DOCSLIB.ORG

Trachypithecus Poliocephalus): Implications for Conservation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Trachypithecus Poliocephalus): Implications for Conservation Socioecology of Cat Ba Langurs (Trachypithecus poliocephalus): Implications for Conservation Rebecca Lynne Hendershott A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The Australian National University SUBMITTED FEB 2017 © Copyright by Rebecca Lynne Hendershott 2017 All Rights Reserved ii Statement of originality The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original and my own work except where otherwise acknowledged. This material has not been submitted either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university. Rebecca Lynne Hendershott Word count: 106,237 (all inclusive) iii Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without the collaboration of Australian National University (ANU), the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project (CBLCP), Cat Ba National Park (CBNP), and Fauna & Flora International. Funding was generously provided by ANU, the Australian government (Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship), and Primate Action Fund (Conservation International). My supervisors – Alison Behie, Colin Groves, and Benjamin Rawson – have been so helpful, patient, and supportive during this intense journey. Ben was key to setting up the field site. Alison had excellent advice in the field, while applying for grants, and writing chapters, as well as for what comes next. Colin’s career in academia and the contributions he’s made to the field serve as an inspiration (as do his socks!). Thank you, Colin, for teaching me that there is no such thing as being ‘overly impressed’ by a library. Dr Ben Rawson, Prof Colin Groves, and Dr Alison Behie in the field, Cat Ba Island Photo taken Aug 2014 by R Hendershott I am extremely grateful to Teresa Newman in the Statistical Consulting Unit (ANU) for our hours and hours of chats, learning SPSS (and figuring out which boxes to tick), and discussions about statistical theory (and politics!). It took a lot of go’s, but we got there! Mr Neahga Leonard, Ms Le Thi Ngoc Han, and Ms Dalma Zsalako (CBLCP) were critical to on-the-ground support and translations as well as visas, research ideas, and mental health. Thank you to Mr Nguyen Cam, my CBNP ranger and boat driver, who always met me with a smile and enthusiasm (even at 4am!) – he worked hard every single day to protect the langurs in between learning English and teaching me Vietnamese. iv Mr Nguyen Cam and myself on our boat Photo taken Jan 2015 by B Kimitsuka I am incredibly grateful to so many people who all nodded and understood what I meant when I said I was ‘thesising’. Thank you to my parents – Sue and Jon Evans, Ron Hendershott and Jasna Kuvacich-Hendershott – who always told me I could do anything I wanted to do. I still blame them for not mentioning that I had to earn money in that process, but I am so grateful that they never held me back when I told them I was off to go do monkey business. I am especially grateful to my mother, Sue, for responding to every freaked-out email, every I’m-going-to-fail phone call, and taking every opportunity to tell me how proud of me she is. Being able to get together and chat (groom?) is key to primate mental health. It was chats with Sue and Jim Michael, Carmina Eliason, Jennifer Muranjan, Alice Yeates, and Nicole Henderson that kept me sane. I am so grateful to have met Kirrily Apthorp, Kayla Ruskins, Felicity Gilbert, and Megan O’Donnell, all of whom I baby-stepped through this doctorate process with. My brother, Justin Hendershott, has always been there for a laugh as I call to update him on my progress, and lack therein. The arguments we got into about Euclidean geometry, the curve of the earth, and how to measure north were key to me realising that I had a larger support network on which to rely. My partner, Ben Kimitsuka has been there with me every step of the way. From moving to Australia, staying in Australia while I moved to Vietnam, listening to my I-want- to-talk-about-this-thing-I-learnt-today-about-primates spiel, taking care of the dogs, the garden, the house; hugging me when that was the whole world, to laughing in my face v when I told him I was quite sure I could not do it: support from Ben has been critical to this dissertation happening. I am so, so, so grateful for his encouragement, time, energy, patience, and love. Our dogs, Sir Toki Wartooth and Mr Erignathus Barbouts, have kept me grounded. They remind me, on a daily basis, that there is more to life than staring at my computer. Watching them turns the theory of animal behaviour into something relevant and tangible. Thank you to Ben, Toki, and EB for not giving up on me. Finally, thank you to Jane Goodall, for being the original and sustaining inspiration for this life