Primate

About: Primate is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1250 publications have been published within this topic receiving 67388 citations. The topic is also known as: the primate order & primates.

Fissão-fusão em Cebus nigritus : flexibilidade social como estratégia de ocupação de ambientes limitantes

Abstract: NAKAI, E. S. Fission-fusion in Cebus nigritus: social flexibility as occupation strategy in limitants environments. 2007. 97p. Master Thesis Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo. The primate order presents a great diversity of social organization, from species considered solitary to those where the individuals of a group remain together all the time. Capuchin monkeys (Cebus spp.) generally live in stable and cohesive groups, without the formation of subgroups. However, their social organization can be more flexible. Two former studies on two populations of Cebus nigritus from the Atlantic Forest suggested the occurrence of subgrouping, but the authors could not conclude whether the observed processes were due to a permanent division of a large group or whether these populations were actually fission-fusion societies. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the capuchin monkey groups of the State Park Carlos Botelho (PECB) can be characterized as a fission-fusion society or subgrouping is a temporary strategy prior to a permanent division of a large group. From January 2003 to March 2006, two social groups were followed, with the adult individuals recognized. Data from other groups were collected in an opportunistic way. To verify whether the group was foraging in a cohesive way or divided in subgroups, a census of the group members was performed at each hour and, and the number of adult males, adult females and juveniles were counted to analyze the composition of the subgroups. In order to evaluate the food availability 153 pitfall traps were distributed along the long home range. Data about behavior (locomotion, rest, foraging and locomotion more foraging) and diet (fruits, invertebrates and leaves) were registered by scan sampling every 5 minutes. The depletion time of fruit sources (FTFS) and the number of individuals that fed together in the same tree (size of feeding subunity) were recorded. All the capuchin monkey groups observed in the PECB were organized as a fission-fusion society, splitting into subgroups of variable size and composition, with preferential associations between pairs of male and female, composition multi-male/multi-female and absence of dominance among females. All these observed characteristics are similar to chimpanzees and neotropical primates which present fissionfusion. The main difference among capuchin monkeys and these species are the sexual dispersion from natal group. In capuchin monkeys the males migrate among groups, while in fission-fusion societies the males are philopatric. In relation to the ecological data, the FTFS and the feeding subunity size had low values for all the capuchin monkey groups, indicating that the fruit sources at PECB are poor quality resources and do not support all group members. There was a relation between subgroup size and pattern of food availability: the largerer and more uniformly distributed the fruit sources the animals were feeding, the larger the subgroup. Therefore, capuchin monkeys at PECB adjust their group size in response to the ecological variations, due to the low fruit availability and thus, this great flexibility allows them to adapt to a new environment and to behave in order to increase their fitness.

Evolution of antigenic determinants of transferrin and other serum proteins in primates

Abstract: The antigenic determinants of the transferrins of 23 different primate species have been compared by a radioimmune inhibition of precipitation technique. Highest degrees of cross-reactivity with antisera to human transferrin were found in the transferrin of African apes, followed by that of the Asian apes, the Old World monkeys, the New World monkeys, and finally by the Prosimians. Thus, the evolution of the antigenic determinants on the transferrin molecule is in good agreement with the taxonomic classification of these species. Similar studies were carried out for α2-macroglobulin and various immunoglobulin chains. Parallel results were obtained except for the μ heavy chain of γM macroglobulin in which gibbon, orangutan, and gorilla probably followed a divergent line of evolution from the other Hominoidea.

The suitability of East African primates as animal models of visceral leishmaniasis.

Abstract: The susceptibility of four East African primate species to experimental infection with Leishmania donovani was investigated. Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), Sykes monkeys (C. mitis) and baboons (Papio cynocephalus) all supported low grade infections for periods ranging between four and eight months and subsequently showed evidence of self-cure. Greater bushbabies (Galago crassicaudatus) remained completely refractory throughout the course of the experiment. The significance of hepatic histiocytic nodules in the infected primates, similar to those observed in asymptomatic human visceral leishmaniasis, and the susceptibility of Old World primates to experimental infection are discussed.

