{"title":"Collective Acoustics in Pan: Conserved Roots in the Evolution of Human Musicality","authors":"James Brooks, Zanna Clay, Valérie Dufour, Pawel Fedurek, Cédric Girard-Buttoz, Shinya Yamamoto","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The evolution of human musicality has attracted immense and intense cross-disciplinary research attention. However, despite widespread interest, there has been surprisingly little explicit focus on the conserved roots and evolutionary precursors of musicality in our closest relatives, chimpanzees (<i>Pan troglodytes</i>) and bonobos (<i>P. paniscus</i>). We here aim to evaluate the extant literature on chimpanzees and bonobos in behavioral contexts relevant to evolutionary theories of musicality, especially simultaneous production of acoustics signals by multiple individuals (“collective acoustics”). We illustrate the importance of this literature by evaluating and comparing a pair of recent, influential, and competing theories on the evolution of human musicality (music for social bonding and music for credible signaling) in light of the reviewed empirical evidence. We conclude by highlighting core remaining questions for future empirical studies on great ape collective acoustics that may have a critical influence on our understanding of the evolution of human musicality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sedona Epstein, Mariam Fischer, Sara Cotton, Frances White
{"title":"Investigating Changes in Social Networks Following Conflict in Zoo-Housed Bonobos (Pan paniscus)","authors":"Sedona Epstein, Mariam Fischer, Sara Cotton, Frances White","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bonobos (<i>Pan paniscus</i>) are successful at managing conflict and promoting group affiliation, but it is still uncertain how conflict affects the entire social group, particularly in captive populations. We conducted social network analyses using dyadic proximity data to understand the structure of five alternating social group compositions of a population of zoo-housed bonobos, using measures of centrality and social strength. We then compared social network measures between neutral, post-conflict (intergroup and intragroup), and post-single-party outburst (scream, display to the public) contexts to determine how conflict influences social behavior within the entire social network. We found that, across conflict contexts, dominant females have higher social group centralities than other individuals. Dominant females also received social initiations at a higher rate than others, suggesting this centrality is structurally maintained by other individuals. Further, rates of proximity are significantly higher following single-party outbursts than in other contexts, which indicates an important social distinction between this context and others and may be best explained by considering these outbursts as signals of group-level social tension, during which group members may seek social interaction and reassurance. Consistent differences in proximity rates were observed between dominant females and other group members, indicating that the social role of the dominant female in a bonobo social group across conflict contexts is different from that of other bonobos. The results of this study emphasize the flexible nature of bonobo sociality, highlight the distinct and important role of dominant females within the social network, and present social network analysis as a useful methodological tool for studying group-level changes in bonobo sociality and behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.70047","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144135695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margaret Corley, Katherine Burchfield, Nicole Fusco, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Adalgisa Caccone
{"title":"Population Genetic Structure of Azara's Owl Monkey (Aotus azarae) From Northern Argentina: Insights Into Gene Flow and Dispersal Patterns in a Pair-Living Primate","authors":"Margaret Corley, Katherine Burchfield, Nicole Fusco, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Adalgisa Caccone","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Characterizing patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow is crucial for understanding the movements of dispersing individuals, and for assessing population viability and informing conservation strategies. The South American Gran Chaco is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Americas. Yet critical data on the population genetic structure for many mammals occupying this ecoregion, including primates such as Azara's owl monkey (<i>Aotus azarae</i>), are lacking. We used 22 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences to assess genetic diversity and population structure in <i>A. azarae</i>, an arboreal, pair-living platyrrhine primate, in the Gran Chaco of northern Argentina in areas characterized by a contiguous gallery forest and patches of forest in naturally occurring savanna. We also analyzed sex-specific patterns of isolation-by-distance and used assignment tests to evaluate dispersal patterns, assess potential sex differences in gene flow, and assessed potential differences in gene flow within and between gallery forest and forest patch habitats. We found limited genetic structure within sampling locations, and a moderate level of genetic differentiation between the two most-distant regions. There was no evidence of genetic differentiation between habitat types (gallery vs. forest patches). Some analyses suggest greater dispersal by females than males, although the evidence is not strong. We integrated these results with previous demographic and behavioral observations gathered since 1996 as part of a long-term study of owl monkeys in this area. This study constitutes an important first step in characterizing the genetic structure and patterns of gene flow for Azara's owl monkey populations in Argentina, which is essential for combatting the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on these native populations and for informing conservation management strategies for pair-living primates throughout the South American Gran Chaco.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wendy M. Erb, Leila M. Porter, Rachel Voyt, Lucero Hernani-Lineros, Anthony Di Fiore
