American Journal of Primatology最新文献

{"title":"Social Rank, Female Competition for Food, and Behavioral Time-Budgets in the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus roxellana Multi-Level Society","authors":"Shujun He,&nbsp;Yi Yang,&nbsp;Zhenfeng Hu,&nbsp;Fan Wu,&nbsp;Chengliang Wang,&nbsp;Wenyong Tian,&nbsp;Rui-Feng Bai,&nbsp;Gao Qi,&nbsp;Yule Xie,&nbsp;Baoguo Li,&nbsp;Songtao Guo,&nbsp;Derek W. Dunn","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Competition within primate groups often translates to a social hierarchy, with high-rank individuals gaining privileged access to resources, especially food. Golden snub-nosed monkeys <i>Rhinopithecus roxellana</i> live in a multi-level society, with multiple one-male units (OMUs), each containing a single adult male and several females, forming a breeding-band. High-rank males have increased access to high-value foods and spend less time feeding and more time being groomed by females, potentially enhancing social cohesion within their OMUs. The adults of each OMU mainly feed and socialize together, with food competition predominantly acting at the OMU level. We thus predicted that adult females by association attain the rank and feeding privileges of their OMU leader males, and make similar time-budget trade-offs. By food-provisioning a wild breeding-band during winter and spring, when natural foods are abundant or limited, respectively, we found that females of high-rank OMUs ate more provisioned foods at higher rates, especially during winter when provisioned foods had increased value. In winter, females of low-rank OMUs fed for longer on natural foods and females of high-rank OMUs longer on provisioned foods. Females of high-rank OMUs spent longer being groomed by other OMU members, especially during winter. Our results are consistent with females attaining the feeding privileges of their OMU leader male, enhanced during winter due to increased value of provisioned foods, high thermal demands, and reduced natural food availability. Importantly, the feeding privileges attained by females of high rank OMUs were less pronounced than those previously found for leader males, possibly due to higher tolerance between females of different OMUs. We suggest that behavioral time-budget effects of food competition in female <i>R. roxellana</i> enhance cohesion in high-rank OMUs, contributing to OMU integrity and, hence, the social structure of this multi-level society.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143397200","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":"Continuous Provisioning Increases Breeding Success of Black-and-White Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, Yunnan, China","authors":"Li Cao,&nbsp;Feng Liu,&nbsp;Long-Jie Guo,&nbsp;Qing-Lei Sun,&nbsp;Sang Ge,&nbsp;Bo-Yan Li,&nbsp;Ying Zhou,&nbsp;Xue-Lan Fang,&nbsp;Ying Geng,&nbsp;Wei-Bin Song,&nbsp;Cyril C. Grueter,&nbsp;Yan-Peng Li,&nbsp;Liang-Wei Cui,&nbsp;Wen Xiao","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The high energy demands of primates during pregnancy and lactation often limit their breeding success due to the availability of food resources. Until now, few studies have focused on the effects of continuous provisioning on primate reproduction. To assess the impact of continuous provisioning on breeding success, we collected data on female reproductive status (primiparous or multiparous), maternal age of births, births, deaths, and sex of infants in a free-ranging semi-provisioned band (FSB) of <i>Rhinopithecus bieti</i> in China from 2010 to 2023. Our results indicate that provisioning significantly increases infant survival. After 8 years of provisioning, 11 females began a pattern of giving birth to infants in two continuous years, skipping reproduction in the third year, and resuming in the fourth year. Continuous provisioning led to a year-by-year reduction in the interbirth interval (IBI) and a gradual decrease in the primiparous age. The percentage of consecutively breeding females (CBFs) and their offspring increased annually and with the mother's ages. Conversely, the percentage of offspring from non-consecutively breeding females (NBFs) decreased over time and with maternal age. Each CBF annually produced 9.4% more infants compared to NBFs. Compared to NBFs, CBFs had a higher maternal age at births, a higher fertility rate, a higher infant survival rate, and a 11.7% shorter IBI. Furthermore, compared to the non-provisioned wild band (NPB), females in the FSB gave birth 128 days earlier, had an 18.9% annual increase in the number of offspring per female, and showed 1.2 times higher infant survival beyond 12 months. Our study demonstrates that provisioning significantly enhances reproductive success and population size. However, before promoting provisioning as a conservation tool to stabilize and recover endangered wildlife populations, it is essential to thoroughly evaluate its potential risks, such as nutritional imbalances, increased stress, and the transmission of diseases.