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Macaques
Kinds of Macaques Terms modified by Macaques Selected AbstractsMaking the Monkey: How the Togean Macaque Went from "New Form" to "Endemic Species" in Indonesians' Conservation BiologyCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Celia Lowe Indonesian scientists inhabit a postcolonial world where they are both elite (within the nation) and subaltern (within transnational science) at precisely the same moments. A study of science that is neither "ethno" nor "Euro" requires a postcolonial refiguration not only of how science's matter is made but of where and by whom. In the 1990s, the Togean macaque (Macaca togeanus) was proposed as a new species endemic to the Togean Islands, the proposed site of a new conservation area in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. In the scientific production of biodiverse nature, Indonesian primatologists identified the monkey first as a "new form," then as a "dubious name," and subsequently, as an "endemic species." Throughout these acts of making, unmaking, and remaking the monkey, its unique and endemic status was important for developing Indonesian conservation biology, attracting foreign donors, and enlisting government and public interest in Togean Island nature, even as forms of nature important to Togean peoples were overwritten in this process. [source] Sex, Rank and Age Differences in the Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata yakui) Participation in Inter-Group EncountersETHOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Bonaventura Majolo In many species interactions among group are often characterized by agonistic behaviour. Although animals may participate in inter-group encounters in different ways, depending on their energetic requirements, reproductive tactics, and/or developmental stage, the proximate causes affecting an animal's participation in inter-group encounters are still poorly understood. Indeed, many studies have analysed the behaviour of males and females during inter-group encounters without considering the importance of additional factors (e.g. rank). This study focuses on wild non-provisioned Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui) living on Yakushima Island, Japan. It aims to determine how monkeys of different sex, age, and rank behave during inter-group encounters and it discusses the implications and consequences of their behaviour on group composition and male dispersal. Males participated significantly more than females in inter-group encounters, by displaying more aggressive or affiliative behaviour. High-ranking and/or adult males were more aggressive than low-ranking and/or subadult males during encounters occurring in the mating season and they also showed more herding behaviour. This trend was not found in inter-group encounters occurring during the non-mating season. Finally, males which then emigrated to new groups were low-ranking and/or subadult individuals. Those males displayed more affiliative behaviour towards foreign males than males which did emigrate. These data indicate that in non-territorial species with male dominance over female and high competition for mating partners males play an active, and often aggressive, role during inter-group encounter while female participation is scarce. Factors such as age, rank and period of the year (in seasonally breeding species) have to be taken into considerations when analysing interactions between groups and their effects on group composition and social behaviour. [source] Changes In Rhesus Macaque ,Coo' Vocalizations during Early DevelopmentETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2000Kurt Hammerschmidt In order to test whether ,coo' calls of young rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, undergo some modifications during early development, and to explore which factors may influence these changes, we studied the ontogeny of their contact call, the ,coo' call. Vocalizations were recorded during brief periods of social separation. Infants were either raised with their mothers and other conspecifics, or separated from their mothers at birth and housed in a nursery with other infants. We recorded calls uttered in the separation context from 20 infants. We digitized the first 50 calls of a given series and subjected them to a Fourier transform. From each frequency,time spectrum, we extracted 65 acoustic parameters using a software program (LMA 5.9). We then used a cluster analysis to separate the ,coo' calls from other call types. With increasing age, the ,coos' dropped in pitch and became more even. The course of amplitude became more constant and the call duration increased slightly. Nevertheless, we found a high intra-individual variation throughout the 5 mo. Neither rearing condition nor sex had any apparent influence on age-related changes in ,coo' structure. With one exception, all parameters that correlated with age could be explained by variation in weight. Therefore, we conclude that growth is the main factor accounting for the observed changes. [source] Macaque,human interactions and the societal perceptions of macaques in SingaporeAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009John Chih Mun Sha Abstract Humans and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) interface in several locations in Singapore. We investigated six of these interface zones to assess the level of conflict between the two species. We observed macaque-to-human interactions and distributed questionnaires to residents and visitors of nature reserves. We observed an average of two macaque-to-human interactions per hour at the sites, which included affiliative or submissive behaviors (46.9%), aggression (19.1%), taking food and other items (18.5%) searching bins, cars, and houses (13.4%), and nonaggressive contact (2.1%). Two-thirds of interactions occurred when a human was carrying food or food cues, and one-quarter occurred when a human provoked macaques. Only 8% of interactions occurred without a clear human-triggered context. Our interview showed one-third of respondents experienced nuisance problems from macaques. They had items taken from them (50.5%) and received threats (31.9%). Residents reported more nuisance problems than visitors, and their perceptions toward macaques differed. Residents were more aware of the consequences of food provisioning and that there were regulations against feeding. Residents fed macaques less and held more negative sentiments toward macaques. Nearly half of the interviewed people held neutral attitudes toward macaques and only 26.2% of respondents thought conflict with macaques warranted urgent action. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents supported education programs to ameliorate human,macaque conflict, and less than 15% supported removing or eradicating macaques. 87.6% felt that it is importance to conserve and protect macaques. Our results show that human,macaque conflict exists in Singapore, but that it may not be severe. Human behavior is largely responsible for macaque-to-human interactions, and thus could be lessened with management of human behavior in interface zones (i.e. restrict food carrying and provocation). Moreover, our interviews shows people living in Singapore value macaques, do not wish them entirely removed, prefer education-based solutions, and consider conservation and protection of them important. Am. J. Primatol. 71:825,839, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Morphology of the Dorsal Lingual Papillae in the Japanese Macaque and Savanna MonkeyANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 5 2002S. Emura Summary The dorsal lingual surfaces of infant Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) and adult savanna monkey (Cercopithecus aethiopus) were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Filiform, fungiform, foliate and vallate papillae were found. The filiform papillae were distributed over the entire dorsal surface of the tongue. The fungiform papillae were round in shape, and more densely distributed on the lingual apex. The foliate papillae were seen on the dorsolateral aspect of the tongue. The three vallate papillae were arranged like a triangle with the apex of the triangle directing caudally. Each papilla was surrounded by a groove. The rudiments of the fungiform, foliate and vallate papillae were visible earlier than those of the filiform papillae. [source] Adjustment of Temporal Call Usage During Vocal Exchange of Coo Calls in Japanese MacaquesETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Hideki Sugiura Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) exchange coo calls with group members to maintain contact. I examined the relationship between the distance between group members and (1) the latency of vocal responses to spontaneous calls, and (2) the latency of spontaneous call repetition in the absence of vocal responses. After a subject monkey's spontaneous call, the latency of vocal response by another group member was longer when the subject was farther from the group members than when the subject was near the group members. Furthermore, subject repeated calls with longer intervals in the absence of vocal response, which suggests that they wait longer for the vocal responses of other group members when the expected response latency is longer. These results reveal that Japanese macaques flexibly alter the timing of their calls based on others' vocal responses. [source] Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies of the Development of Group Differences in Acoustic Features of Coo Calls in Two Groups of Japanese MacaquesETHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Toshiaki Tanaka Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, frequently utter coo calls to maintain vocal contact. Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons were conducted on the acoustic features of coo vocalizations of two groups of M. fuscata, Yakushima and Ohirayama groups, to explore the possibility of vocal plasticity. These two groups derive from the same local population but have been separated for more than 34 yr. The Yakushima group is non-provisioned, while the Ohirayama group is provisioned. Initially, coo calls in the two groups were compared cross-sectionally in females ranging from 0 to 18 yr. Mean values of the four variables studied (start, end, maximum, and minimum frequencies) were consistently lower in all age groups of the Ohirayama individuals compared with the Yakushima individuals. Secondly, longitudinal comparisons were conducted on individuals in the 1,4 yr after birth. Mean values of the five frequency variables studied (start, end, maximum, minimum and average frequencies) were again consistently lower in all age groups of Ohirayama compared with Yakushima individuals, although mean values of both groups gradually declined with an increase in age. Inter-group differences were significant at all ages in minimum frequency and at the first, second and third years in start frequency. Longitudinal comparisons of individuals aged 4,11 mo were also conducted. Regarding the four variables that differed between the two groups in the cross-sectional study, the mean values of minimum and start frequency did not differ significantly between the two groups at 4,5 mo, but were significantly lower in Ohirayama individuals aged 7,8 and 9,11 mo. Although provisioning may have had an effect on the weight difference between the groups, and consequently on vocalization frequency, these results suggest that the inter-group differences in coo call features form approximately 6,7 mo after birth as a result of vocal plasticity. [source] Age Differences in the Responses to Adult and Juvenile Alarm Calls by Bonnet Macaques (Macaca radiata)ETHOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Uma Ramakrishnan This study examined the differential responses to alarm calls from juvenile and adult wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) in two parks in southern India. Field studies of several mammalian species have reported that the alarm vocalizations of immature individuals are often treated by perceivers as less provocative than those of adults. This study documents such differences in response using field-recorded playbacks of juvenile and adult alarm vocalizations. To validate the use of playback vocalizations as proxies of natural calls, we compared the responses of bonnet macaques to playbacks of alarm vocalizations with