A comparison of tool-use flexibility between captive chimpanzees and bonobos

Passive avoidance in rats and gerbils as a function of species-specific exploratory tendencies

Morphological studies typically avoid using osteological samples that derive from captive animals because it is assumed that their morphology is not representative of wild populations. Rearing environments indeed differ between wild and captive individuals. For example, mechanical properties of the diets provided to captive animals can be drastically different from the food present in their natural habitats, which could impact cranial morphology and dental health. Here, we examine morphological differences in the maxillae of wild versus captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) given the prominence of this species in comparative samples used in human evolution research and the key role of the maxilla in such studies. Size and shape were analysed using three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods based on computed tomography scans of 94 wild and 30 captive specimens. Captive individuals have on average larger and more asymmetrical maxillae than wild chimpanzees, and significant differences are present in their maxillary shapes. A large proportion of these shape differences are attributable to static allometry, but wild and captive specimens still differ significantly from each other after allometric size adjustment of the shape data. Levels of shape variation are higher in the captive group, while the degree of size variation is likely similar in our two samples. Results are discussed in the context of ontogenetic growth trajectories, changes in dietary texture, an altered social environment, and generational differences. Additionally, sample simulations show that size and shape differences between chimpanzees and bonobos (Pan paniscus) are exaggerated when part of the wild sample is replaced with captive chimpanzees. Overall, this study confirms that maxillae of captive chimpanzees should not be included in morphological or taxonomic analyses when the objective is to characterise the species.

The main and interactive effects of host and seasonal factors on abundance of 22 common helminth species from fall and spring migratory blue-winged teal collected in the Texas Panhandle were examined. Although abundances of many common helminth species were greater in immature than adult birds just off the breeding grounds, fall-collected adults had higher abundances of most helminth species than did both juvenile and adult birds from the wintering grounds in Mexico. While total abundance of helminths declined on the wintering grounds to only 54% of that from fall-collected birds, overall species composition and abundances of some helminth species were equivalent in the host population throughout the year, regardless of changing geographic locality and migratory stress. The helminth fauna acquired in the northern latitude breeding grounds was not replaced by an ecologically equivalent fauna in the southern latitude wintering grounds. Only one species, Corynosoma constrictum, was lost without replacement during the wintering period. Schistorphus cucullatus, a parasite of the Raillidae, occurred in birds on the wintering grounds but was lost without replacement on the breeding grounds. Thus, most of these helminth species were capable of ubiquitous transmission across the range of this host and (or) infections of the respective species persisted through the migratory stress period. This study suggests that diversity in the helminth community of a migratory host species over its entire geographic range may largely result from differences between separate populations that have become isolated over time as a result of establishing specific migratory corridors, rather than from the short-term effects of environmental differences between regions representing the extremes of the overall migratory range (breeding and wintering grounds).

Small mammal community in various habitats at Apuy track and Linggarjati track of Gunung Ciremai National Park. Distribution of small mammals at Apuy track (west slope) and Linggarjati track (east slope) of Gunung Ciremai National Park are correlated with their habitats. Traps, mist nets and observational methods were conducted to record small mammals from seven different habitats. To interpret such patterns, we conducted cluster analysis based on Jaccard index of similarity resulting five distinct groups. Species diversity for each habitat differs significantly indicating great diversity differences between habitats. Common species appear to occupy disturbed area along the habitats examined, where as rare species tend to associate with more distinctive habitat types. The results seem to suggest that forest may still consitute an substantial component for the preservation of small mammals. Key words: ciremai, small mammals, habitat, distribution, zoning.

Females and males often face different sources of selection, resulting in dimorphism in morphological, physiological, and even cognitive traits. Sex differences are often studied in respect to spatial cognition, yet the different ecological roles of males and females might shape cognition in multiple ways. For example, in dietary generalist bumblebees (Bombus), the ability to learn associations is critical to female workers, who face informationally rich foraging scenarios as they collect nectar and pollen from thousands of flowers over a period of weeks to months to feed the colony. While male bumblebees likely need to learn associations as well, they only forage for themselves while searching for potential mates. It is thus less clear whether foraging males would benefit from the same associative learning performance as foraging females. In this system, as in others, cognitive performance is typically studied in lab-reared animals under captive conditions, which may not be representative of patterns in the wild. In the first test of sex and species differences in cognition using wild bumblebees, we compared the performance of Bombus vancouverensis nearcticus (formerly bifarius) and Bombus vosnesenskii of both sexes on an associative learning task at Sierra Nevada (CA) field sites. Across both species, we found that males and females did not differ in their ability to learn, although males were slower to respond to the sucrose reward. These results offer the first evidence from natural populations that male bumblebees may be equally as able to learn associations as females, supporting findings from captive colonies of commercial bees. The observed interspecific variation in learning ability opens the door to using the Bombus system to test hypotheses about comparative cognition.