{"title":"Variation in Maternal Effort, Activity Budgets, and Feeding Behavior in Wild Saddleback Tamarins (Leontocebus weddelli) in Northwestern Bolivia","authors":"Wendy M. Erb, Leila M. Porter, Rachel Voyt, Lucero Hernani-Lineros, Anthony Di Fiore","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<p>El cuidado materno de los infantes en primates varía según varios factores, como el tamaño de la camada y la historia reproductiva y de salud de la madre. En especies con crianza cooperativa, la inversión materna también depende de la ayuda proporcionada por los compañeros de grupo. En este estudio, examinamos el cuidado materno en cuatro grupos silvestres de tamarinos lomo de silla (<i>Leontocebus weddelli</i>), recolectando muestras de pelo y heces de las que extraímos ADN para estimar las relaciones de parentesco entre los miembros del grupo. Usamos estos datos para analizar si el cuidado materno se ve influenciado por siete factores: a) tamaño del grupo de adultos; b) número de machos adultos; c) presencia de padres genéticamente identificados; d) número de parientes cercanos no parentales; e) número de infantes; f) peso corporal materno; y g) paridad materna. Para investigar cómo las madres manejan los costos reproductivos, comparamos sus tasas de descanso y alimentación con las de otros adultos durante las 15 semanas previas y posteriores al parto. En general, observamos que las madres contribuyen con un 16% al transporte de infantes y un 30% a la provisión de alimentos por grupo cada semana. Sin embargo, no encontramos efectos significativos de ninguna de las variables en la proporción de tiempo dedicado al transporte o provisión de alimentos. También notamos que las madres descansan menos que otros miembros del grupo durante los períodos pre y post parto. Nuestros resultados muestran que las madres participan en niveles bajos de cuidado infantil en comparación con especies sin crianza cooperativa, pero no pudimos identificar una explicación clara para la variación en el cuidado materno entre individuos.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nelson M. Novo, Gabriel M. Martin, Laureano R. González Ruiz, Marcelo F. Tejedor
{"title":"The Earliest Known Radiation of Pitheciine Primates","authors":"Nelson M. Novo, Gabriel M. Martin, Laureano R. González Ruiz, Marcelo F. Tejedor","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two of the more interesting and controversial platyrrhine primate taxa from the Miocene of Patagonia are <i>Soriacebus</i> and <i>Mazzonicebus</i>. Although they are known basically from isolated teeth and partial mandibles and maxillae, their morphology is highly distinctive. Opinions about their phylogenetic relationships differ widely. We interpret these fossils as belonging to the lineage of the anatomically derived, living pitheciine seed-predators; others hold the view that they are stem platyrrhines with convergent adaptations with pitheciines (with the single exception of <i>Proteropithecia</i> among the Patagonian forms), somewhat distant relatives converging coincidently with pitheciines. Here we tested these hypotheses in two ways: (1) by summarizing a character analysis of taxonomically informative traits; (2) we implemented “blind” parsimony analyses using the software package TNT, including a combined matrix of both morphological and molecular data, and replication studies of other matrices. We make some criticisms on the applied methodology of Parsimony in our analysis. <i>Soriacebus</i> and <i>Mazzonicebus</i> resulted sister-taxa nested deeply within the pitheciid clade; thus, and according to our inferences, they are not stem platyrrhines. Most of the differences separating them from the younger and uniformly recognized pitheciine fossils <i>Proteropithecia</i>, <i>Nuciruptor</i> and <i>Cebupithecia</i> are explained as being of more primitive character states; the vast majority of resemblances and their broader functional patterns are definitively pitheciine, as typified by the living pitheciines (sakis and uakaris). We therefore found that none of the Miocene Patagonian genera treated here can be reliably interpreted as stem platyrrhines. Rather, they tend to ratify the Long Lineage Hypothesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.70040","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Cotton, Klaree Boose, Sedona Espstein, Audra Meinelt, Josh Snodgrass, Frances White
