Hormonal changes in northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) after the death of a group member.

The small apes, gibbons and siamangs, are monogamous species with their social groups comprising of both parents and their offspring. Therefore, the loss of a member may elicit a stress response in the remaining members due to their strong bonds. Glucocorticoids (GCs) have been useful indicators of stress, but distinguishing between acute versus chronic stress may be limited when measuring these hormones alone. The adrenal hormone dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), a GC antagonist, has been implicated in the regulation of the stress response. Thus, the concomitant measurement of these hormones can help examine whether an event, such as the loss of a group member, elicited a stress response. In this brief report, we discuss the hormonal response of two zoo-housed northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) (1 adolescent male and his mother) after the death of the adult male of the group. Baseline fecal samples were collected opportunistically from these two individuals 5 months prior, and 3 months following the death of their group member. A total of 25 samples were quantified for fecal GC metabolites (FGCMs) and DHEAS by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to calculate the FGCMs:DHEAS ratio. Our results indicate an increase in FGCMs and FGCMs:DHEAS for the adolescent male, but not the adult female, following the death. Our findings suggest that the integration of FGCMs and DHEAS measurements can provide valuable information to interpret individual stress levels to the sudden change in the group's social structure.

Long non-coding RNAs expression and regulation across different brain regions in primates.

Human and non-human primates have strikingly similar genomes, but they strongly differ in many brain-based processes (e.g., behaviour and cognition). While the functions of protein-coding genes have been extensively studied, rather little is known about the role of non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Here, we predicted lncRNAs and analysed their expression pattern across different brain regions of human and non-human primates (chimpanzee, gorilla, and gibbon). Our analysis identified shared orthologous and non-orthologous lncRNAs, showing striking differences in the genomic features. Differential expression analysis of the shared orthologous lncRNAs from humans and chimpanzees revealed distinct expression patterns in subcortical regions (striatum, hippocampus) and neocortical areas while retaining a homogeneous expression in the cerebellum. Co-expression analysis of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes revealed massive proportions of co-expressed pairs in neocortical regions of humans compared to chimpanzees. Network analysis of co-expressed pairs revealed the distinctive role of the hub-acting orthologous lncRNAs in a region- and species-specific manner. Overall, our study provides novel insight into lncRNA driven gene regulatory landscape, neural regulation, brain evolution, and constitutes a resource for primate's brain lncRNAs.

A shared pattern of midfacial bone modelling in hominids suggests deep evolutionary roots for human facial morphogenesis.

Midfacial morphology varies between hominoids, in particular between great apes and humans for which the face is small and retracted. The underlying developmental processes for these morphological differences are still largely unknown. Here, we investigate the cellular mechanism of maxillary development (bone modelling, BM), and how potential changes in this process may have shaped facial evolution. We analysed cross-sectional developmental series of gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and present-day humans (n = 183). Individuals were organized into five age groups according to their dental development. To visualize each species's BM pattern and corresponding morphology during ontogeny, maps based on microscopic data were mapped onto species-specific age group average shapes obtained using geometric morphometrics. The amount of bone resorption was quantified and compared between species. Great apes share a highly similar BM pattern, whereas gibbons have a distinctive resorption pattern. This suggests a change in cellular activity on the hominid branch. Humans possess most of the great ape pattern, but bone resorption is high in the canine area from birth on, suggesting a key role of canine reduction in facial evolution. We also observed that humans have high levels of bone resorption during childhood, a feature not shared with other apes.

Conserved patterns and locomotor-related evolutionary constraints in the hominoid vertebral column.

The evolution of the hominoid lineage is characterized by pervasive homoplasy, notably in regions such as the vertebral column, which plays a central role in body support and locomotion. Few isolated and fewer associated vertebrae are known for most fossil hominoid taxa, but identified specimens indicate potentially high levels of convergence in terms of both form and number. Homoplasy thus complicates attempts to identify the anatomy of the last common ancestor of hominins and other taxa and stymies reconstructions of evolutionary scenarios. One way to clarify the role of homoplasy is by investigating constraints via phenotypic integration, which assesses covariation among traits, shapes evolutionary pathways, and itself evolves in response to selection. We assessed phenotypic integration and evolvability across the subaxial (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral) vertebral column of macaques (n = 96), gibbons (n = 77), chimpanzees (n = 92), and modern humans (n = 151). We found a mid-cervical cluster that may have shifted cranially in hominoids, a persistent thoracic cluster that is most marked in chimpanzees, and an expanded lumbosacral cluster in hominoids that is most expanded in gibbons. Our results highlight the highly conserved nature of the vertebral column. Taxa appear to exploit existing patterns of integration and ontogenetic processes to shift, expand, or reduce cluster boundaries. Gibbons appear to be the most highly derived taxon in our sample, possibly in response to their highly specialized locomotion.

