Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 60 in total

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  1. Interspecific interactions between primates, birds, bats, and squirrels may affect community composition on Borneo
    Beaudrot L, Struebig MJ, Meijaard E, van Balen S, Husson S, Young CF, et al.
    Am J Primatol, 2013 Feb;75(2):170-85.
    PMID: 23184656 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22095
    For several decades, primatologists have been interested in understanding how sympatric primate species are able to coexist. Most of our understanding of primate community ecology derives from the assumption that these animals interact predominantly with other primates. In this study, we investigate to what extent multiple community assembly hypotheses consistent with this assumption are supported when tested with communities of primates in isolation versus with communities of primates, birds, bats, and squirrels together. We focus on vertebrate communities on the island of Borneo, where we examine the determinants of presence or absence of species, and how these communities are structured. We test for checkerboard distributions, guild proportionality, and Fox's assembly rule for favored states, and predict that statistical signals reflecting interactions between ecologically similar species will be stronger when nonprimate taxa are included in analyses. We found strong support for checkerboard distributions in several communities, particularly when taxonomic groups were combined, and after controlling for habitat effects. We found evidence of guild proportionality in some communities, but did not find significant support for Fox's assembly rule in any of the communities examined. These results demonstrate the presence of vertebrate community structure that is ecologically determined rather than randomly generated, which is a finding consistent with the interpretation that interactions within and between these taxonomic groups may have shaped species composition in these communities. This research highlights the importance of considering the broader vertebrate communities with which primates co-occur, and so we urge primatologists to explicitly consider nonprimate taxa in the study of primate ecology.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates/physiology
  2. Fulltext Is 2020 the year when primatologists should cancel fieldwork?
    Reid MJC
    Am J Primatol, 2020 08;82(8):e23161.
    PMID: 32583538 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23161
    Year 2020 has brought the greatest global pandemic to hit the world since the end of the First World War. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the resulting disease named coronavirus disease 2019 has brought the world to its knees both financially and medically. The American Society of Primatologists has postponed their annual meetings from the end of May 2020 until the end of September 2020, while the International Primatological Society have postponed their biennial congress from August 2020 to August 2021, which has also resulted in their 2022 meetings in Malaysia being pushed back until 2023. Here, I explore the potential dangers of pursuing any primate fieldwork during this pandemic on our study species, their ecosystems, and local peoples. I believe that the risk of bringing this virus into our study ecosystems is too great and that primatologists should cancel all field research until the pandemic ends or a vaccine/reliable treatment is widely available. This is the year we all must become One Health practitioners!
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates*; Primate Diseases/prevention & control*; Primate Diseases/virology
  3. Fulltext The human-primate interface in the New Normal: Challenges and opportunities for primatologists in the COVID-19 era and beyond
    Lappan S, Malaivijitnond S, Radhakrishna S, Riley EP, Ruppert N
    Am J Primatol, 2020 Aug;82(8):e23176.
    PMID: 32686188 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23176
    The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 and human responses to the resulting COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 have rapidly changed many aspects of human behavior, including our interactions with wildlife. In this commentary, we identify challenges and opportunities at human-primate interfaces in light of COVID-19, focusing on examples from Asia, and make recommendations for researchers working with wild primates to reduce zoonosis risk and leverage research opportunities. First, we briefly review the evidence for zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 and discuss risks of zoonosis at the human-primate interface. We then identify challenges that the pandemic has caused for primates, including reduced nutrition, increased intraspecific competition, and increased poaching risk, as well as challenges facing primatologists, including lost research opportunities. Subsequently, we highlight opportunities arising from pandemic-related lockdowns and public health messaging, including opportunities to reduce the intensity of problematic human-primate interfaces, opportunities to reduce the risk of zoonosis between humans and primates, opportunities to reduce legal and illegal trade in primates, new opportunities for research on human-primate interfaces, and opportunities for community education. Finally, we recommend specific actions that primatologists should take to reduce contact and aggression between humans and primates, to reduce demand for primates as pets, to reduce risks of zoonosis in the context of field research, and to improve understanding of human-primate interfaces. Reducing the risk of zoonosis and promoting the well-being of humans and primates at our interfaces will require substantial changes from "business as usual." We encourage primatologists to help lead the way.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  4. Fulltext New Insights on the Evolution of the Sweet Taste Receptor of Primates Adapted to Harsh Environments
    Tamrin NAM, Zainudin R, Esa Y, Alias H, Isa MNM, Croft L, et al.