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143397201","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":"Running the Risk: Road-Crossing Behavior in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in an Anthropogenic Habitat in Uganda","authors":"Marie Tellier,&nbsp;François Druelle,&nbsp;Marie Cibot,&nbsp;Johnmary Baruzaliire,&nbsp;Tom Sabiiti,&nbsp;Matthew R. McLennan","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent research highlights the behavioral flexibility of wild chimpanzees in response to human-induced changes in their environment, including agricultural and infrastructural development. The expansion of road networks threatens chimpanzee populations across Africa. Studying their road-crossing behavior, especially outside protected areas where road impacts are greatest, helps identify factors influencing their choices and flexibility. This study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of how chimpanzees navigate busy roads and assess the danger posed by roads. Such insights are needed to develop effective conservation strategies in regions facing escalating human impact, including recommendations for the design and management of traffic on existing and future roads. Using a dataset of 129 video-recorded road crossings spanning 38 months, we analyzed the behavioral adjustments of chimpanzees in Bulindi, Uganda, when crossing a recently paved, busy main road within their home range. Using generalized linear mixed models, we investigated chimpanzee risk perception, protective and cooperative behaviors, vigilance, and progression order during road crossings. We identified variations in their behavior according to age-sex of individuals, group composition, and level of risk. We found that Bulindi chimpanzees exhibit behavioral strategies to reduce risks of collision or close encounters with humans on the road, as previously described. However, they were less vigilant than expected. We suggest that the chimpanzees have developed tolerance of the risks presented by the road, owing to their long history of crossing it before it was tarmacked and widened, and their familiarity with local people and motor traffic. Our results provide further evidence of the flexibility of wild chimpanzees. However, road crossings remain highly risky for large mammals like great apes, necessitating measures to mitigate the impact of road development on this and other endangered species (e.g. speed bumps, police enforcement, public awareness raising).</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.70000","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143370072","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":"Evaluating the Co-Occurrence of Abnormal Behaviors in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)","authors":"Jessica C. Whitham,&nbsp;Katie Hall,&nbsp;Lance J. Miller","doi":"10.1002/ajp.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For decades, welfare scientists have focused on investigating and mitigating the abnormal behaviors—including repetitive stereotypic behaviors and abnormal stances/postures—displayed by chimpanzees residing in professionally managed settings. In an effort to design feasible and practical welfare assessments, researchers often pool abnormal behaviors into subcategories. However, this approach can result in the creation of heterogeneous subcategories comprised of behaviors that do not statistically co-occur. This study examined the co-occurrence of abnormal behaviors in 41 adult chimpanzees living in 16 facilities accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Specifically, we employed principal component analysis and regression analyses to investigate the following behaviors: self-directed hair pluck, idiosyncratic body manipulations (e.g., eye-poking), and idiosyncratic movements/postures (e.g., rocking). We found: (1) none of the behaviors loaded onto the same component, and (2) no significant relationships were discovered by performing the regression analyses. These findings suggest that self-directed hair pluck, idiosyncratic body manipulations, and idiosyncratic movements/postures are heterogeneous and should be scored separately in future studies of adult chimpanzees. Though this study cannot provide insight into the potential triggers for these specific behaviors, the lack of positive associations suggests that they may have unrelated triggers and treatments. Ultimately, future research should attempt to reduce and eliminate abnormal behaviors by introducing tailored interventions to the husbandry routine and/or environment. The findings of this study can be extended to other taxa. Specifically, welfare researchers should analyze individual abnormal behaviors separately, instead of forming subcategories of abnormal behaviors, unless behaviors are found to statistically co-occur.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143248889","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":"Use of Nonhuman Primates in Periodontal Disease Research: Contribution of the Caribbean Primate Research Center and Cayo Santiago Rhesus Colony","authors":"Jeffrey L. Ebersole,&nbsp;M. J. Novak,&nbsp;D. Cappelli,&nbsp;D. R. Dawson III,&nbsp;O. A. Gonzalez","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23724","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23724","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This review article provides a historical summary regarding the use, value, and validity of the nonhuman primate model of periodontal disease. The information provided cites results regarding the features of naturally occurring periodontitis in various nonhuman primate species, as well as the implementation of a model of experimental periodontitis. Clinical similarities to human disease are discussed, as well as the use of these models to document physiological and pathophysiological tissue changes in the periodontium related to the initiation and progression of the disease. Additionally, the use of these analytics in examination of the tissue characteristics of the disease, and the utility of nonhuman primates in testing and describing various therapeutic modalities are described. As periodontitis represents a disease of an oral microbiome dysbiosis, features of the altered microbiome in the disease in nonhuman primates are related to similar findings in the human condition. The review then provides a summary of the features of local and systemic host responses to a periodontal infection in an array of nonhuman primate species. This includes attributes of innate immunity, acute and chronic inflammation, and adaptive immune responses. Finally, extensive information is presented regarding the role of <i>Macaca mulatta</i> derived from the Cayo Santiago community in evaluating critical biologic details of disease initiation, progression, and resolution. This unique resource afforded the capacity to relate risk and expression of disease and traits of the responses to age, sex, and matriline derivation (e.g., heritability) of the animals. The Cayo Santiago colony continues to provide a critical preclinical model for assessment of molecular aspects of the disease process that can lead to both new targets for therapeutics and consideration of vaccine approaches to preventing and/or treating this global disease.