responses engendered by natural alarm vocalizations. We found that the frequency of flight, latency to flee, and the frequency of scanning to vocalization playbacks and natural vocalizations were comparable, thus supporting the use of playbacks to compare the effects of adult and juvenile calls. Our results showed that adult alarm calls were more provocative than juvenile alarm calls, inducing greater frequencies of flight with faster reaction times. Conversely, juvenile alarm calls were more likely to engender scanning by adults, a result interpreted as reflecting the lack of reliability of juvenile calls. Finally, we found age differences in flight behavior to juvenile alarm calls and to playbacks of motorcycle engine sounds, with juveniles and subadults more likely to flee than adults after hearing such sounds. These findings might reflect an increased vulnerability to predators or a lack of experience in young bonnet macaques. [source] Rhesus macaque antibody molecules: sequences and heterogeneity of alpha and gamma constant regionsIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Franco Scinicariello Summary Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are extensively used in vaccine development. Macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) or simian-human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIV) are the best animal model currently available for acquired-immune-deficiency-syndrome-related studies. Recent results emphasize the importance of antibody responses in controlling HIV and SIV infection. Despite the increasing attention placed on humoral immunity in these models, very limited information is available on rhesus macaque antibody molecules. Therefore, we sequenced, cloned and characterized immunoglobulin gamma (IGHG) and alpha (IGHA) chain constant region genes from rhesus macaques of Indian and Chinese origin. Although it is currently thought that rhesus macaques express three IgG subclasses, we identified four IGHG genes, which were designated IGHG1, IGHG2, IGHG3 and IGHG4 on the basis of sequence similarities with the four human genes encoding the IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 subclasses. The four genes were expressed at least at the messenger RNA level, as demonstrated by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The level of intraspecies heterogeneity was very high for IGHA genes, whereas IGHG genes were remarkably similar in all animals examined. However, single amino acid substitutions were present in IGHG2 and IGHG4 genes, indicating the presence of IgG polymorphism possibly resulting in the expression of different allotypes. Two IgA alleles were identified in several animals and RT-PCR showed that both alleles may be expressed. Presence of immunoglobulin gene polymorphism appears to reflect the unusually high levels of intraspecies heterogeneity already demonstrated for major histocompatibility complex genes in this non-human primate species. [source] Macaques co-immunized with SIVgag/pol-HIVenv and IL-12 plasmid have increased cellular responsesJOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 4-5 2007T.M. Robinson Abstract Background, The cell mediated immune profiles following immunization with a recombinant DNA vaccine was assessed in the simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) and Macaque model. Earlier work demonstrated increased numbers of antigen specific CD8 and CD4 effector cells able to secrete IFN- ,. Method, The vaccine strategy included co-immunization of a DNA based vaccine alone or in combination with a macaque IL-12 expressing plasmid (pmacIL12). Antigen activated lymphocytes were studied for activation of a set of immunological molecules. Results, The current study demonstrates lymphocytes isolated and activated from the group that was immunized with DNA and pmacIL12 had a higher level of IFN- , producing cells. We also observed a different immunological profile when comparing the cells isolated from macaques immunized with DNA as compared to those animals that also received pmacIL12. Conclusion, The observed immune profiles are reflective of the co-delivery of pmacIL12 and demonstrates that IL-12 can increase the magnitude and polyfunctionality of the cellular immune response. [source] Spinal degenerative disk disease (DDD) in female macaque monkeys: epidemiology and comparison with womenJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2002Patricia Ann Kramer Spinal degenerative disk disease (DDD) in a radiographic, cross-sectional sample of 192 female macaque monkeys, approximately 5,30 years old, is described. The presence and extent of disk space narrowing (DSN) and anterior osteophytosis were assessed with reference to age, average lifetime body mass, and distribution within the thoracolumbar spine. Age was a strong correlate of disk narrowing and osteophytosis, with early signs appearing at equivalent ages in both species and increasing in prevalence thereafter. Macaques showed a far greater prevalence of DDD, especially in the oldest age group, than has been reported in the human data. Body mass was associated with disk narrowing in the macaque, but not with osteophytosis. The two species differed little in the pattern of distribution of DDD along the spine. Our results suggest that bipedality is not the singular, or even the most important, biomechanical factor in the development of human DDD. Rather, others shared postural regimes, e.g., sitting, may be responsible for the onset and progression of DDD in both species. The macaque model could substantially add to the under-standing and, potentially, treatment of this oftentimes debilitating condition. © 2002 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [source] Alcohol Exposure Impairs Myeloid Dendritic Cell Function in Rhesus MacaquesALCOHOLISM, Issue 9 2009Robert W. Siggins Background:, Alcohol intoxication suppresses both the innate and adaptive immunities. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the major cell type bridging the innate and acquired immune responses. At the present time, the effects of alcohol on DC development in hematopoietic tissues and the functional activities of DCs are incompletely elucidated. This study investigated the impact of chronic alcohol exposure on the alteration of hematopoietic precursor cell and DC populations in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of rhesus macaques. Methods:, Rhesus macaques were administered alcohol or isocaloric sucrose daily for a period of 3 months through surgically implanted gastric catheters. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bone marrow cells (BMCs) were isolated for flow cytometric analysis after 3 months. Monocytes were cultured with human IL-4 (10 ng/ml) and GM-CSF (50 ng/ml) in the absence and presence of alcohol (50 mM). On day 6 of the culture, a cocktail of stimulants including IL-1, (18 ng), IL-6 (1800 U), TNF-, (18 ng), and PGE2 (1.8 ,g) were added to the designated wells for transformation of immature dendritic cells (iDCs) to mature myeloid DCs. The cells were analyzed on day 8 by flow cytometry for expression of DC costimulatory molecule expression. Results:, EtOH-treated animals had significantly lower numbers of myeloid DCs (lineage-HLA-DR+CD11c+CD123,) in both the PBMCs and BMCs compared to controls (5,654 ± 1,273/106 vs. 2,353 ± 660/106 PBMCs and 503 ± 34 vs. 195 ± 44/106 BMCs). Under culture conditions, the number of lineage-HLA-DR+CD83+ cells was low in control wells (0.38 ± 0.08%). Alcohol inhibited the increase in the number of lineage-HLA-DR+CD83+ cells in iDC wells (2.30 ± 0.79% vs. 5.73 ± 1.40%). Alcohol also inhibited the increase in the number of lineage-HLA-DR+CD83+ cells in mature DC wells (1.23 ± 0.15% vs. 4.13 ± 0.62%). Conclusions:, Chronic EtOH decreases the bone marrow and circulating pools of myeloid DCs. Additionally, EtOH suppresses costimulatory molecule CD83 expression during DC transformation, which may attenuate the ability of DCs to initiate T-cell expansion. [source] Genetic and Other Contributions to Alcohol Intake in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)ALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2006Joseph G. Lorenz Background: The etiology of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, like many other complex diseases, is heterogeneous and multifactorial. Numerous studies demonstrate a genetic contribution to variation in the expression of alcohol-related disorders in humans. Over the past decade, nonhuman primates have emerged as a valuable model for some aspects of human alcohol abuse because of their phylogenetic proximity to humans. Long-term, longitudinal studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have provided much insight into environmental influences, especially early life experiences, on alcohol consumption and behavior patterns that characterize alcohol intake later in life. It is not known, however, whether there is a genetic component as well to the variation seen in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques. A significant genetic component to variation in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques would show for the first time that like humans, for nonhuman primates additive genetic influences are important. Moreover, their use as a model for alcohol-related disorders in humans would have even greater relevance and utility for designing experiments incorporating the expanding molecular genetics field, and allow researchers to investigate the interaction among the known environmental influences and various genotypes. Methods: In this study, we investigate factors contributing to variation in alcohol consumption of 156 rhesus macaques collected over 10 years when subjects were adolescent in age, belonging to a single extended pedigree, with each cohort receiving identical early rearing backgrounds and subsequent treatments. To measure alcohol consumption each animal was provided unfettered simultaneous access both to an aspartame-sweetened 8.4% (v/v) alcohol-water solution, the aspartame-sweetened vehicle, and to water for 1 hour each day during the early afternoon between 13:00 and 15:00 in their home cages for a period of 5 to 7 weeks. We use multiple regression to identify factors that significantly affect alcohol consumption among these animals and a maximum likelihood program (ASReml) that, controlling for the significant factors, estimates the genetic contribution to the variance in alcohol consumption. Results: Multiple regression analysis identified test cohort and rearing environment as contributing to 57 and 2%, respectively, of the total variance in alcohol consumption. Of the remaining 41% of the variance about half (19.8%) was attributable to additive genetic effects using a maximum likelihood program. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that, as in humans, there are additive genetic factors that contribute to variation in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques, with other nongenetic factors accounting for substantial portions of the variance in alcohol consumption, Our findings show the presence of an additive genetic component and suggest the potential utility of the nonhuman primate as a molecular genetics tool for understanding alcohol abuse and alcoholism. [source] Synanthropic primates in Asia: Potential sentinels for environmental toxinsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Gregory Engel Abstract Macaques are similar to humans both physiologically and behaviorally. In South and Southeast Asia they are also synanthropic, ecologically associated with humans. Synanthropy with humans raises the possibility that macaques come into contact with anthropogenic toxicants, such as lead and mercury, and might be appropriate sentinels for human exposures to certain toxic materials. We measured lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) levels and characterized the stable isotopic compositions of ,15N and ,13C in hair from three groups of free-ranging macaques at the Swoyambhu temple in Kathmandhu, Nepal, an urban population that has abundant contact with humans. Hair lead levels were significantly higher among young macaques and differed among the three groups of macaques that were sampled. Hair Hg levels were low. No statistical association was found between stable isotopic compositions (,15N and ,13C) and Pb and Hg levels. Our data did not find evidence that lead levels were associated with diet. We conclude that, in this population of macaques, behavioral and/or physiologic factors may play a significant role in determining exposure to lead. Chemical analysis of hair is a promising, noninvasive technique for determining exposure to toxic elements in free-ranging nonhuman primates. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Macaques in farms and folklore: exploring the human,nonhuman primate interface in Sulawesi, IndonesiaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Erin P. Riley Abstract The island of Sulawesi is an ecologically diverse and anthropogenically complex region in the Indonesian archipelago; it is home to multiple macaque species and a key locus of human,nonhuman primate interconnections. Here, we review the ethnoprimatology of Sulawesi by exploring two primary domains of the human,macaque interface: overlapping resource use and cultural perceptions of macaques. Crop raiding is the primary form of overlapping resource use. While the raiding of cacao plantations predominates in Central and South Sulawesi, subsistence crops (e.g., sweet potato and maize) are most vulnerable on Buton, Southeast Sulawesi. Despite this overlap levels of conflict are generally low, with farmers showing considerable tolerance. This tolerance can be explained by positive perceptions of the macaques despite their crop raiding behavior, and the finding that in some areas macaques figure prominently in local folklore, hence affording them protection. These findings provide some hope for the future management and conservation of these endemic macaques. Am. J. Primatol. 72:848,854, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The unique value of primate models in translational researchAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Carol A. Shively Abstract This special issue of AJP is focused on research using nonhuman primates as models to further the understanding of women's health. Nonhuman primates play a unique role in translational science by bridging the gap between basic and clinical investigations. The use of nonhuman primates in biomedical research challenges our resolve to treat all life as sacred. The scientific community has responded by developing ethical guidelines for the care and the use of primates and clarifying the responsibility of investigators to insure the physical and psychological well-being of nonhuman primates used in research. Preclinical investigations often involve the use of animal models. Rodent models have been the mainstay of biomedical science and have provided enormous insight into the workings of many mammalian systems that h ave proved applicable to human biological systems. Rodent models are dissimilar to primates in numerous ways, which may limit the generalizability to human biological systems. These limitations are much less likely in nonhuman primates and in Old World primates, in particular, Macaques are useful models for investigations involving the reproductive system, bioenergetics, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular health, central nervous system function, cognitive and social behavior, the musculoskeletal system, and diseases of aging. This issue considers primate models of polycystic ovary syndrome; diet effects on glycemic control, breast and endometrium; estrogen, reproductive life stage and atherosclerosis; estrogen and diet effects on inflammation in atherogenesis; the neuroprotective effects of estrogen therapy; social stress and visceral obesity; and sex differences in the role of social status in atherogenesis. Unmet research needs in women's health include the use of diets in nonhuman primate studies that are similar to those consumed by human beings, primate models of natural menopause, dementia, hypertension, colon cancer, and frailty in old age, and dedicated colonies for the study of breast cancer. Am. J. Primatol. 71:715,721, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Age-specific functions of Stone Handling, a solitary-object play behavior, in Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Charmalie A.D. Nahallage Abstract Stone handling (SH) in Japanese macaques, a form of solitary-object play, is newly acquired only by young individuals, and is the first example of a directly nonadaptive behavior that is maintained as a behavioral tradition within free-ranging provisioned social troops. We report here the first systematic investigation of this behavior in a stable captive social troop, the Takahama troop, which is housed in an outdoor enclosure of the Primate Research Institute (PRI), Kyoto University, Japan. This study was conducted to evaluate relevant competing hypotheses regarding the function of object play (e.g., misdirected foraging behavior and motor training) to explain the proximal causes and ultimate function(s) of SH. The "misdirected foraging behavior" hypothesis can be ruled out because of the lack of a clear temporal relationship between feeding and the occurrence of SH in any age class. Age-related differences in SH performance and behavioral patterns were observed, suggesting possible differences in the immediate cause and ultimate function between young and adults. Young individuals engaged in frequent bouts of short duration, involving locomotion and vigorous body actions throughout the day, which is typical for play by young in general. This pattern of behavior is consistent with the motor training hypothesis, which states that play occurs during the development of motor and perceptual skills and is thus potentially critical for neural and cognitive development. This practice is continued by those who acquire it at an early age, with adults engaging in significantly fewer but longer bouts that involve more stationary, complex manipulative patterns, almost exclusively in the late afternoon. We propose that for adults, at the proximate level SH is psychologically relaxing, but ultimately functions to maintain and regenerate neural pathways, and potentially helps to slow down the deterioration of cognitive function associated with advanced age in long-lived provisioned and captive macaques. Am. J. Primatol. 69:1,15, 2007.