    Animals (Basel), 2020 Dec 10;10(12).
    PMID: 33321745 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122359
    Taste perception is an essential function that provides valuable dietary and sensory information, which is crucial for the survival of animals. Studies into the evolution of the sweet taste receptor gene (TAS1R2) are scarce, especially for Bornean endemic primates such as Nasalis larvatus (proboscis monkey), Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean orangutan), and Hylobates muelleri (Muller's Bornean gibbon). Primates are the perfect taxa to study as they are diverse dietary feeders, comprising specialist folivores, frugivores, gummivores, herbivores, and omnivores. We constructed phylogenetic trees of the TAS1R2 gene for 20 species of anthropoid primates using four different methods (neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian) and also established the time divergence of the phylogeny. The phylogeny successfully separated the primates into their taxonomic groups as well as by their dietary preferences. Of note, the reviewed time of divergence estimation for the primate speciation pattern in this study was more recent than the previously published estimates. It is believed that this difference may be due to environmental changes, such as food scarcity and climate change, during the late Miocene epoch, which forced primates to change their dietary preferences. These findings provide a starting point for further investigation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  5. [Biological cycle of Tarsubulura perarmata (Ratzel, 1868) (author's transl)]
    Quentin JC, Krishnasamy M, Tcheprakoff R
    Ann Parasitol Hum Comp, 1977 3 1;52(2):159-70.
    PMID: 907289
    Tarsubulura perarmata (Ratzel, 1868) is described from a primate Tarsius bancanus and from Tupaidae: Tupaia glis and T. minor in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur). Its biological cycle is done by the experimental infestation of crickets belonging to the genera Valanga and Oxya. The infective larvae are obtained after three weeks of development of 28 degrees C in the intermediate host. They differ from third stage larvae obtained from Subulurinae by the development of cuticular pharyngeal lobes. The early apparition of this ontogenetic character confirms the isolation of the genus Tarsubulura as compared to the general evolution of the Subuluridae.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates/parasitology*
  6. [On the morphology of the Rictularid, Pterygodermatites nycticebi (Mönnig, 1920) (Nematoda, Riculariidae) of the slow Loris (author's transl)]
    Quentin JC, Krishnasamy M
    Ann Parasitol Hum Comp, 1979 Sep-Oct;54(5):527-32.
    PMID: 539728
    Description of the male Pterygodermatites nycticebi (Mönnig, 1920) unknown until the present study, and a study of the cephalic and cuticular structures of the female. This rictularid has a morphological evolution comparable to that of other males of the Rictulariidae parasitic in viverrid carnivores and in primates.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates/parasitology*
  7. Fulltext 'Optimising' breastfeeding: what can we learn from evolutionary, comparative and anthropological aspects of lactation?
    Fewtrell MS, Mohd Shukri NH, Wells JCK
    BMC Med, 2020 01 09;18(1):4.
    PMID: 31915002 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1473-8
    BACKGROUND: Promoting breastfeeding is an important public health intervention, with benefits for infants and mothers. Even modest increases in prevalence and duration may yield considerable economic savings. However, despite many initiatives, compliance with recommendations is poor in most settings - particularly for exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers commonly consult health professionals for infant feeding and behavioural problems.

    MAIN BODY: We argue that broader consideration of lactation, incorporating evolutionary, comparative and anthropological aspects, could provide new insights into breastfeeding practices and problems, enhance research and ultimately help to develop novel approaches to improve initiation and maintenance. Our current focus on breastfeeding as a strategy to improve health outcomes must engage with the evolution of lactation as a flexible trait under selective pressure to maximise reproductive fitness. Poor understanding of the dynamic nature of breastfeeding may partly explain why some women are unwilling or unable to follow recommendations.