path. vi Abstract Cat Ba langurs (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), endemic to Cat Ba Island (Vietnam), are a member of the limestone langur group (francoisi species-group) found in Laos, Vietnam, and China. With less than 75 individuals in the world, these Cat Ba langurs are Critically Endangered. This dissertation represents the first long-term behavioural study of the species (549 contact hours across 11 months), and provides socioecological information for two groups (n=17-20) living on the Cua Dong fjord, which can be used in conservation management. Like most other colobines, the majority of the Cat Ba langur diet is leaves (84% of their dietary budget). This may explain their activity budget, which is primarily inactivity (55% of their activity budget), followed by foraging (19%) and social behaviour and locomotion (12% each). Activity and dietary budgets vary seasonally, with animals spending more time in social behaviours in the wet season, when they eat more fruit, and more time in foraging in the dry season, when leaves are ingested more, suggesting they are energy maximisers. In addition, age differences were found, with adults spending the most time in social behaviours and resting. Social behaviour primarily includes grooming and playing with others - play is more common in younger animals, while older animals tend to groom more. Overall, they spend 58% of their days not in proximity to any other langurs. Adult males spend the most time alone, and seem to avoid young langurs. Disputes tend to be between adult females, and two females only tend to come together if there is a young langur acting as a ‘social glue’. Home ranges varied between groups with the larger group’s range being 50ha compared to just 22ha for the smaller group. In both areas, rocks and sparsely covered areas are used most often, which is due to the shrubby, discontinuous vegetation. Most of the langurs’ observable time is spent on exposed slopes (47%), followed by steep cliffs (38%), summits (11%), valleys (3%), and the ground (1%); this varied seasonally, likely to balance foraging needs with thermoregulation. The langurs used 22 sleeping sites, including ledges (61%) and caves (17%). When newborn, Cat Ba langurs are bright orange. They start to lose this natal coat as an infant, and become much darker during the young juvenile stage. As individuals age, they also become more independent and start to forage and locomote more on their own. These reported behaviours can be used to create a baseline for activity budgets, home range size, and habitat use, and development and maturation that can be used for comparative purposes in vii future studies. Results find that animals are behaviourally similar to other related species and their biggest threat is likely their small, fragmented population structure. To combat this, I support habitat protection, patrols, and enforcement; education and training; habitat corridors; and limiting the human population, as these support an entire ecosystem while teaching locals the importance of biodiversity, reducing resource competition, and fragmentation from infrastructure, and providing a means for the langurs themselves to disperse. viii Table of Contents Acknowledgments iv Abstract vii Table of Contents ix List of Figures xiii List of Tables xv Abbreviations xvi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Research Aims 3 1.3 Research Limitations 4 1.4 Permissions Obtained 5 1.5 Thesis Outline 5 1.6 Species Overview 9 1.6.1 Taxonomy 9 1.6.1.1 Colobines 10 1.6.1.2 Asian Colobines 10 1.6.1.3 Trachypithecus 11 1.6.1.4 Trachypithecus poliocephalus and T. leucocephalus 12 1.6.2 Distribution 13 1.6.2.1 Vietnamese Primates 13 1.6.2.2 Asian Colobines 14 1.6.2.3 Trachypithecus 15 1.6.2.4 Trachypithecus poliocephalus 16 1.6.3 Anatomy 18 1.6.3.1 External Morphology 18 1.6.3.2 Specialised Digestion 23 1.6.4 Diet and Activity 24 1.6.5 Home Range 29 1.6.6 Life History and Reproduction 30 1.6.7 Social Structure 33 1.7 Conservation Issues of Limestone Langurs 35 Chapter 2: Methods 39 2.1 Study Site 39 2.1.1 Geography of Cat Ba Island 39 2.1.2 Plants on Cat Ba Island 40 2.1.3 Nonhuman Animals on Cat Ba Island 41 2.1.4 Human Population on Cat Ba Island 43 2.2 Study Groups Home Range - Cua Dong 45 2.3 Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project and Cat Ba National Park 49 2.4 Weather on Cat Ba Island 49 2.5 Data Collection 51 2.6 Behavioural Observations 55 2.6.1 Study Animals 55 2.6.2 Behavioural Data Collection 59 2.6.3 Ethogram 61 ix 2.6.4 Habitat 63 Chapter 3: Activity and Dietary Budgets 65 3.1 Introduction 65 3.2 Methods 68 3.2.1 Behavioural Data Collection 68 3.2.2 Data Analysis 69 3.3 Results 71 3.3.1 Activity Budget 71 3.3.1.1 Time Differences in Activity Budgets 72 3.3.1.2 Seasonal Differences in Activity Budgets 74 3.3.1.3 Group Differences in Activity Budgets 74 3.3.1.4