Extragroup Copulations Among Brown Howler Monkeys in Southern Brazil

Abstract: Di Bitetti, M. 2001. Food-associated calls in tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Doctoral thesis, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York. Di Bitetti, M. 2003. Food-associated calls of tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) are functionally referential signals. Behaviour 140: 565–592. Fichtel, C. and Hammerschmidt, K. 2002. Responses of red-fronted lemurs to experimentally modified alarm calls: Evidence for urgency-based changes in call structure. Ethology 108: 763–777. Fichtel, C. and Kappeler, P. M. 2002. Anti-predator behavior of group-living Malagasy primates: Mixed evidence for a referential alarm call system. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 51: 262–275. Izar, P. 2004. Female social relationships of Cebus apella nigritus in a southeastern Atlantic forest: An analysis through ecological models of primate social evolution. Behaviour 141: 71–99. Maccowan, B., Franceschini, N. V. and Vicino, G. 2001. Age differences and developmental trends in alarm peep responses by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). Am. J. Primatol. 53: 19–31. Miller, C. T. and Ghazanfar, A. A. 2002. Meaningful acoustic units in nonhuman primate vocal behavior. In: The Cognitive Animal, C. Allen, M. Bekoff and G. M. Burghard (eds.), pp.265–273. The MIT Press, Cambridge. Oliveira, D. A. G. and Ades, C. 1998. Proximity and grooming interactions as indicators of the social organization of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta fusca clamitans). Neotrop. Primates 6: 115–117. Ottoni, E. B. and Mannu, M. 2001. Semifree-ranging tufted capuchins (Cebus apella) spontaneously use tools to crack open nuts. Int. J. Primatol. 22: 347–358. Robinson, J. G. 1982. Vocal systems regulating withingroup spacing. In: Primate Communication, C. T. Snowdon, C. H. Brown and M. R. Petersen (eds.), pp.94–116. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Seyfarth, R. M. 1988. Vocal communication and its relation to language. In: Primate Societies, B. B. Smuts, D. L. Cheney, R. M. Seyfarth, R. W. Wrangham and T. T. Struhsaker (eds.), pp. 440– 451. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Seyfarth, R. M., Cheney, D. L. and Marler, P. 1980. Vervet monkey alarm calls: Semantic communication in a freeranging primate. Anim. Behav. 28: 1070–1094. Seyfarth, R. M. and Cheney, D. L. 1986. Vocal development in vervet monkeys. Anim. Behav. 34: 1640–1658. Seyfarth, R. M. and Cheney, D. L. 2003. Meaning and emotion in animal vocalizations. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1000: 32–55. Snowdon, C. T. and Pola, Y. V. 1978. Interspecific and intraspecific responses to synthesized pygmy marmoset vocalizations. Anim. Behav. 26: 192–206. Struhsaker, T. T. 1967. Auditory communication among vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). In: Social Communication Among Primates, S. A. Altmann (ed.), pp.281– 324. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Waser, P. M. 1982. The evolution of male loud calls among mangabeys and baboons. In: Primate Communication, C. T. Snowdon, C. H. Brown and M. R. Petersen (eds.), pp.117–143. Cambridge University Press, New York.

Reproduction of the owl monkey (Aotus spp.) in captivity

Abstract: The reproduction performance of captive owl monkeys, a breed used extensively in biomedical research, was observed at the Battelle Primate Facility (BPF). The colony grew through captive breeding, imports from the Peruvian Primatological Project, and others to a peak size of 730. It included seven karyotypes of Aotus sp. Results showed that owl monkeys can breed successfully in a laboratory in numbers sufficient to sustain modest research programs. Reproductive success increases when pairs are compatible, of the same karyotype, and stabilized; however, mated pairs of different karyotype are also productive. Under conditions of controlled lighting and heating, owl monkeys at BPF showed no birth peak nor birth season.