    CONCLUSIONS: We identify three key implications for health professionals, researchers and policymakers. Firstly, breastfeeding is an adaptive process during which, as in other mammals, variability allows adaptation to ecological circumstances and reflects mothers' phenotypic variability. Since these factors vary within and between humans, the likelihood that a 'one size fits all' approach will be appropriate for all mother-infant dyads is counterintuitive; flexibility is expected. From an anthropological perspective, lactation is a period of tension between mother and offspring due to genetic 'conflicts of interest'. This may underlie common breastfeeding 'problems' including perceived milk insufficiency and problematic infant crying. Understanding this - and adopting a more flexible, individualised approach - may allow a more creative approach to solving these problems. Incorporating evolutionary concepts may enhance research investigating mother-infant signalling during breastfeeding; where possible, studies should be experimental to allow identification of causal effects and mechanisms. Finally, the importance of learned behaviour, social and cultural aspects of primate (especially human) lactation may partly explain why, in cultures where breastfeeding has lost cultural primacy, promotion starting in pregnancy may be ineffective. In such settings, educating children and young adults may be important to raise awareness and provide learning opportunities that may be essential in our species, as in other primates.

    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  8. Reproductive seasonality in primates: patterns, concepts and unsolved questions
    Heldstab SA, van Schaik CP, Müller DWH, Rensch E, Lackey LB, Zerbe P, et al.
    Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 2021 02;96(1):66-88.
    PMID: 32964610 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12646
    Primates, like other mammals, exhibit an annual reproductive pattern that ranges from strictly seasonal breeding to giving birth in all months of the year, but factors mediating this variation are not fully understood. We applied both a categorical description and quantitative measures of the birth peak breadth based on daily observations in zoos to characterise reproductive seasonality in 141 primate species with an average of 941 birth events per species. Absolute day length at the beginning of the mating season in seasonally reproducing species was not correlated between populations from natural habitats and zoos. The mid-point of latitudinal range was a major factor associated with reproductive seasonality, indicating a correlation with photoperiod. Gestation length, annual mean temperature, natural diet and Malagasy origin were other important factors associated with reproductive seasonality. Birth seasons were shorter with increasing latitude of geographical origin, corresponding to the decreasing length of the favourable season. Species with longer gestation periods were less seasonal than species with shorter ones, possibly because shorter gestation periods more easily facilitate the synchronisation of reproductive activity with annual cycles. Habitat conditions with higher mean annual temperature were also linked to less-seasonal reproduction, independently of the latitude effect. Species with a high percentage of leaves in their natural diet were generally non-seasonal, potentially because the availability of mature leaves is comparatively independent of seasons. Malagasy primates were more seasonal in their births than species from other regions. This might be due to the low resting metabolism of Malagasy primates, the comparatively high degree of temporal predictability of Malagasy ecosystems, or historical constraints peculiar to Malagasy primates. Latitudinal range showed a weaker but also significant association with reproductive seasonality. Amongst species with seasonal reproduction in their natural habitats, smaller primate species were more likely than larger species to shift to non-seasonal breeding in captivity. The percentage of species that changed their breeding pattern in zoos was higher in primates (30%) than in previous studies on Carnivora and Ruminantia (13 and 10%, respectively), reflecting a higher concentration of primate species in the tropics. When comparing only species that showed seasonal reproduction in natural habitats at absolute latitudes ≤11.75°, primates did not differ significantly from these two other taxa in the proportion of species that changed to a less-seasonal pattern in zoos. However, in this latitude range, natural populations of primates and Carnivora had a significantly higher proportion of seasonally reproducing species than Ruminantia, suggesting that in spite of their generally more flexible diets, both primates and Carnivora are more exposed to resource fluctuation than ruminants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  9. Fulltext Host and environmental factors that influence Plasmodiu Knowlesi Mamlaria infection in humans: a systematic review
    Michal Christina Steven
    Borneo Epidemiology Journal, 2020;1(2):104-115.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction:Plasmodium knowlesi(P.knowlesi) is a zoonotic malaria parasite, transmitted between non-factors” or “individual factors” or “ecological factors” and “P.knowlesi” and “human” including human primate hosts by the Anopheles (An.) mosquitos, and causing spill-over infections in humans where the parasite, vector, host, and human converge
    Methods:The search was done electronically toexplore for appropriate papers viaPubMed, and Science Direct for articles published up to March 2020, containing the words “factors associated” or “environmental synonyms and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. A total of 27 articles from PubMed Databases and 18 articles from Science Direct were selected to be assessed for eligibility. Out of it, a total of 13 articles were selected to be analysed.