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143111795","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":"Why Didn't the Sifaka Cross the Road? Divergence of Propithecus edwardsi Gut Microbiomes Across Geographic Barriers in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar","authors":"Mariah E. Donohue,&nbsp;Alicia Lamb,&nbsp;Abigail E. Absangba,&nbsp;Eliette Noromalala,&nbsp;David R. Weisenbeck,&nbsp;Rebecca M. Stumpf,&nbsp;Patricia C. Wright","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23732","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study uses a biogeographic framework to identify patterns of gut microbiome divergence in an endangered lemur species endemic to Madagascar's southeastern rainforests, the Milne-Edwards's sifaka (<i>Propithecus edwardsi)</i>. Specifically, we tested the effects of (1) geographic barriers, (2) habitat disturbance, and (3) geographic distance on gut microbiome alpha and beta diversity. We selected 10 social groups from 4 sites in Ranomafana National Park with varied histories of selective logging. Sites were spaced between 4 and 17 km apart falling on either side of two parallel barriers to animal movement: the Namorona River and the RN25 highway. Using 16S rRNA metabarcoding, we found the greatest beta diversity differentiation to occur between social groups, with significant divisions on opposite sides of geographic barriers (road/river). Habitat disturbance had the most significant effect on alpha diversity, though, contrary to many other studies, disturbance was associated with higher microbial species richness. Without biomedical context, it is unclear whether microbiome differences observed herein are neutral, adaptive, or maladaptive. However, microbiome divergence associated with the road/river may be a symptom of reduced host gene flow, warranting further investigation and perhaps conservation action (e.g., construction of wildlife bridges). Finally, this work demonstrates that significant microbiome variation can accrue over small sampling areas, lending new insight into host-microbe-environmental interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.23732","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143111794","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":"Chimpanzee Activity and Behavioral Diversity Extends Across 24 Hours in Both Captive and Wild Settings","authors":"Jake A. Funkhouser,&nbsp;Helen Boostrom,&nbsp;Heidi Hellmuth,&nbsp;Logan Lacy,&nbsp;Sophie Bekins,&nbsp;Priyanka Joshi,&nbsp;Wen Mayoukou,&nbsp;Severin Ndassoba,&nbsp;Chigue Singono,&nbsp;Claude Abedine,&nbsp;Crepin Eyana Ayina,&nbsp;Emma Claisse,&nbsp;Emmalee Eslinger,&nbsp;Philip McElmurray,&nbsp;Stephanie Musgrave,&nbsp;David Morgan,&nbsp;Crickette Sanz","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23729","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajp.23729","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Studying nocturnal behavior is crucial for understanding the full scope of a species' behavioral flexibility so as to inform the conservation of wild populations and the care of captive individuals. However, this aspect of primate behavior is understudied, especially in great apes, which exhibit some of the widest documented behavioral diversity and flexibility. Our investigation is among the first to systematically compare the 24 h activity patterns and behavioral activities of captive chimpanzees (Saint Louis Zoo, USA) with those of wild chimpanzees (three sites across the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo) and a published data set of the nocturnal behavior of all chimpanzee subspecies. Furthermore, we examined the influence of human activity and changes to the group's composition on the activity patterns and nocturnal behaviors of the zoo-living chimpanzees. Our results reveal that the zoo-living chimpanzees exhibit significantly different activity patterns compared to their wild counterparts, with increased nocturnal activity (particularly in the early morning) and more observations of feeding and social behaviors at night. Additionally, the absence of human visitors and a change in the group's composition were found to influence these activity patterns. These findings underscore the importance of integrating more holistic approaches to captive primate care and wild primate conservation. This study also highlights the immense potential of implementing remote monitoring technology, such as video camera traps, across contexts. Such data that extend across contexts benefit not only the captive and wild great apes but also provide opportunities for caregivers, conservation managers, and students who are involved in these collaborative initiatives.