The power of gibbon songs: Going beyond the research to inform conservation actions.

Gibbons (Hylobatidae) are the smallest of the apes, known for their arboreal behavior and stereotyped songs. These species and sex-specific songs are often the subject of detailed studies regarding their evolution, responses to changing environments, involvement in social behavior, and used to design vocalization-based survey techniques to monitor population densities and trends. What is poorly understood is the value and impact of using the science and sound of gibbon vocalization and gibbon stories in education and outreach to complement nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) efforts. We present an example of how Borneo Nature Foundation, a NGOs based in Indonesia, is working to use the recordings of the songs of Bornean white-bearded gibbons (Hylobates albibarbis) to inform conservation actions and education efforts. Gibbons in Indonesia are often poorly known or understood by the public compared to orangutans (Pongo spp). We showcase how a field of study, namely primate acoustics, is an untapped resource to create digital content to engage with local, national and international communities and can be developed into educational tools in the form of storytelling, mobile apps and games, to highlight the plight of these threatened species and how to conserve them.

Isochronous rhythms: Facilitating song coordination across taxa?

The biological expression of isochronous rhythms - rhythms like those produced by a metronome - was once thought to be unique to humans. A new study reports that faster and more isochronous rhythms lead to more successful duets in singing gibbons: isochronous rhythms might be an important component of song coordination across taxa.

Stubby versus stabby: A preliminary analysis of canine microwear in primates: Implication for inferring ingestive behaviors.

Molar and incisor microwear reflect aspects of food choice and ingestive behaviors in living primates and have both been used to infer the same for fossil samples. Canine microwear, however, has received less attention, perhaps because of the prominent role canines play in social display and because they are used as weapons-while outside of a few specialized cases, their involvement in diet related behaviors has not been obvious. Here, we posit that microwear can also provide glimpses into canine tooth use in ingestion. Canines of Sumatran long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis), lar gibbons (Hylobates lar), Thomas' leaf monkeys (Presbytis thomasi), and orangutans (Pongo abelii), and two African great apes, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), were considered. The labial tips of maxillary canine replicas were scanned using a white-light confocal profiler, and both feature and texture analyses were used to characterize microwear surface patterning. The taxa exhibited significant differences in canine microwear. In some cases, these were consistent with variation in reported anterior tooth use such that, for example, the orangutans, known to use their front teeth extensively in ingestion, had the highest median number of microwear features on their canines, whereas the gibbons, reported to use their front teeth infrequently in food acquisition, had the lowest.

Eco-evolutionary dynamics of gut phageome in wild gibbons (Hoolock tianxing) with seasonal diet variations.

It has been extensively studied that the gut microbiome provides animals flexibility to adapt to food variability. Yet, how gut phageome responds to diet variation of wild animals remains unexplored. Here, we analyze the eco-evolutionary dynamics of gut phageome in six wild gibbons (Hoolock tianxing) by collecting individually-resolved fresh fecal samples and parallel feeding behavior data for 15 consecutive months. Application of complementary viral and microbial metagenomics recovers 39,198 virulent and temperate phage genomes from the feces. Hierarchical cluster analyses show remarkable seasonal diet variations in gibbons. From high-fruit to high-leaf feeding period, the abundances of phage populations are seasonally fluctuated, especially driven by the increased abundance of virulent phages that kill the Lachnospiraceae hosts, and a decreased abundance of temperate phages that piggyback the Bacteroidaceae hosts. Functional profiling reveals an enrichment through horizontal gene transfers of toxin-antitoxin genes on temperate phage genomes in high-leaf season, potentially conferring benefits to their prokaryotic hosts. The phage-host ecological dynamics are driven by the coevolutionary processes which select for tail fiber and DNA primase genes on virulent and temperate phage genomes, respectively. Our results highlight complex phageome-microbiome interactions as a key feature of the gibbon gut microbial ecosystem responding to the seasonal diet.

Judicial Opinion 129.

Opinion 129 addresses the status of Firmicutes corrig. Gibbons and Murray 1978 (Approved Lists 1980). The name has the category 'division' and was included in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names, although that category had previously been removed from the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (1975 revision onwards). When the category 'phylum' was introduced into the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) in 2021, equivalence between 'phylum' and 'division' was not stipulated. Since the definition of the taxonomic categories and their relative order is one of the principal tasks of every code of nomenclature, the inclusion of Firmicutes corrig. Gibbons and Murray 1978 in the Approved Lists was an error. The name is either not validly published or illegitimate because its category is not covered by the ICNP. If Firmicutes corrig. Gibbons and Murray 1978 (Approved Lists 1980) was a validly published phylum name, it would be illegitimate because it would contravene Rule 8, which does not permit any deviation from the requirement to derive a phylum name from the name of the type genus. Since Firmicutes corrig. Gibbons and Murray 1978 is also part of a 'misfitting megaclassification' recognized in Opinion 128, the name is rejected, without any pre-emption regarding a hypothetically validly published name Firmicutes at the rank of phylum. Gracilicutes Gibbons and Murray 1978 (Approved Lists 1980) and Anoxyphotobacteriae Gibbons and Murray 1978 (Approved Lists 1980) are also rejected. The validly published phylum names have a variety of advantages over their not validly published counterparts and cannot be replaced with ad hoc names suggested in the literature. To ease the transition, it is recommended to mention the not validly published phylum names which strongly deviate in spelling from their validly published counterparts along with the latter in publications during the next years.