© 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Clinal variation of maxillary sinus volume in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Todd C. Rae Abstract Macaques (genus Macaca) are unique among cercopithecids in that they possess a maxillary sinus, and among anthropoids in that they demonstrate a relatively weak relationship between the size of this sinus and the cranium. To test the hypothesis that extrinsic factors may contribute to maxillary sinus size variation, a sample of 46 Japanese macaque (M. fuscata) crania from known localities were subjected to computed tomography (CT) imaging, and sinus volume and nasal cavity area were analyzed relative to latitude and temperature variables. The results suggest that the environmental factors are significant determinants of nasal cavity size in Japanese macaques, but that the relationships between the environment and maxillary sinus volume (MSV) are probably a passive consequence of changes in the size of the nasal cavity. The sinus shrinks as the nasal cavity expands, due to an increased need to condition inspired air in colder climates. This in turn suggests that the sinus itself does not contribute significantly to upper respiratory function. Am. J. Primatol. 59:153,158, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Interindividual Differences in Neonatal Imitation and the Development of Action Chains in Rhesus MacaquesCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2009Pier Francesco Ferrari The capacity to imitate facial gestures is highly variable in rhesus macaques and this variability may be related to differences in specific neurobehavioral patterns of development. This study evaluated the differential neonatal imitative response of 41 macaques in relation to the development of sensory, motor, and cognitive skills throughout the 1st month of life. The results show that infants who imitate facial gestures display more developed skills in goal-directed movements (reaching,grasping and fine hand motor control) than nonimitators. These differences might reflect, at least in part, the differential maturation of motor chains in the parietal and motor cortices, which partly overlap with those of the mirror neuron system. Thus, neonatal imitation appears to be a predictor of future neurobehavioral development. [source] Making the Monkey: How the Togean Macaque Went from "New Form" to "Endemic Species" in Indonesians' Conservation BiologyCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Celia Lowe Indonesian scientists inhabit a postcolonial world where they are both elite (within the nation) and subaltern (within transnational science) at precisely the same moments. A study of science that is neither "ethno" nor "Euro" requires a postcolonial refiguration not only of how science's matter is made but of where and by whom. In the 1990s, the Togean macaque (Macaca togeanus) was proposed as a new species endemic to the Togean Islands, the proposed site of a new conservation area in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. In the scientific production of biodiverse nature, Indonesian primatologists identified the monkey first as a "new form," then as a "dubious name," and subsequently, as an "endemic species." Throughout these acts of making, unmaking, and remaking the monkey, its unique and endemic status was important for developing Indonesian conservation biology, attracting foreign donors, and enlisting government and public interest in Togean Island nature, even as forms of nature important to Togean peoples were overwritten in this process. [source] Sex differences in juvenile rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) agonistic screams: Life history differences and effects of prenatal androgensDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Michelle L. Tomaszycki Abstract This study investigated sex differences in juvenile rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) vocal behavior during agonistic contexts, and the effects of prenatal androgens on these differences. A total of 59 subjects (5,8 per treatment group) received exogenous androgen (testosterone enanthate), an anti-androgen (flutamide) or vehicle injections (DMSO) for 30 or 35 days during the second (early) or third (late) trimester of pregnancy. An additional 19 unmanipulated controls were included in the analysis. Screams by juvenile males and females between the ages of 1 and 3 years were compared to the screams of adult female exemplars using a discriminant function analysis. Juvenile females produced more adult-female like screams than did juvenile males. Females exposed to androgen treatment late in gestation produced a more masculine pattern of screams. Flutamide treatment in males either early or late in gestation did not significantly affect scream production. Flutamide treatments in females late in gestation, however, masculinized scream production. Androgen treatments administered late in gestation hyper-masculinized male scream production. No sex differences in the contextual usage of screams emerged. These findings suggest that both life history differences and the early hormone environment contribute to sex differences in juvenile rhesus macaque vocal production. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 47: 318,327, 2005. [source] Perirhinal cortex neuronal activity related to long-term familiarity memory in the macaqueEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 7 2003Christian Hölscher Abstract Lesion studies suggest that the perirhinal cortex plays a role in object recognition memory. To analyse its role, the activity of single neurons in the perirhinal cortex was recorded in three rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) performing a delayed matching-to-sample task with up to three intervening stimuli. A set of familiar visual stimuli was used. Some neurons had activity related to working memory, in that they responded more to the sample than to the match image within a trial, as shown previously. However, when a novel set of stimuli was introduced, the neuronal responses were on average only 47% of the magnitude of the responses to the familiar set of stimuli. Moreover, it was shown in eight different replications in three monkeys that the responses of the perirhinal cortex neurons gradually increased over hundreds of presentations of the new set of (initially novel) stimuli to become as large as with the already