Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons^™

Population Genetic Analysis Of The Critically Endangered Black-And-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Variegata) In Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, Amanda Mancini

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine the efficacy of Ranomafana National Park (RNP) in preserving genetic diversity and gene flow in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). Results indicate that RNP successfully promotes gene flow between V. variegata groups, although genetic diversity at this site is low compared to other lemur taxa.

Total Energy Expenditure In Captive Sapajus Apella, Wren Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Primates expend approximately 50% less energy (kcal/day) for their body size than other eutherians. Using the doubly labeled water method, I investigated total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity in Sapajus apella. S. apella TEE was similar (p=0.67) to other platyrrhines, but 54% lower than expected for body mass.

Climate, Ecology, And Human Evolution During The Plio-Pleistocene, Scott Adam Blumenthal

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A major goal of paleoanthropology is to identify the selective pressures associated with hominin biological and behavioral evolution, yet establishing cause-effect relationships between climate, ecology, and human evolution remains problematic. This dissertation seeks to investigate hominin paleoecology in eastern Africa by reconstructing aspects of climate and ecology using stable isotope analysis.

The first part of this dissertation is focused on the ecology of primates and hominins. Modern tropical African ecosystems provide a useful model for understanding the ecological correlates of isotopic variation in the fossil record, and living primates provide a useful model for understanding the ecological significance of isotopic …

La Souffrance Animale À Distance: Des Vétérinaires Dans L’Action Humanitaire, Frédéric Keck, Miriam Ticktin

Publications and Research

Résumé

Cet article étudie le rôle des vétérinaires dans l’humanitaire à partir de deux types de pratique : la défense des animaux contre la cruauté et la surveillance des animaux touchés par les épidémies. En suivant l’extension de l’action humanitaire aux animaux comme nouvelles figures de victimes innocentes, nous cherchons à dépasser l’approche compassionnelle de l’humanitaire pour étudier les nouvelles formes scientifiques impliquant des non-humains, comme la médecine vétérinaire légale, les neurosciences et l’immunologie. Nous soutenons finalement que ces sciences produisent de nouveaux collectifs d’humains et de non-humains.

Abstract

This article traces the role of veterinarians in humanitarian action, focusing …

Was There A Sensory Trade-Off In Primate Evolution? The Vomeronasal Groove As A Means Of Understanding The Vomeronasal System In The Fossil Record., Eva Christine Garrett

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Primates have remarkable visual adaptations compared to most other mammals, long explained as associated with a trade-off with olfaction (smell). However, as more information comes to light on the role of olfaction in primate behavior it becomes apparent that olfaction is not a trivial sense. Even humans use smell to communicate, albeit in subtle ways, and the olfactory systems of the lemurs and lorises are very well-developed. Olfaction, however, is actually comprised of two distinct systems - the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems. These two systems overlap in many functions, but the main olfactory system is considered fairly generalized while …

Minerals In The Foods Eaten By Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla Beringei), Emma C. Cancelliere, Nicole Deangelis, John Bosco Nkurunungi, David R. Raubenheimer, Jessica M. Rothman

Publications and Research

Minerals are critical to an individual’s health and fitness, and yet little is known about mineral nutrition and requirements in free-ranging primates. We estimated the mineral content of foods consumed by mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Mountain gorillas acquire the majority of their minerals from herbaceous leaves, which constitute the bulk of their diet. However, less commonly eaten foods were sometimes found to be higher in specific minerals, suggesting their potential importance. A principal component analysis demonstrated little correlation among minerals in food items, which further suggests that mountain gorillas might increase dietary …

The Development And Function Of The Nasopharynx And Its Role In The Evolution Of Primate Respiratory Abilities, Anthony Santino Pagano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The nasopharynx is a centrally located region of the upper respiratory tract (URT) integral to several physiological functions. However, few have focused on this area within the context of human evolution. This study investigated osseous morphology, soft tissue histology, development, and evolutionary change of the nasopharynx. Multimodal analyses were performed:

Analysis 1: This study tested hypotheses on the morphological relationships of the osseous nasopharyngeal boundaries with the splanchnocranium and basicranium among dry crania representing humans and non-human primates using 3D geometric morphometrics (3D-GM). Results showed that humans, the most orthognathic group, exhibited the widest nasopharynges. Over human development, the nasopharynx …

30 Days In The Life: Daily Nutrient Balancing In A Wild Chacma Baboon, Caley A. Johnson, David Raubenheimer, Jessica M. Rothman, David Clarke, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

For most animals, the ability to regulate intake of specific nutrients is vital to fitness. Recent studies have demonstrated nutrient regulation in nonhuman primates over periods of one observation day, though studies of humans indicate that such regulation extends to longer time frames. Little is known about longer-term regulation in nonhuman primates, however, due to the challenges of multiple-day focal follows. Here we present the first detailed study of nutrient intake across multiple days in a wild nonhuman primate. We conducted 30 consecutive all day follows on one female chacma baboon (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in the Cape Peninsula of South …

Evolution And Allometry Of Calcaneal Elongation In Living And Extinct Primates, Doug M. Boyer, Erik R. Seiffert, Justin T. Gladman, Jonathan I. Bloch

Publications and Research

Specialized acrobatic leaping has been recognized as a key adaptive trait tied to the origin and subsequent radiation of euprimates based on its observed frequency in extant primates and inferred frequency in extinct early euprimates. Hypothesized skeletal correlates include elongated tarsal elements, which would be expected to aid leaping by allowing for increased rates and durations of propulsive acceleration at takeoff. Alternatively, authors of a recent study argued that pronounced distal calcaneal elongation of euprimates (compared to other mammalian taxa) was related primarily to specialized pedal grasping. Testing for correlations between calcaneal elongation and leaping versus grasping is complicated by …

