microbial species regulate the expression of host genes previously associated with inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting health-related consequences for species-specific host-microbiome interactions across hominids. Muehlbauer et al. investigate how variation between different hominid microbiomes drives host gene expression in colonic epithelial cell cultures. They find that host genes that respond only to microbiomes from a specific hominid species are linked to gastrointestinal diseases, suggesting implications for understanding how the microbiome can impact human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Muehlbauer
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Allison L Richards
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Adnan Alazizi
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Michael B Burns
- Department of Biology, Loyola University, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Andres Gomez
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jonathan B Clayton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NB, USA; Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NB, USA
| | - Klara Petrzelkova
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic; Liberec Zoo, Liberec, Czech Republic; The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Camilla Cascardo
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Justyna Resztak
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Xiaoquan Wen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Roger Pique-Regi
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Francesca Luca
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
| | - Ran Blekhman
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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12
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Tsutaya T, Ogawa NO, Nomura T, Shimizu M, Ohkouchi N, Kuze N. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic offsets between diet and hair/feces in captive orangutans. Primates 2021; 62:945-954. [PMID: 34415484 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00940-8] [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: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Estimating stable isotopic offset values is crucial for dietary reconstructions. Although research into stable isotope ecology of wild nonhuman primates is increasing overall, only a minority of studies involve laboratory experiments. This study is the first to report the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic offset values in hair and feces of orangutans. During an experiment lasting 1 week, the weight of each consumed food item was recorded for each of six captive Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) individuals. The food, hair, and fecal samples were collected for a few days, and their stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured using an elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Subsamples of feces were treated with ethanol during the preservation process. Monte Carlo analyses showed that the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the carbon and nitrogen offset values between hair and diet were +0.9‰ to +3.9‰ and +2.3‰ to +4.5‰, respectively. The 95% CIs of the carbon and nitrogen offset values between feces and diet were -3.7‰ to -0.9‰ and +0.3‰ to +2.7‰, respectively. The effect of ethanol treatment on the stable isotope ratios of feces was unclear and inconclusive. The computed offset values of hair in captive orangutans are similar to those reported in other nonhuman primates, although those of feces showed greater interspecies variations. The offset values estimated in this study contribute to isotopic studies into the feeding ecology of free-ranging orangutans who are critically endangered in most wild settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Tsutaya
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan. .,Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Biogeochemistry Research Center, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan.
| | - Nanako O Ogawa
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Biogeochemistry Research Center, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Toshiya Nomura
- Tama Zoological Park, Hodokubo 7-1-1, Hino, Tokyo, 191-0042, Japan
| | - Mika Shimizu
- Tama Zoological Park, Hodokubo 7-1-1, Hino, Tokyo, 191-0042, Japan.,Present address: Ikimonosha, Maya 714, Akaiwa, Okayama, 709-0825, Japan
| | - Naohiko Ohkouchi
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Biogeochemistry Research Center, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Noko Kuze
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan
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13
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Factors Influencing Density and Distribution of Great Ape Nests in the Absence of Human Activities. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00229-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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14
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Biotic and abiotic drivers of dispersion dynamics in a large-bodied tropical vertebrate, the Western Bornean orangutan. Oecologia 2021; 196:707-721. [PMID: 34143262 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Understanding of animal responses to dynamic resource landscapes is based largely on research on temperate species with small body sizes and fast life histories. We studied a large, tropical mammal with an extremely slow life history, the Western Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii), across a heterogeneous natural landscape encompassing seven distinct forest types. Our goals were to characterize fluctuations in abundance, test hypotheses regarding the relationship between dispersion dynamics and resource availability, and evaluate how movement patterns are influenced by abiotic conditions. We surveyed abundance in Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, for 99 consecutive months and simultaneously recorded weather data and assessed fruit availability. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical distance sampling model to estimate population dispersion and assess the roles of fruit availability, rainfall, and temperature in driving movement patterns across this heterogeneous landscape. Orangutan abundance varied dramatically over space and time. Each forest type was important in sustaining more than 40% of the total orangutans on site during at least one month, as animals moved to track asynchronies in fruiting phenology. We conclude that landscape-level movements buffer orangutans against fruit scarcity, peat swamps are crucial fallback habitats, and orangutans' use of high elevation forests is strongly dependent on abiotic conditions. Our results show that orangutans can periodically occupy putative-sink habitats and be virtually absent for extended periods from habitats that are vitally important in sustaining their population, highlighting the need for long-term studies and potential risks in interpreting occurrence or abundance measures as indicators of habitat importance.