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142998483","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":"Monkeys Swimming Across Rivers Refine Questions About the Riverine Barrier Hypothesis","authors":"Mary S. M. Pavelka,&nbsp;Shannon Holland,&nbsp;Broden Sabados,&nbsp;Amanda D. Melin","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23707","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajp.23707","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Riverine Barrier Hypothesis posits that species distributions are limited by large rivers acting as geographical barriers. Accordingly, large rivers have long been thought to be a major driver of the extensive speciation and high levels of biodiversity among platyrrhine primates in South and Central America. Direct observations of river crossings provide evidence that complements studies of genetic diversity that can together shed new light on this hypothesis. Here, we discuss recent video evidence of howler monkeys successfully swimming across the Rupununi River in Guyana and the Panama Canal. The footage clearly reveals that howler monkeys can and do cross such bodies of water. These video observations help to refine questions about the species and circumstances under which rivers are barriers to gene flow. We end by joining other scientists who call for increased collaborations with local people living near river crossing sites to improve our knowledge and understanding of the frequency, contexts, and traits of the rivers and animals that characterize river crossings. Local knowledge provides new answers and helps refine questions about the river barrier hypothesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11734091/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982425","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":"Tackling Hominin Tickling: Bonobos Share the Social Features and Developmental Dynamics of Play Tickling With Humans","authors":"Elisa Demuru,&nbsp;Ilenia Montello,&nbsp;Jean-Pascal Guéry,&nbsp;François Pellegrino,&nbsp;Florence Levréro,&nbsp;Ivan Norscia","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23723","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajp.23723","url":null,"abstract":"<p>It is under debate whether intersubjectivity—the capacity to experience a sense of <i>togetherness</i> around an action—is unique to humans. In humans, heavy tickling—a repeated body probing play that causes an automatic response including uncontrollable laughter (gargalesis)—has been linked to the emergence of intersubjectivity as it is aimed at making others laugh (self-generated responses are inhibited), it is often asymmetrical (older to younger subjects), and it elicits agent-dependent responses (pleasant/unpleasant depending on social bond). Intraspecific tickling and the related gargalesis response have been reported in humans, chimpanzees, and anecdotally in other great apes, potentially setting the line between hominids and other anthropoids. Here we investigated this phenomenon in bonobos and predicted that in this species (sharing with humans and chimpanzees the last common ancestor) the presence of tickling would be modulated depending on the players' age, play session initiators, and familiarity. In April–June 2018, we collected videos on play sessions—including tickling—on a bonobo group housed at <i>La Vallée des Singes</i> (France). We showed that tickling received decreased while tickling performed increased with age, with tickling being mostly directed from older to younger individuals. Moreover, tickling was mostly performed by the individuals that started the play interaction and most of it occurred in strongly bonded dyads, particularly mother–infant ones. Bonobo tickling features, especially age profile and social modulation, mirror those of heavy tickling in humans thus suggesting a common evolutionary origin and shared patterns of basic intersubjectivity in hominins.</p>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11734381/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982430","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":"Impact of Botfly Parasitism on the Behavior of Mantled Howler Monkeys","authors":"Ricardo J. Ortíz-Zárate,&nbsp;Jurgi Cristóbal-Azkarate,&nbsp;Ariadna Rangel-Negrín,&nbsp;Alejandro Coyohua-Fuentes,&nbsp;Pedro A. D. Dias","doi":"10.1002/ajp.23731","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajp.23731","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Parasitism, a widespread nutrient acquisition strategy among animals, results from a long evolutionary history where one species derives its metabolic needs from another. Parasites can significantly reduce host fitness, affecting reproduction, growth, and survivability. Vertebrate hosts exhibit defensive strategies against parasites, including “sickness behaviors” such as lethargy and self-grooming to remove ectoparasites. In addition, social animals may engage in “helping sick animals” behaviors, such as social grooming, to aid parasitized group members. Mantled howler monkeys (<i>Alouatta palliata</i>) parasitized by botfly larvae (<i>Cuterebra baeri</i>) exhibit subdermal nodules, which can be fatal under nutritional stress. This study investigates whether mantled howler monkeys display sickness behaviors or helping behaviors in response to <i>C. baeri</i> parasitism. Observations from July 2022 to April 2023 in La Flor de Catemaco, Mexico, revealed that parasitized individuals did not increase the frequency of self-directed (rub, scratch, and touch) nor received helping behaviors (social scratch and social touch) compared to non-parasitized ones. However, parasitized monkeys were more active, spending more time feeding and moving, likely to compensate for the metabolic costs of parasitism. This shift from energy conservation to energy acquisition strategies suggests a complex response to parasitism, emphasizing the need for further research on the energetic impacts of parasitism in this species. These preliminary findings suggest behavioral flexibility by mantled howler monkeys in coping with infection, indicating potential adaptive strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of parasitism.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7662,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Primatology","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142998488","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}