    Results:Host factors such as sex and age, as well as occupation as individual factors, while environmental factors such as rainfall and geographic elevation have some association with P.knowlesiinfection in humans. This zoonotic malaria poses unique challenges that will need to be addressed if all forms of malaria are to be eliminated based on the sustainable development goal (SDG)
    Conclusion:This article highlights the importance of disease ecologies such as climate and landscape and human-environment interactions such as the land use patterns, such as agriculture or infrastructure activities) to reduce the further increase of cases and mortality globally due to P.knowlesiinfection. This review focuses mainly on the host and environmental factors that influence P.knowlesiMalaria Infection in Humans
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  10. Fulltext Selective occlusal features of primary dentiton in Malay children at a centre in Sungai Buloh
    Fathinah Hanem Azamzaki, Nurhanis Baharuddin, Tandon, Shobha, Venkiteswaran, Annapurny
    Compendium of Oral Science, 2018;5(1):18-25.
    MyJurnal
    Objectives:To determine the different occlusal characteristics in primary dentition of 3 to 6 year old Malay children and to create a preliminary database for future Malaysian studies as currently none of the studies has been conducted in Malaysian population regarding the occlusal features in primary dentition. Materials and method:The subjects were within the age ranging from 3 – 6 years old attending nurseries and kindergartens located within Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Sixty subjects were screened but only 47 fulfilled the criteria to be included in this study. Intra-oral examination was done to determine the terminal plane, canine relationship, overjet, overbite and primate space in the subjects. Results: Almost two thirds of the subjects (72.34%) presented with straight terminal plane. All but one subject were observed with Class I canine relationship. 61.7% subjects were with an ideal overjet and 53.19% of subjects had an ideal overbite. The mean value for primate space in the maxilla was 2.92mm and 1.60mm in the mandible. There was no significant difference between gender in all the parameters assessed. Conclusion: The results from the study shown that only few of the subjects had a tendency of malocclusion in their permanent dentition. However, a longitudinal study should be done to follow up their occlusal feature in the permanent dentition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  11. Understanding the retina: a review of computational models of the retina from the single cell to the network level
    Guo T, Tsai D, Bai S, Morley JW, Suaning GJ, Lovell NH, et al.
    Crit Rev Biomed Eng, 2014;42(5):419-36.
    PMID: 25745804
    The vertebrate retina is a clearly organized signal-processing system. It contains more than 60 different types of neurons, arranged in three distinct neural layers. Each cell type is believed to serve unique role(s) in encoding visual information. While we now have a relatively good understanding of the constituent cell types in the retina and some general ideas of their connectivity, with few exceptions, how the retinal circuitry performs computation remains poorly understood. Computational modeling has been commonly used to study the retina from the single cell to the network level. In this article, we begin by reviewing retinal modeling strategies and existing models. We then discuss in detail the significance and limitations of these models, and finally, we provide suggestions for the future development of retinal neural modeling.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  12. Fulltext Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species
    Holzner A, Mohd Rameli NIA, Ruppert N, Widdig A
    Curr Biol, 2024 Jan 22;34(2):410-416.e4.