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15
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Wild Bornean orangutans experience muscle catabolism during episodes of fruit scarcity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10185. [PMID: 33986319 PMCID: PMC8119411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89186-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pronounced temporal and spatial variation in the availability of food resources can produce energetic deficits in organisms. Fruit-dependent Bornean orangutans face extreme variation in fruit availability and experience negative energy and protein balance during episodes of fruit scarcity. We evaluate the possibility that orangutans of different sexes and ages catabolize muscle tissue when the availability of fruit is low. We assess variation in muscle mass by examining the relationship between urinary creatinine and specific gravity and use the residuals as a non-invasive measure of estimated lean body mass (ELBM). Despite orangutans having a suite of adaptations to buffer them from fruit scarcity and associated caloric deficits, ELBM was lower during low fruit periods in all age-sex classes. As predicted, adult male orangutans had higher ELBM than adult females and immatures. Contrary to expectation, flanged and unflanged males did not differ significantly in ELBM. These findings highlight the precarity of orangutan health in the face of rapid environmental change and add to a growing body of evidence that orangutans are characterized by unique metabolic traits shaped by their unpredictable forest environment.
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16
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The cost of associating with males for Bornean and Sumatran female orangutans: a hidden form of sexual conflict? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020; 75:6. [PMID: 33408436 PMCID: PMC7773621 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02948-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Sexual coercion, in the form of forced copulations, is relatively frequently observed in orangutans and generally attributed to their semi-solitary lifestyle. High ecological costs of association for females may be responsible for this lifestyle and may have prevented the evolution of morphological fertility indicators (e.g., sexual swellings), which would attract (male) associates. Therefore, sexual conflict may arise not only about mating per se but also about associations, because males may benefit from associations with females to monitor their reproductive state and attempt to monopolize their sexual activities. Here, we evaluate association patterns and costs for females when associating with both males and females of two different orangutan species at two study sites: Suaq, Sumatra (Pongo abelii), and Tuanan, Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). Female association frequency with both males and females was higher in the Sumatran population, living in more productive habitat. Accordingly, we found that the cost of association, in terms of reduced feeding to moving ratio and increased time being active, is higher in the less sociable Bornean population. Males generally initiated and maintained such costly associations with females, and prolonged associations with males led to increased female fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels at Tuanan, the Bornean population. We conclude that male-maintained associations are an expression of sexual conflict in orangutans, at least at Tuanan. For females, this cost of association may be responsible for the lack of sexual signaling, while needing to confuse paternity. Significance statement Socioecological theory predicts a trade-off between the benefits of sociality and the ecological costs of increased feeding competition. Orangutans’ semi-solitary lifestyle has been attributed to the combination of high association costs and low predation risk. Previous work revealed a positive correlation between association frequencies and habitat productivity, but did not measure the costs of association. In this comparative study, we show that females likely incur costs from involuntary, male-maintained associations, especially when they last for several days and particularly in the population characterized by lower association frequencies. Association maintenance therefore qualifies as another expression of sexual conflict in orangutans, and especially prolonged, male-maintained associations may qualify as an indirect form of sexual coercion. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-020-02948-4.
