Can cyclone exposure explain behavioural and demographic variation among lemur species?

Madagascar has a harsh and stochastic climate because of regular natural disturbances. This history of regular cyclones has been hypothesised to have directed evolutionary changes to lemur behaviour and morphology that make them more resilient to sudden environmental change. These adaptations may include: small group sizes, high degrees of energy-conserving behaviours, generalist habitat use, small home ranges, small body size, and a limited number of frugivorous species. To date, however, no one has tested how variation in cyclone exposure across Madagascar is associated with variation in these resilience traits. In this study, we created a detailed cyclone impact map for Madagascar using Koppen-Geiger climate class, historical cyclone tracks, the Saffir Class of cyclone and hurricane intensity, and precipitation data. We also used existing literature to calculate a resilience score for 26 lemur species for which data existed on resilience traits. Our cyclone impact map was then overlaid on known geographic ranges of these species and compared to resilience score while controlling for phylogenetic non-independence and spatial autocorrelation. We found no association between cyclone impact in a lemur range and their resilience score. When assessing traits individually, however, we found that cyclone impact was positively associated with body size, suggesting that the more impacted a species is by cyclones the smaller they are. We also found cyclone impact to be negatively associated with frugivory, with species in higher impact zones eating more fruit. While unexpected, this could reflect an increased production in fruit in tree fall gaps following cyclones. While we did not find a pattern between cyclone impact and behavioural resilience in lemurs, we suggest a similar study at a global scale across all primates would allow for more taxonomic variation and reveal larger patterns key to understanding past and future vulnerability to natural disturbances in primates.

Density and population size estimates of the endangered northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon Nomascus annamensis in selectively logged Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park in Cambodia using acoustic spatial capture-recapture methods.

Many gibbon species are threatened with extinction, including the endangered northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, Nomascus annamensis. Assessing gibbon populations and understanding how human disturbances and environmental factors impact these populations is vital for effective conservation planning. In 2010, auditory surveys revealed that Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park (VSSP) in Cambodia contains one of the largest known N. annamensis populations in the world, with an estimated 456 (95% CI 421-490) gibbon groups. Illegal selective logging is common in the park, but the impact of continued logging on the gibbon population has not been investigated. To determine any change in the N. annamensis population since 2010, between January and April 2019 we conducted auditory surveys at 13 sites that were at least 4 km apart. We surveyed each site for three days, each day recording the gibbon calls heard over 3.25 hours from three listening posts located 500 m apart. At the same sites, we assessed the logging intensity using transects and ecological plots. Gibbon densities can be influenced by various environmental factors such as canopy height and forest type. Therefore, in addition to investigating the relationship between the density of N. annamensis groups and logging, we included five additional environmental variables in our acoustic spatial capture-recapture models. Our best fit model with the lowest AIC value included canopy height, forest type, distance to villages, and logging. We estimate that there are 389 (95% CI 284-542) N. annamensis groups currently in VSSP. Selective logging is widespread in the park, primarily targeting four tree species. The estimated felling time of these logged trees, together with previous reports, indicate that the species most targeted in VSSP varies over time. To conserve the N. annamensis population in VSSP, it is crucial that action is taken to reduce illegal logging.

"The influence of olfactory enrichment on the behavior of two captive New World primates: Black-capped capuchin (Sapajus apella) and common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)".

Environmental enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that seeks to provide the stimuli necessary for the optimal physiological and psychological well-being of animals. Due to primates having highly developed visual systems, there have been limited attempts to quantify the benefit of olfactory enrichment on captive primate populations. We aim to investigate how a range of odors may influence the behaviors of two captive New World primate species that have varying reliance on olfactory pathways, black-capped capuchin (Sapajus apella) and common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), at the National Zoo and Aquarium, Canberra, Australia. We presented three odors (rosemary oil, Salvia rosmarinus, banana essence and white-tailed deer urine, Odocoileus virginianus) four different times to the two species following a 12-week randomized schedule. Using instantaneous scan sampling we collected behavioral and direct cloth interaction (DCI) data on 40 days. We then calculated activity budgets. Results show both species significantly respond to different olfactory conditions. S. apella responded to banana by decreasing inactivity (df = 4, F = 6.600, p = .007), and increasing DCI frequencies (df = 3, F = 116.196, p < .0001) whereas C. jacchus was influenced by rosemary and deer urine-also reducing inactivity levels (df= 4, F = 15.938, p < .0001), but not changing DCI frequencies. We also tested habituation however it is not significant for either species over the course of the study. This comparative investigation is one of the first of its kind and uncovers the possibility for olfactory stimulus to be successfully used as a type of beneficial environmental enrichment for captive primates, supporting the constructive and ongoing development of enrichment programs at captive facilities.