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tail Postures of Four Quadrupedal Leaf Monkeys (Pygathrix Nemaeus, P. Cinerea, Trachypithecus Delacouri and T. Hatinhensis)
    Vietnamese Journal of Primatology (2008) 2, 13-24 Tail postures of four quadrupedal leaf monkeys ( Pygathrix nemaeus , P. cinerea , Trachypithecus delacouri and T. hatinhensis ) at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam Nancy J. Stevens 1, Kristin A. Wright 2, Herbert H. Covert 3, and Tilo Nadler 4 1 Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, 228 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA. <[email protected]> (Corresponding author) 2 Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Department of Anatomy, Kansas City, 1750 Independence Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64106-1453. <[email protected]> 3 University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Anthropology, Boulder, CO 80309-0233, USA. <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> 4 Frankfurt Zoological Society / Endangered Primate Rescue Center, Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. <[email protected]> Key words: primate locomotion, kinematics, arboreality, limestone langurs, douc monkeys Summary The kinematics of colobine locomotion, particularly the folivorous primates of Vietnam, has to date received little attention. Recent work at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC) in Cuc Phuong National Park is the first to examine kinematics during arboreal quadrupedal locomotion in these endangered leaf monkeys, revealing marked differences in tail postures among four similarly sized species. During symmetrical walking, doucs ( Pygathrix nemaeus and P. cinerea ) typically allow the tail to hang down, falling along the substrate behind them during travel. Delacour’s langurs (Trachypithecus delacouri ) exhibit greater variability, often arching the tail higher in concave- downwards posture. Hatinh langurs ( Trachypithecus hatinhensis ) exhibit the greatest variability in tail posture, often raising the tail in a concave-upwards arc with the tip reaching over the thorax.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALGARY Determinants of Group Size and Composition for Colobus Vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana
    UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Determinants of Group Size and Composition for Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana: Ecological versus Social Factors by Julie A. Teichroeb A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA MARCH, 2009 © Julie A. Teichroeb 2009 UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis titled “Determinants of Group Size and Composition for Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana: Ecological versus Social Factors” submitted by Julie A. Teichroeb in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ___________________________________ Supervisor, Dr. Pascale Sicotte, Department of Anthropology ___________________________________ Dr. Linda Fedigan, Department of Anthropology ___________________________________ Dr. Robert Longair, Department of Biological Sciences ___________________________________ Dr. Warren Wilson, Department of Archaeology ___________________________________ External Examiner, Dr. Rasanayagam Rudran, Scientist Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution _____________ Date ii ABSTRACT Intense within-group food competition is not thought to influence social organization for folivorous primates. Thus, they are expected by the socioecological model to live in large groups, exploiting benefits such as predation avoidance. However, many folivores form small groups, well below the threshold to avoid within-group scramble competition for food (the “folivore paradox”, Janson & Goldsmith, 1995). Social factors, rather than ecological factors, are thought to determine social organization for folivores, though this has rarely been systematically tested. In this study, the relative contribution of ecological versus social factors on the group size and composition of ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus ) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana was explored.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Exposure in Conservation