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17
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Wessling EG, Dieguez P, Llana M, Pacheco L, Pruetz JD, Kühl HS. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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DiGiorgio AL, Upton EM, Susanto TW, Knott CD. Wild Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) feeding rates and the Marginal Value Theorem. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23183. [PMID: 32761641 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The Marginal Value Theorem (MVT) is an integral supplement to Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT) as it seeks to explain an animal's decision of when to leave a patch when food is still available. MVT predicts that a forager capable of depleting a patch, in a habitat where food is patchily distributed, will leave the patch when the intake rate within it decreases to the average intake rate for the habitat. MVT relies on the critical assumption that the feeding rate in the patch will decrease over time. We tested this assumption using feeding data from a population of wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) from Gunung Palung National Park. We hypothesized that the feeding rate within orangutan food patches would decrease over time. Data included feeding bouts from continuous focal follows between 2014 and 2016. We recorded the average feeding rate over each tertile of the bout, as well as the first, midpoint, and last feeding rates collected. We did not find evidence of a decrease between first and last feeding rates (Linear Mixed Effects Model, n = 63), between a mid-point and last rate (Linear Mixed Effects Model, n = 63), between the tertiles (Linear Mixed Effects Model, n = 63), nor a decrease in feeding rate overall (Linear Mixed Effects Model, n = 146). These findings, thus, do not support the MVT assumption of decreased patch feeding rates over time in this large generalist frugivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L DiGiorgio
- Princeton Writing Program, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.,Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth M Upton
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Mathematics and Statistics Department, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
| | - Tri Wahyu Susanto
- Department of Biology, National University, Jakarta, Indonesia.,Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Project, Yayasan Palung, Ketapang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Cheryl D Knott
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Project, Yayasan Palung, Ketapang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.,Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
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19
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Fröhlich M, Kunz J, Fryns C, Falkner S, Rukmana E, Schuppli M, Knief U, Utami Atmoko SS, Schuppli C, van Noordwijk MA. Social interactions and interaction partners in infant orang-utans of two wild populations. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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20
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Home range establishment and the mechanisms of philopatry among female Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) at Tuanan. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2818-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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21
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Abwe EE, Morgan BJ, Doudja R, Kentatchime F, Mba F, Dadjo A, Venditti DM, Mitchell MW, Fosso B, Mounga A, Fotso RC, Gonder MK. Dietary Ecology of the Nigeria–Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti). INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00138-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Kurihara Y, Kinoshita K, Shiroishi I, Hanya G. Seasonal variation in energy balance of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fucata yakui) in a warm-temperate forest: a preliminary assessment in the coastal forest of Yakushima. Primates 2020; 61:427-442. [PMID: 32048082 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00797-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Food scarcity is a major challenge for primates living in temperate forests, where food availability varies markedly among seasons. In Japanese macaques, which are exclusively distributed in temperate zones, the fat accumulation ability has been highlighted as an adaptation for survival during the lean season and for reproductive success. However, the knowledge of energetic strategies of Japanese macaques has been mainly derived from data on cool-temperate forests, where fallback foods comprise winter buds and bark. Data on Japanese macaques in warm-temperate forests where fallback foods comprise mature leaves are still lacking. We aimed to identify seasonal variations in energy balance and the relative importance of ingestion rates (dry matter intake per feeding time), energy content of the food, and feeding time in energy intake of Japanese macaques in the coastal forest of Yakushima. We estimated energy balance of 6-12 adult females from October 2012 to October 2013. We estimated energy intake based on the data on feeding behavior and energy content of the diet and calculated energy expenditure based on the previously established relationship between body mass and total energy expenditure. We also quantified urinary C-peptide, which is a non-invasive biomarker of energetic conditions. We demonstrated that energy balance was more positive in the fruit/seed-feeding period than in the mature-leaf-feeding and fruit/fungi-feeding periods and that ingestion rates were the most important component of energy intake. The present study suggests that the fat accumulation ability is an essential adaptation in Japanese macaques even in warm-temperate forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Kurihara
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin 41-2, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan. .,Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Nishifujidaira 1623-1, Tenryu, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3532, Japan.
