1
|
Debetencourt B, Barry MM, Arandjelovic M, Stephens C, Maldonado N, Boesch C. Camera traps unveil demography, social structure, and home range of six unhabituated Western chimpanzee groups in the Moyen Bafing National Park, Guinea. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23578. [PMID: 37985945 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23578] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Precise estimates of population dynamics and social grouping patterns are required for effective conservation of wild animal populations. It is difficult to obtain such information on non-human great apes as they have slow reproductive rates. To gain a better understanding of demography in these populations, previous research has typically involved habituation\, a process that requires years. Here, we collected data continuously over year-long periods to monitor an unhabituated population of critically endangered Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Moyen Bafing National Park, Guinea. We used two arrays of 100 camera traps that were placed opportunistically in two distinct 100 km2 sites, named Bakoun and Koukoutamba. We identified 227 individuals in Bakoun and 207 in Koukoutamba through their unique facial features. Our camera trap data make clear that these individuals belong to six and seven closed groups, respectively. Six of those groups were near-completely sampled with an average minimum size of 46.8 individuals (range: 37-58), and a mean adult sex ratio of 1.32 (range: 0.93-2.10). We described the demographic composition of these groups and use Bayesian social network analysis to understand population structure. The network analyses suggested that the social bonds within the two populations were structured by sex homophily, with male chimpanzees being more or equally likely to be observed together than other adult associations. Through estimation of minimum convex polygons, we described the minimum home range for those groups. Compared to other chimpanzee groups living in a similar environment (mosaic savanna-forest), the Moyen Bafing region seems to host a high-density of chimpanzees with small home ranges for their group size. Our research highlights the potential of camera traps for studying the demographic composition of chimpanzee populations with high resolution and obtaining crucial information on several groups in a time-efficient and cost-effective way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Debetencourt
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mamadou Moussa Barry
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mimi Arandjelovic
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nuria Maldonado
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Current global population size, post-whaling trend and historical trajectory of sperm whales. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19468. [PMID: 36376385 PMCID: PMC9663694 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The sperm whale lives in most deep ice-free waters of the globe. It was targeted during two periods of whaling peaking in the 1840's and 1960's. Using a habitat suitability model, we extrapolated estimates of abundance from visual and acoustic surveys to give a global estimate of 736,053 sperm whales (CV = 0.218) in 1993. Estimates of trends in the post-whaling era suggest that: whaling, by affecting the sex ratio and/or the social cohesion of females, reduced recovery rates well after whaling ceased; preferentially-targeted adult males show the best evidence of recovery, presumably due to recruitment from breeding populations; several decades post-whaling, sperm whale populations not facing much human impact are recovering slowly, but populations may be declining in areas with substantial anthropogenic footprint. A theta-logistic population model enhanced to simulate spatial structure and the non-removal impacts of whaling indicated a pre-whaling population of 1,949,698 (CV = 0.178) in 1710 being reduced by whaling, and then then recovering a little to about 844,761 (CV = 0.209) in 2022. There is much uncertainty about these numbers and trends. A larger population estimate than produced by a similar analysis in 2002 is principally due to a better assessment of ascertainment bias.
Collapse
|
3
|
Social exploitation of extensive, ephemeral, environmentally controlled prey patches by supergroups of rorqual whales. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
4
|
Salgado Kent C, Bouchet P, Wellard R, Parnum I, Fouda L, Erbe C. Seasonal productivity drives aggregations of killer whales and other cetaceans over submarine canyons of the Bremer Sub-Basin, south-western Australia. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/am19058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cetaceans are iconic predators that serve as important indicators of marine ecosystem health. The Bremer Sub-Basin, south-western Australia, supports a diverse cetacean community including the largest documented aggregation of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Australian waters. Knowledge of cetacean distributions is critical for managing the area’s thriving ecotourism industry, yet is largely sporadic. Here we combined aerial with opportunistic ship-borne surveys during 2015–2017 to describe the occurrence of multiple cetacean species on a regional scale. We used generalised estimating equations to model variation in killer whale relative density as a function of both static and dynamic covariates, including seabed depth, slope, and chlorophyll a concentration, while accounting for autocorrelation. Encountered cetacean groups included: killer (n=177), sperm (n=69), long-finned pilot (n=29), false killer (n=2), and strap-toothed beaked (n=1) whales, as well as bottlenose (n=12) and common (n=5) dolphins. Killer whale numbers peaked in areas of low temperatures and high primary productivity, likely due to seasonal upwelling of nutrient-rich waters supporting high prey biomass. The best predictive model highlighted potential killer whale ‘hotspots’ in the Henry, Hood, Pallinup and Bremer Canyons. This study demonstrates the value of abundance data from platforms of opportunity for marine planning and wildlife management in the open ocean.