Glucocorticoids and melatonin show immunomodulatory functions, acting as both stimulators and suppressors of the immune response, depending on the context. While their immune properties are well explored in mammals, in amphibians there are still few studies on this immune-endocrine interaction in an inflammatory context, all of them under captivity conditions. Evaluating how these animals react in the field to an immune challenge can bring relevant information regarding how immune-physiological parameters are modulated in natural conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an immune challenge, represented by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, in different activity times of toads (Rhinella icterica) recently captured in their natural habitat in Atlantic Forest. The following parameters were evaluated: bacterial killing ability, hormone levels (plasma corticosterone, melatonin and testosterone) and gene expression of cytokines. LPS injection induced an increase in corticosterone plasma levels and in the gene expression of interleukin-1. Time of injection affected some of the cytokines response, indicating a higher inflammatory response at the beginning of the night. Our results show that LPS induced an inflammatory response, with time of injection affecting some of the evaluated parameters, showing a similar pattern found in other studies in captivity. While this work found results associated more with the first stage of the inflammatory response, other studies should evaluate further stages in the montage of an immune response.

The influence of the land type between patches of remnant vegetation on species' survival is now widely acknowledged. From the species’ perspective, this land could be hostile (defined as a matrix) or amenable (defined as new habitat). In this thesis, I was interested in whether species were favoured or hindered by fragmentation of their natural Eucalyptus forest habitat into remnants surrounded by a pine plantation and the mechanisms behind their responses. I took advantage of the Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment, in Australia, to investigate the response of beetles and butterflies to this landscape change. In a large scale edge effects study, I demonstrated that the effect of a Eucalyptus forest-pine plantation edge was widespread for the beetle community and that phytophagous beetles respond predictably to vegetation change along the edge gradient. Furthermore, I highlighted that many species responded to edge effects up to and beyond the scale tested (1000 metres). In a study of butterflies at the Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment, I demonstrated that butterfly species were richer in the pine plantation than the remnants and continuous forest. This suggested that the pine plantation offers new and possibly preferable habitat for butterflies than the corresponding native Eucalyptus forest. Furthermore, there was evidence for a mass effect within the remnants, with the pine plantation potentially boosting species richness and abundance of common species in the remnants when compared with the controls. Revisiting carabid beetle species studied originally between 1985 and 1992, I found that responses in the long term (more than 25 years post-fragmentation) contrasted with those in the short term (five years post-fragmentation). Long-term species’ responses were driven by the changing pine plantation matrix, which offers additional habitat resources and a habitat structure favourable to carabid populations both in and around remnant native Eucalyptus forest fragments. I used specimens of two carabid beetle species collected at Wog Wog to measure morphological change through the history of the experiment. Changes implied that one species increased its dispersal ability in response to the plantation landscape. This change was likely in response to the different ground structure in the pine plantation in tandem with the increased habitat that it provides. Collectively, the papers in this thesis demonstrate that plantations can have both positive and negative effects for species. Species' responses to plantations changed over time as a result of a number of interacting factors such as changes in habitat resources and structure and species interactions. The trees at the Bondi State Forest are currently reaching maturity and are due for harvesting over the next few years. This suggests that many beetle and butterfly species will lose access to resources in the plantation resulting in their decline. This will likely impact species at over 1000m beyond the edge of the plantation, which includes those in…

We studied the hibernation behavior of the water frog Rana lessonae and its hybridogenetic associate R. esculenta in their natural habitat during three successive winters. Animals caught in pitfall traps at a fenced pond were individually marked with PIT tags and some (n=36) were additionally equipped with radio transmitters. Of the animals caught, 85% left the fenced pond for hibernation. More R. esculenta remained inside the fenced area compared to R. lessonae. R. lessonae emigrated earlier in autumn and came back later in spring than R. esculenta, but the distance to their hibernation sites did not differ. Both species left the fenced pond earlier in the year when ambient temperatures were lower. All radio-tracked animals hibernated in woodland, 3-7 cm below the surface in soil, under moss, fallen leaves or small branches. Soil temperatures at the actual hibernation sites were significantly higher than at randomly chosen control sites. A surprising finding was that most frogs changed their hibernation sites during winter, and often more than once. Movements were more frequent in the warmer first half of the winter than in the cooler second half, but some animals were active even on days with mean temperatures below 1°C. These results show that both species do not spend the whole winter torpid in one particular hibernation site but move around, especially at higher temperatures. Most of the animals lost weight during the winter, and the weight loss was greater in females than in males and higher in warm than in cold winters. To what extent weight loss and survival is influenced by the chosen hibernation sites and the amount of movement during winter, and whether this contributes to the differences in species and sex ratios found in mixed populations, needs more investigation.