| | | | - Izumi Shiroishi
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin 41-2, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin 41-2, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
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23
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Lodwick JL, Salmi R. Nutritional composition of the diet of the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla): Interspecific variation in diet quality. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e23044. [PMID: 31463957 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
To meet nutritional needs, primates adjust their diets in response to local habitat differences, though whether these dietary modifications translate to changes in dietary nutrient intake is unknown. A previous study of two populations of the mountain gorilla (MG: Gorilla beringei) found no evidence for intraspecific variation in the nutrient composition of their diets, despite ecological and dietary differences between sites. One potential explanation is that nutritional variability in primate diets requires greater ecological divergence than what was captured between MG sites, underpinning environmental differences in the nutrient quality of plant foods. To test whether Gorilla exhibits interspecific variation in dietary composition and nutrient intake, we studied the composition and macronutrients of the western gorilla (WG: Gorilla gorilla) staple diets and compared them with published data from the two MG populations. We recorded feeding time and food intake of four adult female WGs from one habituated group over a period of 11 months (December 2004-October 2005) at the Mondika Research Center, Republic of Congo, allowing for assessment of seasonal patterns of nutrient intake. Staple diets of WGs and MGs diverged in their dietary and macronutrient composition. Compared to MGs, the staple diet of WGs (by intake) contained higher proportions of fruit (43%) and leaf (12%) and a lower proportion of herb (39%), resulting in a higher intake of total nonstructural carbohydrate and fiber and a lower intake of crude protein. Staple gorilla fruits and herbs differed in nutrient quality between sites. Gorillas exhibit nutritional flexibility that reflects ecological variation in the nutrient quality of plant foods. Since dietary quality typically affects rates of growth and reproduction in primates, our results suggest that interspecific differences in nutrient intake and food quality may shape differences in gorilla nutrient balancing and female life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Lodwick
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Roberta Salmi
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.,Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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24
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Erinjery JJ, Singh M, Kent R. Diet-dependent habitat shifts at different life stages of two sympatric primate species. J Biosci 2019; 44:43. [PMID: 31180056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Erinjery
- Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002 Ramat-Gan, Israel
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25
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26
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Erb WM, Barrow EJ, Hofner AN, Utami-Atmoko SS, Vogel ER. Wildfire smoke impacts activity and energetics of wild Bornean orangutans. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7606. [PMID: 29765067 PMCID: PMC5953934 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25847-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Indonesia’s peatlands experience frequent and intense wildfires, producing hazardous smoke with consequences for human health, yet there is a lack of research into adverse effects on wildlife. We evaluated the effects of smoke on the activity and energy balance of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) in a peat swamp forest at the Tuanan Research Station, Central Kalimantan. We collected behavioural data and urine samples from four adult flanged males before, during, and after wildfires between March 2015 and January 2016. During fires, particulate matter (PM10) concentrations were hazardous. Orangutans increased rest time during and after the smoke period, and decreased travel time and distance and increased fat catabolism post-smoke. The increase in post-smoke ketones was not related to changes in caloric intake and was likely due to an increase in energy expenditure, possibly related to immune response. Results show that wildfire smoke negatively affects orangutan condition, and sustained research is needed to assess the magnitude of the threat to the long-term viability of this Critically Endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Erb
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. .,Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. .,CORE Borneo, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - E J Barrow
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,CORE Borneo, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - A N Hofner
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,CORE Borneo, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - S S Utami-Atmoko
- CORE Borneo, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,Fakultas Biologi, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia.,Primate Research Centre, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - E R Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,CORE Borneo, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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27