Small apes adjust rhythms to facilitate song coordination.

Song coordination is a universal characteristic of human music. Many animals also produce well-coordinated duets or choruses that resemble human music. However, the mechanism and evolution of song coordination have only recently been studied in animals. Here, we studied the mechanism of song coordination in three closely related species of wild Nomascus gibbons that live in polygynous groups. In each species, song bouts were dominated by male solo sequences (referred to hereafter as male sequence), and females contributed stereotyped great calls to coordinate with males. Considering the function of rhythm in facilitating song coordination in human music and animal vocalizations, we predicted that adult males adjust their song rhythm to facilitate song coordination with females. In support of this prediction, we found that adult males produced significantly more isochronous rhythms with a faster tempo in male sequences that were followed by successful female great calls (a complete sequence with "introductory" and "wa" notes). The difference in isochrony and tempos between successful great call sequences and male sequences was smaller in N. concolor compared with the other two species, which may make it difficult for females to predict a male's precise temporal pattern. Consequently, adult females of N. concolor produced more failed great call (an incomplete sequence with only introductory notes) sequences. We propose that the high degree of rhythm change functions as an unambiguous signal that can be easily perceived by receivers. In this regard, gibbon vocalizations offer an instructive model to understand the origins and evolution of human music.

Vocal fingerprinting reveals a substantially smaller global population of the Critically Endangered cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) than previously thought.

The cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) is one of the rarest primates on Earth and now only survives in a single forest patch of less than 5000 ha on the Vietnam-China border. Accurate monitoring of the last remaining population is critical to inform ongoing conservation interventions and track conservation success over time. However, traditional methods for monitoring gibbons, involving triangulation of groups from their songs, are inherently subjective and likely subject to considerable measurement errors. To overcome this, we aimed to use 'vocal fingerprinting' to distinguish the different singing males in the population. During the 2021 population survey, we complemented the traditional observations made by survey teams with a concurrent passive acoustic monitoring array. Counts of gibbon group sizes were also assisted with a UAV-mounted thermal camera. After identifying eight family groups in the acoustic data and incorporating long-term data, we estimate that the population was comprised of 74 individuals in 11 family groups, which is 38% smaller than previously thought. We have no evidence that the population has declined-indeed it appears to be growing, with new groups having formed in recent years-and the difference is instead due to double-counting of groups in previous surveys employing the triangulation method. Indeed, using spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling, we uncovered substantial measurement error in the bearings and distances from field teams. We also applied semi- and fully-automatic approaches to clustering the male calls into groups, finding no evidence that we had missed any males with the manual approach. Given the very small size of the population, conservation actions are now even more urgent, in particular habitat restoration to allow the population to expand. Our new population estimate now serves as a more robust basis for informing management actions and tracking conservation success over time.

Integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells from three endangered Southeast Asian non-human primate species.

Advanced molecular and cellular technologies provide promising tools for wildlife and biodiversity conservation. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers an easily accessible and infinite source of pluripotent stem cells, and have been derived from many threatened wildlife species. This paper describes the first successful integration-free reprogramming of adult somatic cells to iPSCs, and their differentiation, from three endangered Southeast Asian primates: the Celebes Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra), the Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar), and the Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus). iPSCs were also generated from the Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus). Differences in mechanisms could elicit new discoveries regarding primate evolution and development. iPSCs from endangered species provides a safety net in conservation efforts and allows for sustainable sampling for research and conservation, all while providing a platform for the development of further in vitro models of disease.