{"title":"Urinary Estradiol in Captive Bonobos: Variation With Reproductive State and Sexual Swelling","authors":"Sara Cotton, Klaree Boose, Sedona Espstein, Audra Meinelt, Josh Snodgrass, Frances White","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Estradiol is known to have a variety of biological and behavioral effects, but monitoring its function is complex given the many factors influencing its variation. This necessitates large sample sizes which are challenging in captive and wild situations. This study validates the use of opportunistically collected urinary estradiol levels (E2) for use in reproductive monitoring and behavioral research in bonobos (<i>Pan paniscus</i>). We analyzed frozen urine samples from four Columbus Zoo adult females over 4 years for estradiol and creatinine concentrations (<i>n</i> = 117). While E2 was significantly higher in pregnant versus nonpregnant females (F = 66.30, <i>df</i> = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.001) it was not significantly different between lactating and regularly cycling females (F = 0.40, <i>df</i> = 1, <i>p</i> = 0.5304). Among the regularly cycling females, there was a significant positive regression between E2 and sexual swelling size (F = 4.43, df = 1, 81, <i>p</i> = 0.0384). No differences in E2 variation were detected between individuals in this study. Specifically, when the amount of variation in estradiol due to sexual swelling was statistically controlled for, there was no significant effect of age (<i>n</i> = 83, r = 0.08059, <i>p</i> = 0.4689) or rank (<i>n</i> = 83, r = 0.1361, <i>p</i> = 0.22) on estradiol variation. Overall, these findings indicate that opportunistically sampled urinary estradiol can be paired with visual observation to help detect changes in reproductive status. The shift from lactational amenorrhea back to estrogen cycling may be less clearly defined than expected, and uneven sampling may exacerbate difficulty in detecting some of the more subtle shifts in estradiol levels. While it is known that extended maximal tumescence in bonobos may function to obscure the exact date of ovulation, we did confirm that ratings of visual tumescence still provide useful information regarding relative estradiol levels. By publishing more methodologies and results of this kind, we hope to promote the continued study of estradiol in bonobos as it is relevant to both health monitoring and behavioral research goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.70041","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cíntia Povill, Fabrícia F. Nascimento, Larissa Souza Arantes, Maximilian Driller, James Kieran Sullivan, Fernando Araujo Perini, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu, Ricardo Lourenço de Oliveira, Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo, Cecília Bueno, Camila J. Mazzoni, Cibele Rodrigues Bonvicino
{"title":"Unveiling the Evolutionary History of cis-Andean Alouatta (Atelidae, Alouattinae) Through Mitochondrial Genomes","authors":"Cíntia Povill, Fabrícia F. Nascimento, Larissa Souza Arantes, Maximilian Driller, James Kieran Sullivan, Fernando Araujo Perini, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu, Ricardo Lourenço de Oliveira, Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo, Cecília Bueno, Camila J. Mazzoni, Cibele Rodrigues Bonvicino","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Alouatta</i>, a genus widely distributed throughout South and Central America, displays remarkable species diversity across various morphoclimatic domains. To clarify the ancestral distribution and its role in the radiation of <i>Alouatta</i>, our study employed time-tree phylogenetic analyses to better understand the current distribution patterns of the <i>cis-</i>Andean species. We generated 36 mitogenomes, including a species and representatives of populations not previously analyzed, to reconstruct a molecular-dated tree, estimate genetic distance-based analyses, and infer the ancestral distribution range of <i>Alouatta</i>. Our study suggests an initial split within the <i>Alouatta</i> during the Miocene, leading to the separation of the <i>cis-</i>Andean and <i>trans</i>-Andean clades. Through ancestral range reconstruction, we found that the most recent common ancestor of <i>Alouatta</i> was broadly distributed across South America. Within the <i>cis-</i>Andean clade, two major splits were identified. One split revealed a close relationship between the Amazonia-endemic species <i>A. seniculus</i> and <i>A. caraya</i>, a species adapted to open-dry domains, with ancestral range in the Amazonia and dry-open domains. In contrast, for the <i>A. guariba</i> and <i>A. belzebul</i> groups, which occur in Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest, the ancestral range included both domains. The diversification of the <i>Alouatta</i> was driven by two cladogenesis events. The formation of the extant species was primarily driven by founder events during the Pleistocene and involved long-distance dispersal events with posterior population isolation. These events played a crucial role in the formation of new populations that underwent rapid divergence, resulting in distinct phylogenetic lineages. Our findings shed new light on the origins of <i>cis-</i>Andean lineages of <i>Alouatta</i> across a broad geographic range, as well as the emergence of more recent taxa during the Pleistocene. This provides insights into their relationships, highlighting the crucial role of Pleistocene climatic changes and founder events in shaping the diversification and geographic distribution of extant species.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is Primate Cone Ratio Variation Functional and Adaptive?","authors":"Rachel A. Munds, Amanda D. Melin, James P. Higham","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Variation in animal perception provides excellent opportunities for studying adaptation. Unusually, primates exhibit a great deal of inter- and intra-specific visual system variation. Here, we discuss what is known about the retinal cone mosaic, and the sources of variation in primate cone types and their relative expression. We focus on catarrhines (African and Asian monkeys and apes and humans), which have evolved uniform trichromacy, exhibiting short- (S), medium- (M), and long-wave (L) cones. Catarrhines generally exhibit high inter-specific consistency in the peak sensitivities of their L and M sensitive cones. One under-explored