American Journal of Primatology 

About: American Journal of Primatology is an academic journal published by Wiley. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Lemur. It has an ISSN identifier of 0275-2565. Over the lifetime, 3842 publications have been published receiving 135054 citations. The journal is also known as: Primatology.

Self‐awareness and the emergence of mind in primates

Abstract: To date humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans are the only species which have been shown capable of recognizing themselves in mirrors. Several species of macaques have now been provided with years of continuous exposure to mirrors, but they still persist in reacting to their reflection as if they were seeing other monkeys. Even gibbons (apes) and gorillas (great apes) seem incapable of learning that their behavior is the source of the behavior depicted in the image. Most primates, therefore, appear to lack a cognitive category for processing mirrored information about themselves. The implications of these data for traditional views of consciousness are considered briefly, and a recent attempt to develop an operant analog to self-recognition is critically evaluated. Finally, an attempt is made to show that self-awareness, consciousness, and mind are not mutually exclusive cognitive categories and that the emergence of self-awareness may be equivalent to the emergence of mind. Several indices of "mind" which can be applied to nonhuman species are discussed in the context of an attempt to develop a comparative psychology of mind.

Why primate models matter

Abstract: Research involving nonhuman primates (NHPs) has played a vital role in many of the medical and scientific advances of the past century. NHPs are used because of their similarity to humans in physiology, neuroanatomy, reproduction, development, cognition, and social complexity-yet it is these very similarities that make the use of NHPs in biomedical research a considered decision. As primate researchers, we feel an obligation and responsibility to present the facts concerning why primates are used in various areas of biomedical research. Recent decisions in the United States, including the phasing out of chimpanzees in research by the National Institutes of Health and the pending closure of the New England Primate Research Center, illustrate to us the critical importance of conveying why continued research with primates is needed. Here, we review key areas in biomedicine where primate models have been, and continue to be, essential for advancing fundamental knowledge in biomedical and biological research.

Behavior patterns of southern bearded sakis (Chiropotes satanas) in the fragmented landscape of eastern Brazilian Amazonia.

Abstract: The endangered but poorly studied southern bearded saki, Chiropotes satanas, faces extremes of habitat fragmentation throughout its geographic range in eastern Amazonia. This article focuses on the behavior of the members of two groups—a large one (30–34 members) in continuous forest (home range=69 ha) and a much smaller one (7 members) on a 17-ha man-made island—at the Tucurui Reservoir on the Tocantins River. Quantitative behavioral data were collected through scan and all-events sampling. Both groups were characterized by the fission–fusion pattern of social organization typical of the genus and relatively high rates of traveling and feeding, also characteristic of the genus. However, the island group spent significantly more time resting and significantly less traveling than the mainland group, presumably as a function of its much smaller home range. Despite resting more, island group members engaged in significantly less social interaction, possibly because of the much smaller size of this group (which also affected visibility), or other factors, such as nutritional stress. Affiliative associations of males were a mainstay of social behavior in both groups and interspecific associations with capuchins (Cebus apella) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were relatively common, especially in the mainland group. Overall, the island group presented a relatively reduced behavioral repertoire, apparently reflecting factors such as group size and the size and quality of its home range. Am. J. Primatol. 71:1–7, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Habitat alteration and the conservation of African primates: case study of Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Abstract: Tropical forests and the animals they support are being threatened byaccelerating rates of forest conversion and degradation In a continuallyfluctuating sociopolitical world, it is often impossible to protect areasfrom such conversion until the political environment is suitable to pur-sue conservation goals, by which time, the forests have often been con-verted to other uses This reality suggests a need for inquiry into whichprimate species can persist after different types of disturbances and howquickly primate communities can recover from disturbance Here we ex-amine the persistence of primate populations in disturbed habitats byproviding a case study of patterns of primate abundance in areas of KibaleNational Park (766 km

Composition and variability of mountain gorilla diets in the Central Virungas

Abstract: Data are presented here on the feeding ecology of wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) which were observed for approximately 2,400 hours over a 17-month period in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda. Aspects of the relationship between the composition, diversity, and temporal consistency of the gorillas' diet and spatial and temporal variability in food distribution patterns are described. Mountain gorillas are folivores that show considerable specialization on plant parts, species and families. This pattern is facilitated by the general richness of their habitat. Their environment is heterogeneous, and spatial variability in food distribution is more pronounced than temporal variability. The gorillas rely almost completely on perennially available foliage of herbs and vines. Their diet varies little in association with seasonal factors but varies markedly in space in association with variability in the vegetational composition of the habitat. Individuals in the main study group shared basically similar patterns of food choice. Different groups also shared a similar general pattern, although there were differences in detail that apparently resulted largely from vegetational contrasts between home ranges. The gorillas' behavioral responses to environmental complexity lend general support to recent ideas concerning the evolution of their social system.