Lumbopelvic Fixation with Iliac Screw in Spinopelvic Dissociation / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: Spinopelvic dissociation which occurs by high energy trauma with associated fractures is rare. Treatment is difficult and only a few studies on treatment of spinopelvic dissociation have been reported. Therefore we evaluated spinopelvic dissociation patients treated with iliac screw. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed patients who underwent surgery using an iliac screw from 2005 to 2010. Preoperative radiologic classification was performed using the level of the transverse fracture line of the sacrum, shape of the fracture, and Roy-Camille classification. Neurologic evaluation was performed using Gibbons classification. Eleven patients underwent surgery with a pedicle screw in 1 level (L5 to S1) and bilateral iliac screws were added. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were included in this study. The level of the transverse fracture line of the sacrum was mainly at S2, and there were mostly type 3 or 4 in Roy-Camille classification. Bony union was checked in 11 patients without metal failure. Six of 7 patients were treated by posterior decompression. Among them, 5 patients recovered from neurological deficit and 1 patient still had a sensory disorder on both lower legs. CONCLUSION: The more displacement of fracture, the more neurologic deficit occurred. In addition, we think that aggressive surgical treatment for spinopelvic dissociation should be considered, because a good clinical result was achieved with 1 level (L5 to S1) fixation and bilateral iliac screw fixation.

Construction, characterization, and chromosomal mapping of a fosmid library of the white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Gibbons have experienced extensive karyotype rearrangements during evolution and represent an ideal model for studying the underlying molecular mechanism of evolutionary chromosomal rearrangements. It is anticipated that the cloning and sequence characterization of evolutionary chromosomal breakpoints will provide vital insights into the molecular force that has driven such a radical karyotype reshuffle in gibbons. We constructed and characterized a high-quality fosmid library of the white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) containing 192,000 non- redundant clones with an average insert size of 38 kb and 2.5-fold genome coverage. By end sequencing of 100 randomly selected fosmid clones, we generated 196 sequence tags for the library. These end-sequenced fosmid clones were then mapped onto the chromosomes of the white-cheeked gibbon by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and no spurious chimeric clone was detected. BLAST search against the human genome showed a good correlation between the number of hit clones and the number of chromosomes, an indication of unbiased chromosomal distribution of the fosmid library. The chromosomal distribution of the mapped clones is also consistent with the BLAST search result against human and white-cheeked gibbon genomes. The fosmid library and the mapped clones will serve as a valuable resource for further studying gibbons' chromosomal rearrangements and the underlying molecular mechanism as well as for comparative genomic study in the lesser apes.

The Study of Obstetric Consequences of Women with Uterine Anomaly / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and obstetric consequences of women with uterine anomalies and correlation between obstetric consequence and congenital uterine anomalies. Materials and METHODS: A retrospective study was made on 65 patients with uterine anomalies in order to evaluate the obstetric consequence at department of obstetrics and gynecology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital from January 1994 to June 1997. The diagnosis of uterine anomalies was made with hysterosalpingogram or ultrasonogram, or at the time of cesarean section. The uterine anomalies were classified according to the classification of Buttram and Gibbons and compared the pregnancy outcome for each classification. The obstetric consequences were divided into preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes, intrauterine growth restriction, and abnormal presentation of fetus. Statistical analysis was carried out using chi-square test, the significance was defined as P< 0.05. RESULTS: 1. The incidence of uterine anomalies accounted for 1.04% (65/6,250 deliveries). 2. The most common uterine anomalies were class III (Uterine didelphys, 47.7%). 3. We noted preterm birth rate (16.9%), premature rupture of membranes rate (20%), intrauterine growth restriction rate (9.2%) in 65 patients. 4. The rate of breech presentation was 41.5% and the mean birth weight was 2,747 gram. 5. When uterine anormalies were present, the incidence of obstetric consequences was significantly increased. CONCLUSION: We concluded that congenital uterine anomalies were closely related to obstetric consequences, such as preterm, breech presentation, intrauterine growth retardation.

MR Imaging in the Evaluation of Mullerian Duct Anomalies

PURPOSE: To assess the role of MRI in the diagnosis of uterine anomaly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MRI(n:15), hysterosalpingography(n:7) and ultrasonography(n:7) were performed in 15 patients with suspected MullerJan duct anomaly. Nine cases were proved by operation and six cases were diagnoed with imaging and clinical findings. According to Buttram and Gibbons modified classification, the anomalies were 4 cases of class I, 2 cases of class III, one case of class IV, and 8 cases of class V. RESULTS: MRI enabled accurate diagnoses of anomalies in all cases, but HSG and USG showed wrong diagnoses in 3 of 7 cases and in 1 of 7 cases. CONCLUSION: MRI, especially T2-weighted images parallel to long axis of uterine corpus, was very useful in diagnosis of the Mullerian duct anomaly, because it could depict exactly the external fundal contour, intercornual distance, septum, transverse vaginal septum, and associated abnormalities such as hematocolpos and hematometra.

Eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis as the cause of death in captive non-human primates

Fatal eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due Angiostrongylus cantonensis is reported in captive non-human primates. A howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) at the Audubon park and Zoological Gardens, New Orleans,LA, died 21 days after initial clinical symptoms. A white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) died at the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo, Nassau, Bahamas, 17 days after onset of symptoms. Both had access to free-ranging by A.cantonensis in non-human primates in the western hemisphere. (AU)