Latitudinal and altitudinal range shifts in response to climate change have been reported for numerous animal species, especially those with high dispersal capacities. In plants, the impact of climate change on species distribution or community composition has been documented mainly over long periods (decades) and in specific habitats, often forests. Here, we broaden the results of such long-term, focused studies by examining climate-driven changes in plant community composition over a large area (France) encompassing multiple habitat types and over a short period (2009–2017). To this end, we measured mean community thermal preference, calculated as the community-weighted mean of the Ellenberg temperature indicator value, using data from a standardized participatory monitoring scheme. We report a rapid increase in the mean thermal preference of plant communities at national and regional scales, which we relate to climate change. This reshuffling of plant community composition corresponds to a relative increase in the abundance of warm- versus cold-adapted species. However, support for this trend was weaker when considering only the common species, including common annuals. Our results thus suggest for the first time that the response of plant communities to climate change involves subtle changes affecting all species rare and common, which can nonetheless be detected over short time periods. Whether such changes are sufficient to cope with the current climate warming remains to be ascertained.

A survey was conducted to evaluate the number of tree-hole breeding mosquito species and their distribution in the six principal woodland types in Israel. Out of approximately 3,000 mature trees examined, only 38 contained holes that retained water for extended periods of time, and breeding mosquitoes were observed in 27 of them. Two specialized tree-hole breeders, Aedes pulchritarsis Rondani and Aedes geniculatus Oliver, were found breeding at several sites in northern Israel, always at locations 500 m above sea level (a.s.l) and with high annual precipitation. Aedes albopictus Skuse which, in Israel, is known as an opportunistic container breeder, was found in this study to have adapted remarkably well to breeding in tree holes and was found in most forest types investigated and in most tree species which had adequate tree holes. Two other species, Culiseta annulata Schrank and Culex pipiens Linnaeus instars, were found in one of the tree holes, but did not survive to reach maturity.

Ripe fruit eating shapes the behavior of most of the apes. Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are very different sizes and, consequently, have been traditionally viewed as ecologically distinct, but few studies have explored the behavioral and physiological foundations of their diets. Debate continues on the extent that large-bodied gorillas may be less selective and more opportunistic fruit eaters than chimpanzees. Taste responses have been predicted to relate to body size and digestive strategies. This study employs laboratory research on taste perception and discrimination among captive zoo-housed chimpanzees and relates it to previous work on gorillas to better characterize diets and niche separation among these apes. During the captive trials, differences were recorded in consumption patterns of water and varying concentrations of dilute aqueous fructose (sweet) and tannic acid solutions (astringent), compounds commonly found in wild foods. The chimpanzees exhibited similar preference thresholds for fructose (50 mM) to other primates studied. They exhibited slightly lower inhibition thresholds for tannic acid solutions than gorillas, but higher than smaller primates studied to date. These preliminary findings suggest that tannin tolerance may well be mediated by body size, though possible species differences in salivary proteins or other sensory differences remain to be explored. This research furthers our efforts to understand the roles of body size and physiological adaptations in shaping diet and niche separation of chimpanzees and gorillas.

강원도 연복초 자생지 입지환경을 알아보기 위하여 분포지를 밝히고 9개 지역의 22 지점을 대상으로 환경요인, 식생 및 토양분석을 실시하였다. 연복초는 강원도 동해시, 속초시, 고성군과 양구군을 제외한 14개 시군의 총 44개 지역에 분포하는 것으로 확인되었다. 자생지는 해발 99-1,084 m의 범위에 위치하였으며, 경사는 <TEX>$0-25^{\circ}$</TEX>로 비교적 완만하였다. 식생조사 결과 방형구 내에 출현한 관속식물은 총 215분류군이었다. 초본층의 중요치는 연복초가 32.8%로 가장 높았으며 다음으로는 벌깨덩굴(7.5%), 미나리냉이(5.1%), 미치광이풀(3.8%), 현호색(3.3%) 등의 순으로 나타나 이 종류들이 연복초와 친화도가 높은 것으로 생각된다. 식생의 양적지수를 산출한 결과 종다양도는 0.4870-0.9848, 균등도와 우점도는 각각 0.4525-0.7601과 0.1335-0.4191의 범위로 나타났다. 각 방형구내에 조사된 종류들의 중요치에 기초한 군집분석 결과에서는 우점종의 상이성에 의해 유집되는 경향을 보였다. 토양 분석결과 포장용수량, pH 그리고 유기물함량은 각각 4.29-38.45%, 4.61-5.98, 2.44-20.21%의 범위로 조사되었다. This study intended to investigate the distribution of natural habitats, and the environmental factors, vegetation and soil analysis at 22 different sites of 9 regions in order to understand the environmental characteristics of <TEX>$Adoxa$</TEX> <TEX>$moschatellina$</TEX> in Prov. Gangwon-do. Natural habitats are confirmed at 44 regions of 14 cities and counties except for Donghae-si, Sokcho-si, Gosung-gun and Yanggu-gun in Prov. Gangwon-do. Natural habitats were located at altitudes of 99-1,084 m with slope inclinations of <TEX>$0-25^{\circ}$</TEX>. A total of 215 vascular plant taxa are identified from 22 quadrates. Importance value for members of the herbaceous (H) layer were as follows: <TEX>$Adoxa$</TEX> <TEX>$moschatellina$</TEX> 32.8%; <TEX>$Meehania$</TEX> <TEX>$urticifolia$</TEX> 7.5%; <TEX>$Cardamine$</TEX> <TEX>$leucantha$</TEX> 5.1%; <TEX>$Scopolia$</TEX> <TEX>$japonica$</TEX> 3.8%; <TEX>$Corydalis$</TEX> <TEX>$remota$</TEX> 3.3%. The importance value of the last four species are high, so they are at affinity with <TEX>$Adoxa$</TEX> <TEX>$moschatellina$</TEX> in their habitats. Species diversity of investigated sites ranged 0.4870-0.9848, and that of evenness and dominance are 0.4525-0.7601 and 0.1335-0.4191, respectively. Cluster analysis based on importance value appeared the high relations with differences of dominance species. Field capacity of investigated sites ranged 4.29-38.45%, and the soil pH and organic matter were 4.61-5.98 and 2.44-20.21, respectively.