    Behavioral Application in Wildlife Photography: Developing a Foundation in Ecological and Behavioral Characteristics of the Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey (Procolobus kirkii) as it Applies to the Development Exhibition Photography Matthew Jorgensen April 29, 2009 SIT: Zanzibar – Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management Spring 2009 Advisor: Kim Howell – UDSM Academic Director: Helen Peeks Table of Contents Acknowledgements – 3 Abstract – 4 Introduction – 4-15 • 4 - The Role of Exposure in Conservation • 5 - The Zanzibar Red Colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii) as a Conservation Symbol • 6 - Colobine Physiology and Natural History • 8 - Colobine Behavior • 8 - Physical Display (Visual Communication) • 11 - Vocal Communication • 13 - Olfactory and Tactile Communication • 14 - The Importance of Behavioral Knowledge Study Area - 15 Methodology - 15 Results - 16 Discussion – 17-30 • 17 - Success of the Exhibition • 18 - Individual Image Assessment • 28 - Final Exhibition Assessment • 29 - Behavioral Foundation and Photography Conclusion - 30 Evaluation - 31 Bibliography - 32 Appendices - 33 2 To all those who helped me along the way, I am forever in your debt. To Helen Peeks and Said Hamad Omar for a semester of advice, and for trying to make my dreams possible (despite the insurmountable odds). Ali Ali Mwinyi, for making my planning at Jozani as simple as possible, I thank you. I would like to thank Bi Ashura, for getting me settled at Jozani and ensuring my comfort during studies. Finally, I am thankful to the rangers and staff of Jozani for welcoming me into the park, for their encouragement and support of my project. To Kim Howell, for agreeing to support a project outside his area of expertise, I am eternally grateful.
    [Show full text]
  • World's Most Endangered Primates
    Primates in Peril The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2016–2018 Edited by Christoph Schwitzer, Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, Federica Chiozza, Elizabeth A. Williamson, Elizabeth J. Macfie, Janette Wallis and Alison Cotton Illustrations by Stephen D. Nash IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG) International Primatological Society (IPS) Conservation International (CI) Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) Published by: IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), Conservation International (CI), Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) Copyright: ©2017 Conservation International All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Inquiries to the publisher should be directed to the following address: Russell A. Mittermeier, Chair, IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA. Citation (report): Schwitzer, C., Mittermeier, R.A., Rylands, A.B., Chiozza, F., Williamson, E.A., Macfie, E.J., Wallis, J. and Cotton, A. (eds.). 2017. Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2016–2018. IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), Conservation International (CI), and Bristol Zoological Society, Arlington, VA. 99 pp. Citation (species): Salmona, J., Patel, E.R., Chikhi, L. and Banks, M.A. 2017. Propithecus perrieri (Lavauden, 1931). In: C. Schwitzer, R.A. Mittermeier, A.B. Rylands, F. Chiozza, E.A. Williamson, E.J. Macfie, J. Wallis and A. Cotton (eds.), Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2016–2018, pp. 40-43. IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), Conservation International (CI), and Bristol Zoological Society, Arlington, VA.
    [Show full text]
  • Colobus Vellerosus): Influence of Age, Rank and Contact with Other Groups on Dispersal Decisions
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by DukeSpace Dispersal in male ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus): influence of age, rank and contact with other groups on dispersal decisions Julie A. Teichroeb1), Eva C. Wikberg & Pascale Sicotte (Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4) (Accepted: 29 April 2011) Summary Dispersal is male-biased in ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus), although female dispersal also occurs (Teichroeb et al., 2009). Here we describe the process of male disper- sal and its connection with between-group encounters (BGEs, N = 444) and male incur- sions (when males left their group and approached within 50 m of another group; N = 128) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in central Ghana. Through BGEs and incursions, particularly those with non-aggressive interactions between individuals in different groups (BGEs, N = 17; incursions, N = 4), males could probably assess other groups for disper- sal opportunities. There was a trend for males to perform incursions more frequently before emigrating voluntarily than involuntarily. Incursions were often performed towards the group that the male eventually transferred to. Incursions by alpha males were temporally shorter and more aggressive than those by non-alpha males. We suggest that non-alpha males used incursions to assess other groups for breeding or dispersal opportunities, whereas alpha males performed incursions mainly to convey information about their quality to neighbouring males and females. Male emigrations/disappearances (natal N = 20, secondary N = 43, unknown N = 9) and immigrations (N = 62) were recorded for seven groups during ten years (2000– 2010).