    PMID: 38194972 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.002
    Infant survival is a major determinant of individual fitness and constitutes a crucial factor in shaping species' ability to maintain viable populations in changing environments.1 Early adverse conditions, such as maternal loss, social isolation, and ecological hazards, have been associated with reduced rates of infant survivorship in wild primates.2,3,4 Agricultural landscapes increasingly replacing natural forest habitats may additionally threaten the survival of infants through exposure to novel predators,5 human-wildlife conflicts,6,7 or the use of harmful chemicals.8,9 Here, we investigated potential links between agricultural habitat use and high infant mortality in wild southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) inhabiting a mosaic landscape of rainforest and oil palm plantation in Peninsular Malaysia. Longitudinal data revealed that 57% of all infants born during the study period (2014-2023) died before the age of 1 year, far exceeding mortality rates reported for other wild primates.10,11,12,13,14 Importantly, prolonged time spent in the plantation during infancy decreased the likelihood of infant survival by 3-fold, likely caused by increased exposure to the threats inherent to this environment. Further, mortality risk was elevated for infants born to primiparous mothers and predicted by prolonged maternal interbirth intervals, suggesting potential long-term effects attributed to the uptake and/or accumulation of pesticides in mothers' bodies.15,16,17 Indeed, existing literature reports that pesticides may cross the placental barrier, thus impacting fetal development during pregnancy.18,19,20 Our findings emphasize the importance of minimizing anthropogenic threats to wildlife in agricultural landscapes by establishing environmentally friendly cultivation practices that can sustain wildlife populations in the long term.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  13. Fulltext Partial mtDNA sequencing data of vulnerable Cephalopachus bancanus from the Malaysian Borneo
    Zahidin MA, Jalil NA, Naharuddin NM, Abd Rahman MR, Gani M, Abdullah MT
    Data Brief, 2019 Aug;25:104133.
    PMID: 31321260 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104133
    Tarsier is an endangered nocturnal primate in the family Tarsiidae and is an endemic to Sundaic islands of Philippine (Carlito syrichta), Sulawesi (Tarsius tarsier-complex) and Borneo (Cephalopachus bancanus). Recent records indicated that most molecular studies were done on the Eastern Tarsier and little information for the other group of tarsiers. Here, we present a partial cytochrome b data set of C. bancanus in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Standard mist nets were deployed at strategic locations in various habitat types. A total of 18 individuals were caught, measured and weighed. Approximately, 2 × 2 mm of tissue samples were taken and preserved in molecular grade alcohol. Out of 18, only 11 samples were screened with partial mtDNA (cytochrome b) and the DNA sequences were registered in the GenBank (accession numbers: KY794797-KY794807). Phylogenetic trees were constructed with 20 additional mtDNA sequences downloaded from GenBank. The data are valuable for the management authorities to regulate the type of management units for the metapopulation to sustain population genetics integrity of tarsiers in the range countries across the Sunda Shelf.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  14. Fulltext Mitogenome data of Nycticebus coucang insularis Robinson, 1917 (Primate: Lorisidae)
    Rovie-Ryan JJ, Gani M, Lee YP, Gan HM, Abdullah MT
    Data Brief, 2019 Aug;25:104058.
    PMID: 31211204 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104058
    This data article presents the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of an endangered slow loris subspecies, Nycticebus coucang insularis Robinson, 1917 from Tioman Island, Pahang. Once considered as extinct, an individual of the subspecies was captured alive from the island during the 2016 Biodiversity Inventory Programme as highlighted in the related research article entitled "Rediscovery of Nycticebus coucang insularis Robinson, 1917 (Primates: Lorisidae) at Tioman Island and its mitochondrial genetic assessment" Rovie-Ryan et al., 2018. Using MiSeq™ sequencing system, the entire mitogenome recovered is 16,765 bp in length, made up of 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region. The mitogenome has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession number NC_040292.1/MG515246.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  15. Fulltext Data on First Record of Brown Morph Banded Langur (Presbytis femoralis), Leucistic Dusky Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) in Malaysia and Review of Morph Diversity in Langur (Colobinae)
    Najmuddin MF, Haris H, Othman N, Zahari F, Mohd-Ridwan AR, Md-Zain BM, et al.
    Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:105727.