Staurogyne debilis (T. Anders.) C. B. Clarke (Acanthaceae) is a common species in the Philippines. It is here reported for the first time from the Nanjenshan Nature Reserve in the southernmost of Taiwan. Taxonomic description, habitat information, a line drawing of the species, and a key to the Taiwanese species of Staurogyne are provided.

Escalating wildfire frequency and severity are altering wildland habitats worldwide. Yet investigations into fire impacts on wildlife habitat rarely extend to the macroecological scales relevant to species conservation and global change processes. We evaluate the effects of wildfire on habitat quality and selection by large mammals spanning three trophic levels in the Western United States. We analyze 12 years of GPS telemetry data for 2966 mule deer Odocoileus hemionus , 52 black bears Ursus americanus , and 74 cougars Puma concolor across Utah and Nevada, USA. Over 800 areas burned between 1990–2022 overlapped with the home ranges of 1892 animals, resulting in almost 23 000 km 2 of burned habitat and representing 12.8% of the total home range area for animals in our sample. Habitat suitability models for 664 mule deer, 14 black bears and 11 cougars indicated that burns improved summer home range quality for mule deer and black bears by 7% and 14%, respectively, highlighting the benefits of fires for nutrient cycling, understory herbaceous growth, and resultant caloric value for animal nutrition. When making fine‐scale movement decisions, however, mule deer avoided burned habitats, and all three species generally avoided high‐severity burns for up to 30 years post‐fire. Thus, the effects of burns on wildlife habitat selection appear to be dependent on spatial scale. Given projected increases in large, severe fires, our results suggest potential reductions in beneficial habitat for wildlife in the long term. However, our results also suggest that prescribed burns, because of their smaller spatial footprints and lower severity relative to wildfires, can benefit wildlife habitat quality through improvements in forage, cover, and other vegetation characteristics. Therefore, managing for low‐severity burns and limiting large, severe wildfires, e.g. via prescribed burns or fire control policies, could positively impact the habitat quality of these three common species and, therefore, the economic and ecosystem services they provide.

Territory mapping is considered one of the most accurate methods for estimating forest bird densities and studying the subtle relationships between birds and their habitats. Nevertheless, the territory mapping method has rarely been applied to estimate entire bird communities in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. We conducted territory mappings in an area of around 40 ha at a mid-elevation site in Taiwan for a period of 20 consecutive weeks (40 census days in total) from early March to late July 2005 to establish field protocols of territory mapping and examine the effectiveness of this method in detecting the avian community composition. Fifty-seven bird species from 5719 registrations were recorded during the 40 field censuses. The results suggested that the optimal period for territory mapping at the study site was during 10~12 wk from early April to late June, because during this period, the prevalences of most breeding species were highest. Within this period of time, we registered 88% of the breeding species recorded historically. Repeatedly playing 2 repetitions of the territorial songs of the 14 commonest species did not significantly affect the total number of breeding species or registrations recorded on each census. These results indicate that with a good trail system, the territory mapping method is suitable for censusing bird communities in forests of Taiwan and similar habitats in Asia. However, due to the non-territorial behavior, asynchronous breeding season, and multiple broodings of birds in tropical and subtropical regions, the efficiency of territory mapping method is not as good as that in temperate regions.