    [Show full text]
  • Influence of Plant and Soil Chemistry on Food Selection, Ranging Patterns, and Biomass of Colobus Guereza in Kakamega Forest, Ke
    International Journal of Primatology, Vol. 28, No. 3, June 2007 (C 2007) DOI: 10.1007/s10764-006-9096-2 Influence of Plant and Soil Chemistry on Food Selection, Ranging Patterns, and Biomass of Colobus guereza in Kakamega Forest, Kenya Peter J. Fashing,1,2,3,7 Ellen S. Dierenfeld,4,5 and Christopher B. Mowry6 Received February 22, 2006; accepted May 26, 2006; Published Online May 24, 2007 Nutritional factors are among the most important influences on primate food choice. We examined the influence of macronutrients, minerals, and sec- ondary compounds on leaf choices by members of a foli-frugivorous popula- tion of eastern black-and-white colobus—or guerezas (Colobus guereza)— inhabiting the Kakamega Forest, Kenya. Macronutrients exerted a complex influence on guereza leaf choice at Kakamega. At a broad level, protein con- tent was the primary factor determining whether or not guerezas consumed specific leaf items, with eaten leaves at or above a protein threshold of ca. 14% dry matter. However, a finer grade analysis considering the selection ra- tios of only items eaten revealed that fiber played a much greater role than protein in influencing the rates at which different items were eaten relative to their abundance in the forest. Most minerals did not appear to influence leaf choice, though guerezas did exhibit strong selectivity for leaves rich in zinc. Guerezas avoided most leaves high in secondary compounds, though their top food item (Prunus africana mature leaves) contained some of the high- est condensed tannin concentrations of any leaves in their diet. Kakamega 1Department of Science and Conservation, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, One Wild Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206.
    [Show full text]
  • Olive Colobus (Procolobus Verus) Call Combinations and Ecological
    Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2013; 1 (6): 15-21 ISSN 2320-7078 Olive colobus (Procolobus verus) call combinations and JEZS 2013; 1 (6): 15-21 ecological parameters in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire © 2013 AkiNik Publications Received 24-10-2013 Accepted: 07-11-2013 Jean-Claude Koffi BENE, Eloi Anderson BITTY, Kouame Antoine Jean-Claude Koffi BENE N’GUESSAN UFR Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé; BP 150 Abstract Daloa Animal communication is any transfer of information on the part of one or more animals that has an Email: [email protected] effect on the current or future behavior of another animal. The ability to communicate effectively with other individuals plays a critical role in the lives of all animals and uses several signals. Eloi Anderson BITTY Acoustic communication is exceedingly abundant in nature, likely because sound can be adapted to a Centre Suisse de Recherches wide variety of environmental conditions and behavioral situations. Olive colobus monkeys produce Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire; 01 BP a finite number of acoustically distinct calls as part of a species-specific vocal repertoire. The call 1303 Abidjan 01 system of Olive colobus is structurally more complex because calls are assembled into higher-order Email: [email protected] level of sequences that carry specific meanings. Focal animal studies and Ad Libitum conducted in three groups of Olive colobus monkeys in Taï National Park indicate that some environmental and Kouame Antoine N’GUESSAN social parameters significantly affect the emission of different call combination types of this monkey Centre Suisse de Recherches species. Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire; 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01 Email: [email protected] Keywords: Olive colobus, call combination, social parameter, environment parameter.