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Smith TM, Austin C, Hinde K, Vogel ER, Arora M. Cyclical nursing patterns in wild orangutans. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1601517. [PMID: 28560319 PMCID: PMC5435413 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Nursing behavior is notoriously difficult to study in arboreal primates, particularly when offspring suckle inconspicuously in nests. Orangutans have the most prolonged nursing period of any mammal, with the cessation of suckling (weaning) estimated to occur at 6 to 8 years of age in the wild. Milk consumption is hypothesized to be relatively constant over this period, but direct evidence is limited. We previously demonstrated that trace element analysis of bioavailable elements from milk, such as barium, provides accurate estimates of early-life diet transitions and developmental stress when coupled with growth lines in the teeth of humans and nonhuman primates. We provide the first detailed nursing histories of wild, unprovisioned orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus) using chemical and histological analyses. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine barium distributions across the teeth of four wild-shot individuals aged from postnatal biological rhythms. Barium levels rose during the first year of life in all individuals and began to decline shortly after, consistent with behavioral observations of intensive nursing followed by solid food supplementation. Subsequent barium levels show large sustained fluctuations on an approximately annual basis. These patterns appear to be due to cycles of varying milk consumption, continuing until death in an 8.8-year-old Sumatran individual. A female Bornean orangutan ceased suckling at 8.1 years of age. These individuals exceed the maximum weaning age reported for any nonhuman primate. Orangutan nursing may reflect cycles of infant demand that relate to fluctuating resource availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M. Smith
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- The Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Katie Hinde
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Erin R. Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901–1414, USA
| | - Manish Arora
- The Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Vogel ER, Alavi SE, Utami-Atmoko SS, van Noordwijk MA, Bransford TD, Erb WM, Zulfa A, Sulistyo F, Farida WR, Rothman JM. Nutritional ecology of wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) in a peat swamp habitat: Effects of age, sex, and season. Am J Primatol 2016; 79:1-20. [PMID: 27889926 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The spatial and temporal variation in food abundance has strong effects on wildlife feeding and nutrition. This variation is exemplified by the peatland forests of Central Kalimantan, which are characterized by unpredictable fruiting fluctuations, relatively low levels of fruit availability, and low fruit periods (<3% of trees fruiting) that can last nearly a year. Challenged by these environments, large, arboreal frugivores like orangutans must periodically rely on non-preferred, lower-quality foods to meet their nutritional needs. We examined variation in nutrient intake among age-sex classes and seasons over a 7-year period at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Central Kalimantan. We conducted 2,316 full-day focal follows on 62 habituated orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). We found differences in total energy and macronutrient intake across age-sex classes, controlling for metabolic body mass. Intake of both total energy and macronutrients varied with fruit availability, and preference of dietary items increased with their nutritional quality. Foraging-related variables, such as day journey length, travel time, and feeding time, also varied among age-sex classes and with fruit availability. Our results add to the growing body of literature suggesting that great variation in foraging strategies exists among species, populations, and age-sex classes and in response to periods of resource scarcity. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS The spatial and temporal variation in food abundance has strong effects on wildlife feeding and nutrition. Here we present the first long term study of the effects of variation in fruit availability and age/sex class on nutritional ecology of wild Bornean orangutans. We examined variation in nutrient intake of wild orangutans in living in a peat swamp habitat over a 7-year period at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Central Kalimantan. We conducted 2,316 full-day focal follows on 62 habituated orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). We found differences in total energy and macronutrient intake across age-sex classes, controlling for metabolic body mass. Intake of both total energy and macronutrients varied with fruit availability, and preference of dietary items increased with their nutritional quality. Foraging-related variables, such as day journey length, travel time, and feeding time, also varied among age-sex classes and with fruit availability. Our results add to the growing body of literature suggesting that great variation in foraging strategies exists among species, populations, and age-sex classes and in response to periods of resource scarcity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.,The Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.,Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Shauhin E Alavi
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.,The Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | | | | | - Timothy D Bransford
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.,The Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Wendy M Erb
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.,The Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Astri Zulfa
- Falkutas Biologi, Universitas Nasional Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Wartika Rosa Farida
- Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong-Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, New York
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Willermet C. Biological Anthropology in 2015: Open Access, Biocultural Interactions, and Social Change. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Willermet
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work; Central Michigan University; Mount Pleasant MI 48859
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30
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Potts KB, Baken E, Ortmann S, Watts DP, Wrangham RW. Variability in Population Density Is Paralleled by Large Differences in Foraging Efficiency in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9880-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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