Cladistic Analysis Of Extant And Fossil African Papionins Using Craniodental Data, Christopher C. Gilbert

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Fourth Level Of Social Structure In A Multi-Level Society: Ecological & Social Functions Of Clans In Hamadryas Baboons, Amy Schreier, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Hamadryas baboons are known for their complex, multi-level social structure consisting of troops, bands, and one-male units (OMUs) [Kummer, 1968]. Abegglen [1984] observed a 4^th level of social structure comprising several OMUs that rested near one another on sleeping cliffs, traveled most closely together during daily foraging, and sometimes traveled as subgroups independently from the rest of the band. Abegglen called these associations “clans” and suggested that they consisted of related males. Here we confirm the existence of clans in a second wild hamadryas population, a band of about 200 baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During …

Male Aggression Towards Females In Hamadryas Baboons: Conditioning, Coercion And Control, Larissa Swedell, Amy Schreier

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Composition And Seasonality Of Diet In Wild Hamadryas Baboons: Preliminary Findings From Filoha, Larissa Swedell, Getenet Hailemeskel, Amy Schreier

Publications and Research

Here we report the first year-round quantitative data on dietary composition and seasonality in wild hamadryas baboons. Study subjects were adult male members of Band 3 at the Filoha field site in central lowland Ethiopia. Data collection consisted of 10-minute focal samples during all-day follows 4-6 days per month over the course of one year. The two largest contributors to the diet were Hyphaene thebaica and Acacia senegal, and these were the only plant species found in the diet during every month of the year. Other relatively major contributors to the diet, such as Cyperus grandibulbosus, Seddera bagshawei, …

Use Of Palm Trees As A Sleeping Site By Hamadryas Baboons In Ethiopia, Amy Schreier, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Hamadryas baboons sleep on cliffs throughout their range, and this can be attributed to the safety cliffs provide against predators in the absence of tall trees. In this paper, we report the first documented occurrence of hamadryas baboons sleeping in doum palm trees rather than on cliffs. Data derive from a study of hamadryas baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During all-day follows, data were collected on travel patterns, band activity, and location. Variation in the baboons’ home range was characterized using vegetation transects. We discovered that one band in this population, Band 3, occasionally slept in doum …

Strategies Of Sex And Survival In Hamadryas Baboons: Through A Female Lens, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Perspectives On Reproduction And Life History In Baboons, Larissa Swedell, Steven R. Leigh

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Infant Mortality After Takeovers In Wild Ethiopian Hamadryas Baboons, Larissa Swedell, Teklu Tesfaye

Publications and Research

In this paper, we report the first observational evidence of infanticide in wild hamadryas baboons. The study group inhabits the lowlands of the northern Rift Valley in Ethiopia and has been under observation for over 1200 hours, on and off, since October 1996. Here we report observations from August and September 2002 of the consequences of two takeovers of known females with black infants. After the first takeover, the respective infant disappeared and was presumed dead within eleven days of the takeover. After the second takeover, the infant incurred repeated severe aggression from its mother’s new leader male and eventually …

Affiliation Among Females In Wild Hamadryas Baboons (Papio Hamadryas Hamadryas), Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Previous studies of hamadryas baboons have described a “star-shaped” sociogram, whereby the strongest social bonds within hamadryas one-male units are those between a leader male and his females and bonds among females are weak by comparison. This type of social organization has also been called “cross bonding” to distinguish it from the “female bonding” found in most papionin monkeys. Models of female primate socioecology have suggested that hamadryas baboons lack female bonding due to their reliance on scarce, widely-dispersed food resources. Here I report observational data from a wild population of hamadryas baboons in Ethiopia indicating that, while females varied …

Ranging Behavior, Group Size, And Behavioral Flexibility In Ethiopian Hamadryas Baboons (Papio Hamadryas Hamadryas)., Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

This study reports group size, home range size, daily path lengths, seasonal effects on ranging behavior and qualitative information on diet for a population of hamadryas baboons inhabiting the lowlands of the northern Rift Valley in central Ethiopia. The minimum home range size and daily path length for this population are similar to those reported for other populations of hamadryas baboons in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. Group sizes, however, are much larger than those in most other hamadryas populations for which published data are available. The large group sizes in this area may be related to the abundance of one …

Two Takeovers In Wild Hamadryas Baboons, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Hamadryas baboons exhibit a multi-level social structure in which several one-male units, each consisting of a ‘leader’ male and one or more females, comprise a band’ and two or more bands comprise a troop. Cohesion of each one-male unit is maintained by aggressive herding by its leader male [1]. Here I describe the consequences of 2 takeovers in a band of wild hamadryas baboons. I report evidence of infant mortality following takeovers, changes in female reproductive condition within 2 weeks after takeovers, and the reacquisition of a female by a deposed leader male, none of which has been previously reported …

Patterns Of Reconciliation Among Captive Gelada Baboons (Theropithecus Gelada), Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Animals that live in groups are frequently exposed to conflict situations and must in some way maintain group cohesion. One mechanism that appears to restore social relationships after they have been disrupted by conflict is reconciliation. This study investigated reconciliatory behavior in the gelada baboon, Theropithecus gelada. The subjects were 11 adult geladas, housed in a large outdoor enclosure at the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park, New York. Five-minute focal animal samples following spontaneous aggression were compared with 5-min matched-control samples. The results of this study were: (1) geladas reunited in a friendly way after aggression; (2) former opponents were attracted …

¿Los Restos Del Hombre De Pekín?, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.