    [Show full text]
  • Controlled Alien Species -Common Name
    Controlled Alien Species –Common Name List of Controlled Alien Species Amphibians by Common Name -3 species- (Updated December 2009) Frogs Common Name Family Genus Species Poison Dart Frog, Black-Legged Dendrobatidae Phyllobates bicolor Poison Dart Frog, Golden Dendrobatidae Phyllobates terribilis Poison Dart Frog, Kokoe Dendrobatidae Phyllobates aurotaenia Page 1 of 50 Controlled Alien Species –Common Name List of Controlled Alien Species Birds by Common Name -3 species- (Updated December 2009) Birds Common Name Family Genus Species Cassowary, Dwarf Cassuariidae Casuarius bennetti Cassowary, Northern Cassuariidae Casuarius unappendiculatus Cassowary, Southern Cassuariidae Casuarius casuarius Page 2 of 50 Controlled Alien Species –Common Name List of Controlled Alien Species Mammals by Common Name -437 species- (Updated March 2010) Common Name Family Genus Species Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates) Bovines Buffalo, African Bovidae Syncerus caffer Gaur Bovidae Bos frontalis Girrafe Giraffe Giraffidae Giraffa camelopardalis Hippopotami Hippopotamus Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus amphibious Hippopotamus, Madagascan Pygmy Hippopotamidae Hexaprotodon liberiensis Carnivora Canidae (Dog-like) Coyote, Jackals & Wolves Coyote (not native to BC) Canidae Canis latrans Dingo Canidae Canis lupus Jackal, Black-Backed Canidae Canis mesomelas Jackal, Golden Canidae Canis aureus Jackal Side-Striped Canidae Canis adustus Wolf, Gray (not native to BC) Canidae Canis lupus Wolf, Maned Canidae Chrysocyon rachyurus Wolf, Red Canidae Canis rufus Wolf, Ethiopian
    [Show full text]
  • Paternity Data and Relative Testes Size As Measures of Level of Sperm Competition in the Cercopithecoidea
    Received: 23 August 2018 | Revised: 10 October 2018 | Accepted: 4 November 2018 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22937 RESEARCH ARTICLE Paternity data and relative testes size as measures of level of sperm competition in the Cercopithecoidea R. Robin Baker1 | Todd K. Shackelford2 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Historically, the empirical study of the role of sperm competition in the evolution of 2 Department of Psychology, Oakland sexual traits has been problematic through an enforced reliance on indirect proxy University, Rochester, Michigan measures. Recently, however, a procedure was developed that uses paternity data to Correspondence measure sperm competition level directly in terms of males/conception (i.e., the Todd K. Shackelford, Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 112 Pryale number of males that have sperm present in a female's ampulla at conception). When Hal, Rochester, MI 48309-4401. tested on apes and humans (Hominoidea) this measure proved not only to correlate Email: [email protected] significantly with the traditionally used measure of relative testes size but also to offer a number of advantages. Here we provide a second test of the procedure, this time using paternity data for the Old World monkeys (Cercopithecoidea). We calculate sperm competition levels (males/conception) for 17 species of wild and free-ranging cercopithecoids and then analyze the data against measures of relative testes size. Calculated sperm competition levels correlate strongly with relative testes size both with and without phylogenetic control at both the species and generic levels. The signal-to-noise ratios inherent in both the past measure of relative testes size and the new measure of sperm competition level from paternity data are discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • Colobus Guereza
    Lauck et al. Retrovirology 2013, 10:107 http://www.retrovirology.com/content/10/1/107 RESEARCH Open Access Discovery and full genome characterization of two highly divergent simian immunodeficiency viruses infecting black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) in Kibale National Park, Uganda Michael Lauck1, William M Switzer2, Samuel D Sibley3, David Hyeroba4, Alex Tumukunde4, Geoffrey Weny4, Bill Taylor5, Anupama Shankar2, Nelson Ting6, Colin A Chapman4,7,8, Thomas C Friedrich1,3, Tony L Goldberg1,3,4 and David H O'Connor1,9* Abstract Background: African non-human primates (NHPs) are natural hosts for simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV), the zoonotic transmission of which led to the emergence of HIV-1 and HIV-2. However, our understanding of SIV diversity and evolution is limited by incomplete taxonomic and geographic sampling of NHPs, particularly in East Africa. In this study, we screened blood specimens from nine black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza occidentalis) from Kibale National Park, Uganda, for novel SIVs using a combination of serology and “unbiased” deep-sequencing, a method that does not rely on genetic similarity to previously characterized viruses. Results: We identified two novel and divergent SIVs, tentatively named SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2, and assembled genomes covering the entire coding region for each virus. SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 were detected in three and four animals, respectively, but with no animals co-infected. Phylogenetic analyses showed that SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 form a lineage with SIVcol, previously discovered in black-and-white colobus from Cameroon. Although SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 were isolated from the same host population in Uganda, SIVkcol-1 is more closely related to SIVcol than to SIVkcol-2.