familiar stimuli. The mean number of 1.3-s presentations to induce this effect was 400 occurring over 7,13 days. These results show that perirhinal cortex neurons represent the very long-term familiarity of visual stimuli. A representation of the long-term familiarity of visual stimuli may be important for many aspects of social behaviour, and part of the impairment in temporal lobe amnesia may be related to the difficulty of building representations of the degree of familiarity of stimuli. [source] Response properties of PMLS and PLLS neurons to simulated optic flow patternsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 5 2000Bing Li Abstract The processing of optic flow information has been extensively investigated in the medial superior temporal area (MST) of the macaque. In the cat, the posteromedial area and the posterolateral area in the lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS and PLLS, respectively) have been suggested as likely participants according to their direction preferences to moving objects. In the present study, 203 PMLS and 123 PLLS neurons were tested with simulated optic flow patterns composed of random dots (including expansion and contraction, clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation, and translation) and moving bar stimuli. About 90% of the neurons were found to be excited by the optic flow stimuli and most of them were multiple-responsive to different flow patterns. Only 20,25% of the cells were selective to different optic flow modes, and in general, the direction preference was fairly modest. The selective cells showed stronger directionality to both flow field and moving bar than nonselective cells. However, the optic flow response properties in the PMLS and PLLS were not well correlated with the direction preference to moving bars. In accordance with previous findings, the PMLS was analogous to the middle temporal area of the macaque in many respects. As for the PLLS cells, they were sensitive to fewer types of stimuli, but responded better and more selectively to radial motion. All these results suggest that the two lateral suprasylvian areas are unlikely to be specialized for the analysis or discrimination of different flow patterns, but may play some kind of relay role in optic flow information processing. [source] Visual response augmentation in cat (and macaque) LGN: potentiation by corticofugally mediated gain control in the temporal domainEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2000Javier Cudeiro Abstract Visual responses of neurons are dependent on the context of a stimulus, not only in spatial terms but also temporally, although evidence for temporally separate visual influences is meagre, based mainly on studies in the higher cortex. Here we demonstrate temporally induced elevation of visual responsiveness in cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of cat and monkey following a period of high intensity (elevated contrast) stimulation. This augmentation is seen in 40,70% (monkey,cat) of cells tested and of all subtypes. Peaking at ,,3 min following the period of intense stimulation, it can last for 10,12 min and can be repeated and summed in time. Furthermore, it is dependent on corticofugal input, is seen even when high contrast stimuli of orthogonal orientation are used and therefore results from a/any prior increase in activity in the retino-geniculo-striate pathway. We suggest that this reflects a general mechanism for control of visual responsiveness; both a flexible and dynamic means of changing effectiveness of thalamic activity as visual input changes, but also a mechanism which is an emergent property of the thalamo-cortico-thalamic loop. [source] Experimental respiratory anthrax infection in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Mark S. Lever Summary Inhalational anthrax is a rare but potentially fatal infection in man. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) was evaluated as a small non-human primate (NHP) model of inhalational anthrax infection, as an alternative to larger NHP species. The marmoset was found to be susceptible to inhalational exposure to Bacillus anthracis Ames strain. The pathophysiology of infection following inhalational exposure was similar to that previously reported in the rhesus and cynomolgus macaque and humans. The calculated LD50 for B. anthracis Ames strain in the marmoset was 1.47 × 103 colony-forming units, compared with a published LD50 of 5.5 × 104 spores in the rhesus macaque and 4.13 × 103 spores in the cynomolgus macaque. This suggests that the common marmoset is an appropriate alternative NHP and will be used for the evaluation of medical countermeasures against respiratory anthrax infection. [source] Case study of a one-sided attack by multiple troop members on a nontroop adolescent male and the death of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2009Masaki Shimada Abstract An adolescent wild male Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), following Kinkazan A troop, was attacked one-sidedly by multiple members of the troop. The victim was identified as PI, and was estimated to be seven±one year old. The aggressive interaction was recorded by video camera until the end. Although at least 16 troop members approached PI more than once, only three males (one adult, two adolescents) of A troop attacked him. PI kept crouching throughout the attack, then escaped to the shore and dived into the sea. The interaction continued for more than one hour. PI was found dead a few hours after the end of interaction. The damage caused by the assailants was not the direct cause of PI's death; it was due to hypothermia caused by drifting in the sea. PI's life history was reconstructed from past records. PI was a normal adolescent male who migrated from an all-male group around B1 troop and started ranging around A troop. The aggressive interaction is believed to be a typical example of conflict between troop males and a nontroop male. The interaction period was very long compared with previous reports on such conflicts among Japanese macaques. PI kept crouching in open areas, exposing himself as a potential competitor for the resources of the troop, and did not show any submissive or reconciliatory behavior toward the troop males. This may be why the troop males did not stop the attack. Aggr. Behav. 