Collapse
|
5
|
Morin PA, Foote AD, Baker CS, Hancock‐Hanser BL, Kaschner K, Mate BR, Mesnick SL, Pease VL, Rosel PE, Alexander A. Demography or selection on linked cultural traits or genes? Investigating the driver of low mtDNA diversity in the sperm whale using complementary mitochondrial and nuclear genome analyses. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2604-2619. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip A. Morin
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California
| | - Andrew D. Foote
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory School of Biological Sciences Bangor University Bangor Gwynedd UK
| | - Charles Scott Baker
- Marine Mammal Institute Hatfield Marine Science Center Oregon State University Newport Oregon
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife College of Agricultural Sciences Corvallis Oregon
| | - Brittany L. Hancock‐Hanser
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California
| | - Kristin Kaschner
- Department of Biometry and Environmental System Analysis Albert‐Ludwigs‐University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Bruce R. Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute Hatfield Marine Science Center Oregon State University Newport Oregon
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife College of Agricultural Sciences Corvallis Oregon
| | - Sarah L. Mesnick
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California
| | - Victoria L. Pease
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration La Jolla California
| | - Patricia E. Rosel
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Lafayette Louisiana
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Miller BS, Miller EJ. The seasonal occupancy and diel behaviour of Antarctic sperm whales revealed by acoustic monitoring. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5429. [PMID: 29615756 PMCID: PMC5882826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23752-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The seasonal occupancy and diel behaviour of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) was investigated using data from long-term acoustic recorders deployed off east Antarctica. An automated method for investigating acoustic presence of sperm whales was developed, characterised, and applied to multi-year acoustic datasets at three locations. Instead of focusing on the acoustic properties of detected clicks, the method relied solely on the inter-click-interval (ICI) for determining presence within an hour-long recording. Parameters for our classifier were informed by knowledge of typical vocal behaviour of sperm whales. Sperm whales were detected predominantly from Dec-Feb, occasionally in Nov, Mar, Apr, and May, but never in the Austral winter or early spring months. Ice cover was found to have a statistically significant negative effect on sperm whale presence. In ice-free months sperm whales were detected more often during daylight hours and were seldom detected at night, and this effect was also statistically significant. Seasonal presence at the three east Antarctic recording sites were in accord with what has been inferred from 20th century whale catches off western Antarctica and from stomach contents of whales caught off South Africa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Miller
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia.
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Stanistreet JE, Nowacek DP, Bell JT, Cholewiak DM, Hildebrand JA, Hodge LEW, Van Parijs SM, Read AJ. Spatial and seasonal patterns in acoustic detections of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus along the continental slope in the western North Atlantic Ocean. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
8
|
Curé C, Isojunno S, Visser F, Wensveen PJ, Sivle LD, Kvadsheim PH, Lam FPA, Miller PJO. Biological significance of sperm whale responses to sonar: comparison with anti-predator responses. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
9
|
Gero S, Whitehead H. Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162019. [PMID: 27706153 PMCID: PMC5051958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations were expected to rebuild following the end of commercial whaling. We document the decline of the population in the eastern Caribbean by tracing demographic changes of well-studied social units. We address hypotheses that, over a ten-year period of dedicated effort (2005–2015), unit size, numbers of calves and/or calving rates have each declined. Across 16 units, the number of adults decreased in 12 units, increased in two, and showed no change in two. The number of adults per unit decreased at -0.195 individuals/yr (95% CI: -0.080 to -0.310; P = 0.001). The number of calves also declined, but the decline was not significant. This negative trend of -4.5% per year in unit size started in about 2010, with numbers being fairly stable until then. There are several natural and anthropogenic threats, but no well-substantiated cause for the decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shane Gero
- Zoophysiology, Institute for Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Dept. of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| |
Collapse
|