    [Show full text]
  • Widespread Treponema Pallidum Infection in Nonhuman Primates, Tanzania Idrissa S
    RESEARCH Widespread Treponema pallidum Infection in Nonhuman Primates, Tanzania Idrissa S. Chuma, Emmanuel K. Batamuzi,1 D. Anthony Collins, Robert D. Fyumagwa, Luisa K. Hallmaier-Wacker, Rudovick R. Kazwala, Julius D. Keyyu, Inyasi A. Lejora, Iddi F. Lipende, Simone Lüert, Filipa M.D. Paciência, Alexander Piel, Fiona A. Stewart, Dietmar Zinner, Christian Roos, Sascha Knauf We investigated Treponema pallidum infection in 8 nonhu- S. Knauf et al., unpub. data, https://www.biorxiv.org/ man primate species (289 animals) in Tanzania during 2015– content/early/2017/05/10/135491) and thus make NHP in- 2017. We used a serologic treponemal test to detect anti- fection an important issue for a One Health approach. bodies against the bacterium. Infection was further confirmed The first published report of T. pallidum infection in from tissue samples of skin-ulcerated animals by 3 indepen- Tanzanian NHPs came from anogenital ulcerated olive dent PCRs (polA, tp47, and TP_0619). Our findings indicate baboons (Papio anubis) at Gombe National Park (GNP) that T. pallidum infection is geographically widespread in Tanzania and occurs in several species (olive baboons, yel- in the late 1980s (5), followed by cases reported from low baboons, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys). We found olive baboons at Lake Manyara National Park (LMNP) the bacterium at 11 of 14 investigated geographic locations. (3,6,7) and Serengeti National Park (SNP) (3). Clinical Anogenital ulceration was the most common clinical manifes- manifestations of T. pallidum infection in NHPs ranged tation; orofacial lesions also were observed. Molecular data from asymptomatic to severe skin ulceration mainly af- show that nonhuman primates in Tanzania are most likely fecting the face or genitalia (8).
    [Show full text]
  • The Socioecology, and the Effects of Human Activity on It, of the Annamese Silvered Langur ( Trachypithecus Margarita ) in Northeastern Cambodia
    The Socioecology, and the Effects of Human Activity on It, of the Annamese Silvered Langur ( Trachypithecus margarita ) in Northeastern Cambodia Álvaro González Monge A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the Australian National University School of Archaeology and Anthropology Submitted in March, 2016 Copyright by Álvaro González Monge, 2016 All Rights Reserved Statement of originality The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original and my own work, except where acknowledged. This material has not been submitted either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or other university Álvaro González Monge In memoriam: GANG HU JOAQUIM JOSEP VEÀ BARÓ Acknowledgements This project wouldn’t have successfully arrived at its conclusion without the help of an astounding amount of people. I wanted to thank many more but I think two and a half pages of this must be testing for many. I’m forever indebted to my academic supervisors, for steering me towards meaningful research and pointing out my endless flaws with endless patience, for the encouragement and heaps of valuable feedback. Whatever useful information in this thesis is largely due to them: Professor Colin Groves, for accepting me as a student which I think is one of the highest honors that can be given to a person in our field of work, and his unquenchable thirst for all mammalian bits of information I brought to his attention. Dr. Alison Behie, for her patience in greatly helping me focus on the particular topics treated in this thesis and her invaluable feedback on my research.
    [Show full text]