35:334,341, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in the right auricle of an adult, male Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2010E.D. Lombardini Abstract Background, A 9-year-old, male castrate, Rhesus macaque was euthanized following a prolonged history of chronic renal failure. Results, Necropsy revealed a proliferative lesion within the right cardiac auricle composed of neoplastic epithelioid cells which infiltrated the myocardium and frequently exhibited intracytoplasmic luminae. Cells multifocally exhibited strong cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for Factor VIII-related protein (von Willebrand's factor). Conclusions, The histological characteristics of this tumor are consistent with a diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, an intermediate-grade vasoformative neoplasm which has to our knowledge not previously been reported in the heart of a non-human species. [source] Resident bacteria in a mixed population of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) monkeys: a prevalence studyJOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009C.A. Carrier Abstract Background, Microflora populations residing in oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal sites defend against pathogenic bacterial colonization. Perturbations in these microbial communities may allow opportunistic pathogenic bacteria to establish themselves and cause morbidity and mortality from sepsis particularly after stressful experimental procedures. This study determined the prevalent facultative bacteria in a resident population of Macaca mulatta prior to use in experimentally induced immunosuppressive radiation studies. Methods, Standard microbiological methods were used to assess prevalent facultative bacteria in the oropharynx and rectum of 24 male M. mulatta. Results, The majority of the bacteria isolated from the oropharyngeal and rectal sites were gram-positive cocci. Species of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus predominated in all samples. Few gram-negative bacteria were isolated. Conclusions, Bacteriological assessment is recommended to identify predominant bacterial species to be prepared to provide appropriate antimicrobial therapy in non-human primates that are expected to undergo stressful immunocompromising procedures. [source] Assessment of progestin-only therapy for endometriosis in macaqueJOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2008G. Maginnis Abstract Background, Endometriosis is a condition where endometrium-like tissue forms lesions at ectopic sites outside the uterus. In women, oral contraceptive pills and progestins are often prescribed as therapy for early stage endometriosis. In contrast, in macaques the disease is frequently advanced at the time of diagnosis and ovariectomy is the standard therapy. However, surgery is contraindicated in many patients. A review of 15 endometriosis cases over the past 10 years at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) revealed that 5 failed to show improvement after ovariectomy and were subsequently euthanized. Therefore, our goal was to assess the feasibility of treating endometriosis in macaques with chronic progesterone (P) as an alternative therapy for the disease. Methods, Seven adult rhesus macaques with advanced endometriosis were identified by clinical symptoms and endometriosis was confirmed by abdominal palpation, ultrasound examination, and/or aspiration of menstrual blood from abdominal cysts. The patients were chronically treated with Silastic capsules that released 5,7 ng P /ml in blood for up to 20 months. During treatment the patients were assessed daily and scored numerically for appetite, activity, attitude, abdominal discomfort and menstruation by the Clinical Veterinary staff. The patients were then re-examined by abdominal palpation and ultrasound for the disease at the end of treatment. Results, During the first 2 weeks of treatment, endometriotic symptoms improved significantly in all the patients (P < 0.05). This was associated with a significant increase in body weight and significant reduction in abdominal discomfort and menstrual bleeding. Two of the patients gradually developed increased symptoms of the disease after 5 months of treatment. Post-treatment abdominal examination revealed that 2/5 patients continued to have an abdominal mass even though symptoms were suppressed. Conclusions, We conclude that continuous P treatment of rhesus monkeys provides therapeutic benefit to reduce symptoms of endometriosis and may provide an option for cases where ovariectomy is contraindicated. Supported by RR-00163. [source] Prevalence of antibody reaction with cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 antigen in Macaca cyclopis, Macaca fascicularis, and Papio anubis in TaiwanJOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2007F. Lee Abstract Background and Methods, A total of 284 non-human primate sera were collected between December 2004 and September 2005 and tested by a commercially available dot immunobinding assay for the antibodies to cercopithecine herpesvirus 1, an alphaherpesvirus with high mortality for infected humans. Results, Seropositive rates were 58% among non-human primates from animal shelters and 38% among those from zoos and academic institutes. Positive reactors were found in three species, the Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis; 57%), the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis; 11%) and the olive baboon (Papio anubis; 68%). Conclusions, Our results showed that natural infection by cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 in Formosan macaques was highly prevalent, and to a certain extent reflected the situation of the wild populations in Taiwan. The findings raised the issues of zoonotic public health and the occupational health of primate workers. High positive rate in olive baboons was also found, although, it cannot be ruled out that the positivity was due to cross-reactivity between cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 and other herpesviruses. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||