component of variation is the relative expression of those cones, that is, the L:M ratio. Across catarrhines, the mean L:M ratio is 1:1, with some limited intraspecific variation. Intriguingly, humans show two big differences compared to other catarrhines. Firstly, their mean L:M ratio is shifted to 2:1. Secondly, they show vast (75-fold) intraspecific L:M ratio variation. We discuss evidence as to whether this difference in the mean ratio, and this high intraspecific variation, are likely to have functional consequences, concluding that indeed this variation likely impacts color perception. We finish by suggesting possible explanations for the higher mean ratio of L:M cones in humans, highlighting similarities with other aspects of our color vision that differ from other catarrhines. We hope that the suggestions and questions we raise will inspire future research on primate cone ratios.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143888917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Highs and Lows of Arboreal Life: Space use and Movement Strategies of Lion-Tailed Macaques (Macaca silenus) in the Western Ghats of India","authors":"Sikha Hariharan, Krithi K. Karanth, Divya Vasudev","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lion-tailed macaques (<i>Macaca silenus</i>), endemic to the Western Ghats of India, are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and degradation, and are vulnerable to environmental change. Insights into their spatial ecology can reveal the strategies that enable these macaques to navigate and use spatially complex heterogeneous spaces. This is crucial for conservation, given the increasing human disturbance in and around the Western Ghats. This study, conducted in Silent Valley National Park between January and June of 2019, 2022, and 2023, focused on two macaque troops occupying habitats with varying human presence—in the park's core (Sairandhri) and in the buffer (Keeripara). The observed group sizes of the Sairandhri and Keeripara troops were 51 and 21, respectively. We examined differences in the spatial ecology of these troops by assessing their vertical space use, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) home ranges, and using an integrated step-selection function to understand movement-based habitat selection. We observed similarities in movement patterns across the two troops, with notable differences mainly in their vertical use of the forest. The Keeripara troop, resident in a more disturbed area, utilized a smaller home range (1.80 km²). They spent 94.2% of their time in mid-level canopy (6–20 m), descending rarely (1.1%) into lower strata (≤ 5 m), likely due to perceived high risk from predators and humans, and proximity to roads. The Sairandhri troop, resident in the less disturbed area, had a larger home range (3.05 km²) and exhibited greater terrestriality (11.3%), with 84.2% observed time in mid-canopies. Both troops preferred areas with canopy cover and fruiting trees, displaying similar slow movements (indicated through small step lengths and large turning angles) near these resources. Our findings suggest that lion-tailed macaques may be less strictly arboreal than previously believed, displaying more terrestriality in less disturbed habitats. Strategic use of 3D space based on local ecological and anthropogenic conditions highlights the need for conservation efforts that maintain canopy connectivity to support the ecological flexibility of this vulnerable species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhihong Xu, Chengfeng Wu, Yun Yang, Alba Castellano-Navarro, Emilio Macanás-Martínez, Bojun Liu, Tao Chen, Xiaochen Ma, Andrew J. J. MacIntosh
{"title":"Is Sociability Generally Linked to Infection? A Study Based on Rhesus and Japanese Macaques","authors":"Zhihong Xu, Chengfeng Wu, Yun Yang, Alba Castellano-Navarro, Emilio Macanás-Martínez, Bojun Liu, Tao Chen, Xiaochen Ma, Andrew J. J. MacIntosh","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Parasite infection is one key risk inherent in group living and is considered to influence the formation and evolution of animal societies. Previous studies investigating the relationship between sociability (a measure of an individual's level of social engagement) and parasite infection have yielded mixed results, with some observing positive relationships between social network centrality and infection and others observing negative or no sociability-infection links. Here, we aggregated behavioral and parasitological data from three groups of rhesus macaques (<i>Macaca mulatta brevicaudus</i>) in China and two groups of Japanese macaques (<i>Macaca fuscata</i> and <i>Macaca fuscata yakui</i>) to test whether sociability generally predicts geohelminth infection in macaques with similar social structure. We discovered variability in the relationship between sociability and geohelminth infection across these different groups of macaques, and results did not support a general pattern linking sociability to geohelminth infection. Among the five groups, we found a significant positive relationship between sociability and infection in only one group. These results call into question how generally useful an indicator social network centrality metrics are in predicting geohelminth parasite infection across individuals, at least relative to other factors that influence infection dynamics. We discuss potential confounds when examining relationships between sociability and infection across populations and groups, and encourage future studies that can account for these while focusing on the mechanisms that might link social factors and parasite infection to fully understand this relationship.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}