Opportunities for primary health care: a qualitative study of perinatal health and wellbeing during bushfire crises.

BACKGROUND: During the summer of 2019/2020, Australia experienced a catastrophic wildfire season that affected nearly 80% of Australians either directly or indirectly. The impacts of climate crisis on perinatal health have only recently begun to receive attention. The objective of this study was to understand experiences of perinatal women during the bushfire and smoke events of 2019-2020 regarding health, health care, and public health messaging. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted by phone or web conferencing platforms with 43 participants living in the south-east of Australia who were either pregnant or who had recently had a baby during the 2019/2020 fires. RESULTS: The health impacts on participants of the fires, associated smoke, and evacuations for some, were both physical and psychological. Many participants sought information regarding how to protect their own health and that of their unborn/recently born children, but reported this difficult to find. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women and new mothers exposed to bushfire events are a risk group for adverse physical and psychological outcomes. At the time of the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, exposed women could not easily access evidence-based information to mitigate this risk. Family practitioners are well placed to provide pregnant women and new mothers with this sought-after information, but they need to be prepared well in advance of future similar events.

Positional behavior and canopy use of black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri in the Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan, China.

Studies on positional behavior and canopy use are essential for understanding how arboreal animals adapt their morphological characteristics and behaviors to the challenges of their environment. This study explores canopy and substrate use along with positional behavior in adult black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri, an endemic, critically endangered primate species in Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China. Using continuous focal animal sampling, we collected data over a 52-month period and found that R. strykeri is highly arboreal primarily using the high layers of the forest canopy (15-30 m), along with the terminal zone of tree crowns (52.9%), medium substrates (41.5%), and oblique substrates (56.8%). We also found sex differences in canopy and substrate use. Females use the terminal zones (56.7% versus 40.4%), small/medium (77.7% versus 60.1%), and oblique (59.9% versus 46.5%) substrates significantly more than males. On the other hand, males spend more time on large/very large (39.9% versus 22.3%) and horizontal (49.7% versus 35.2%) substrates. Whereas both sexes mainly sit (84.7%), and stand quadrupedally (9.1%), males stand quadrupedally (11.5% versus 8.3%), and bipedally (2.9% versus 0.8%) more often than females. Clamber, quadrupedalism, and leap/drop are the main locomotor modes for both sexes. Rhinopithecus strykeri populations never enter canopies of degenerated secondary forest and mainly use terminal branches in the middle and upper layers of canopies in intact mid-montane moist evergreen broadleaf forest and hemlock coniferous broadleaf mixed forests across their habitat.

Enamel neonatal line thickness in deciduous teeth of Australian children from known maternal health and pregnancy conditions.

BACKGROUND: Physiological disruptions to early human development have implications for health and disease in later life. Limited research has explored how prenatal factors influence dental development in children of mothers with known pregnancy conditions. Enamel in human deciduous teeth begins forming in utero and is highly susceptible to physiological upsets experienced perinatally. The moment of birth itself is marked in deciduous enamel by the Neonatal Line (NNL) as a baby transitions from the uterine to external environment. This study evaluates the effect of maternal health factors that include stress and alcohol consumption on NNL in teeth from Australian children. STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Mothers (n = 53) were interviewed about their health during pregnancy and experience of birth. Sixty-five deciduous teeth (incisors, molars, one canine) from their children were donated for histological examination. Neonatal line thickness was measured from thin sections and evaluated against maternal and neonatal factors using statistical analyses, controlling for tooth type and birth number. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The only maternal factor of a statistically significant effect on NNL thickness was alcohol consumption. Children of mothers who drank occasionally during pregnancy had a thicker NNL when compared to children of mothers who abstained. These results suggest that maternal lifestyle factors influence NNL formation possibly due to physiological changes that disrupt calcium homeostasis during enamel deposition. We highlight large intra-specific variation in human NNL expression. The potential of dental sampling in identifying children with prenatal exposure to alcohol is suggested.

Nutritional composition of the diet of the northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) in northeastern Cambodia.

This study measured the nutritional composition of foods consumed by the northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) in northeastern Cambodia. One group of N. annamensis was studied, and focal animal sampling was used to observe their feeding behavior. The study was conducted for 4 months (January-April 2015) in the dry season and 69 foods were collected for nutritional analyses. N. annamensis fed on 37 plant species, but only seven species made up more than 80% of feeding time. N. annamensis spent the majority of their time feeding on fruit (60.36%), followed by young leaves (22.60%), flowers (13.74%), and mature leaves (3.30%). Fruit had the highest concentrations of total non-structural carbohydrates, while young leaves had the highest concentration of crude protein compared to other food items. All food items had similar concentrations of lipids, except young leaves, which had lower levels than fruit and flowers. All plant parts consumed by N. annamensis had similar amounts of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin. Thirty-two percent of all food items contained condensed tannins, and they had a similar level of it. All foods also had similar energy contents. This study adds to our knowledge of the feeding ecology of N. annamensis by providing baseline data on the make-up of the foods they eat and may contribute to captive feeding programs, ultimately assisting the conservation of this species.

The role of minerals in food selection in a black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) population in Belize following a major hurricane.

As plants may contain low levels of some minerals including sodium, copper, and phosphorous, herbivores may become deficient in these nutrients. In 2001, Hurricane Iris hit the Monkey River Forest in Belize causing substantial damage to the food supply of the black howler monkey population (Alouatta pigra) living there. This included an 18-month absence in fruit production and a complete loss of figs that are high in calcium. In this article, we describe the post-hurricane diet of this monkey population and compare the mineral content of food items to each other and to recommendations for non-human primates [NRC 2003]. We also investigate food selection in relation to potentially limiting minerals. Behavioral data from four groups of howlers (2002-2006) and samples of all ingested food items were collected and a sample of 99 plant from 18 food species was analyzed for mineral content. Unexpectedly, the post-hurricane diet contained more mature leaves than new leaves despite the availability of new leaves. Leaves contained higher amounts of minerals than reproductive parts and with the exception of Cecropia peltata stems, plant parts were low in sodium. Cecropia peltata is a pioneer species that grows following habitat disturbance thus the ingestion of these stems may be a potential mechanism to avoid sodium deficiency in this damaged forest. Calcium and zinc were found above recommended values in most food items; however, both positively predicted food selection, which may reflect a difference between their abundance and their bioavailability. However, as mature leaves contained more calcium than other plant parts, their high post-hurricane consumption may also be a response to the absence of figs and the need to find an alternate calcium source. This study highlights how habitat disturbance may affect mineral abundance and the dietary choices of primates.

Sources of variation in fecal cortisol levels in howler monkeys in Belize.

High cortisol levels are known to cause low fecundity and increased mortality; thus, the prospect of using cortisol as a measure of population health is an exciting one. However, because so many factors can interact to influence cortisol release, it can be difficult to interpret what exactly is creating changes to cortisol levels. This study investigates variation in fecal cortisol levels in a population of black howlers (Alouatta pigra) from 350 fecal samples collected from 33 individuals in more than 4 years. A general linear mixed model revealed that cortisol varied significantly with fruit availability and contact with tourists. When fruit availability was low, cortisol increased, likely because when fruit availability is low monkeys eat less fruit, thus obtaining less sugar. This result may simply reflect cortisol's metabolic function of mobilizing glucose. It also indicates that these monkeys may be experiencing periods of food stress throughout the year, which was earlier thought to be minimal for a primarily folivorous species. Presence of tourists was the only other factor found to lead to high cortisol; with exposure to tourists increasing stress levels. These results highlight the importance of understanding how physiological factors can influence cortisol, making it easier to interpret results and determine the external social or ecological stressors that may increase cortisol.

The short-term effects of a hurricane on the diet and activity of black howlers (Alouatta pigra) in Monkey River, Belize.

The diet and activity of a population of Alouatta pigra were compared before and immediately after a major hurricane to begin to explore how the monkeys cope with severe habitat destruction. Focal animal data were collected from January to April (dry season) for two seasons before (368 h) and one season after the storm (149 h) on a population of black howlers in Monkey River, Belize. During the first dry season after the storm, the monkeys changed their diet in direct accordance with the availability of food. The absence of fruit and flower production and the increase in new leaf availability forced the monkeys to adopt a completely folivorous diet. The activity budget of the monkeys also changed, and they spent more time inactive, which may be linked to the change in the distribution and type of food available. They also spent less time in social interactions, which may be due to the lower number of juveniles in the population or to the formation of new groups between unfamiliar individuals following the hurricane. The ability to live for long periods of time on leaves alone has allowed the remaining population to survive in the short term.