    PMID: 32548216 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105727
    Morphism refer to polymorphic species, in which multiple colour variants coexist within a population. Morphism in primates is common and langurs also exhibit certain characteristics of morphism, such as conspicuous natal coats. Banded langurs (Presbytis femoralis) and dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) exhibits the same characteristics of conspicuous natal coats, but these coats are only limited to infants and changed when they reached adulthood. This article reports the first discovery of rare brown morph of two adult male banded langurs and one leucistic adult female dusky leaf monkey in Malaysia. We also conducted a systematic literature search to review the diversity of morphism in leaf monkey globally.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  16. Fulltext Distinct VSV-based Nipah virus vaccines expressing either glycoprotein G or fusion protein F provide homologous and heterologous protection in a nonhuman primate model
    de Wit E, Feldmann F, Cronin J, Goldin K, Mercado-Hernandez R, Williamson BN, et al.
    EBioMedicine, 2023 Jan;87:104405.
    PMID: 36508878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104405
    BACKGROUND: Nipah virus (NiV) causes recurrent outbreaks of lethal respiratory and neurological disease in Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization considers the development of an effective vaccine against NiV a priority.

    METHODS: We produced two NiV vaccine candidates using the licensed VSV-EBOV vaccine as a backbone and tested its efficacy against lethal homologous and heterologous NiV challenge with Nipah virus Bangladesh and Nipah virus Malaysia, respectively, in the African green monkey model.

    FINDINGS: The VSV-EBOV vaccine expressing NiV glycoprotein G (VSV-NiVG) induced high neutralising antibody titers and afforded complete protection from homologous and heterologous challenge. The VSV-EBOV vaccine expressing NiV fusion protein F (VSV-NiVF) induced a lower humoral response and afforded complete homologous protection, but only partial heterologous protection. Both vaccines reduced virus shedding from the upper respiratory tract, and virus replication in the lungs and central nervous system. None of the protected animals vaccinated with VSV-NiVG or VSV-NiVF showed histological lesions in the CNS, but one VSV-NiVF-vaccinated animal that was not protected developed severe meningoencephalitis.

    INTERPRETATION: The VSV-NiVG vaccine offers broad protection against NiV disease.

    FUNDING: This study was supported by the Intramural Research Program, NIAID, NIH.

    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  17. Significance of silica in leaves to long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)
    Lucas PW, Teaford MF
    Folia Primatol., 1995;64(1-2):30-6.
    PMID: 7665120
    Leaves of two plant species eaten by Macaca fascicularis in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, were collected and colour-tested. Leaves matching those eaten by M. fascicularis were examined by energy-dispersive X-ray micro-analysis. The leaves of Streblus elongatus (Moraceae) and Gluta wallichii (Anacardiaceae), together forming 19.6% of the leaf diet of the macaques, contained silica. In G. wallichii, this in the base of hairs that project from the underside of the leaf, whereas S. elongatus leaves have short sharp siliceous trichomes which are densely packed on the undersurface of leaf veins. We predict from an indentation analysis that chewing on the latter species could cause dental microwear at low occlusal forces. The leaves are reportedly common in the diet of three other primate species in peninsular Malaysia and the finding could have general significance for studies of dental wear.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  18. Jumping in the Night: An Investigation of the Leaping Activity of the Western Tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus borneanus) Using Accelerometers
    Costantini D, Sebastiano M, Goossens B, Stark DJ
    Folia Primatol., 2017;88(1):46-56.
    PMID: 28662508 DOI: 10.1159/000477540
    Accelerometers enable scientists to quantify the activity of free-living animals whose direct observation is difficult or demanding due to their elusive nature or nocturnal habits. However, the deployment of accelerometers on small-bodied animals and, in particular, on primates has been little explored. Here we show the first application of accelerometers on the western tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus borneanus), a nocturnal, small-bodied primate endemic to the forests of Borneo. The fieldwork was carried out in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We provide guidelines for the deployment of accelerometers on tarsiers that might also be applied to other primate species. Our collected data on 2 females show levels of leaping activity comparable to those previously described using direct observation of wild or captive individuals. The 2 females showed different patterns of leaping activity, which calls for work to explore individual differences further. Our work demonstrates that accelerometers can be deployed on small primates to acquire body motion data that would otherwise be demanding to collect using classic field observations. Future work will be focused on using accelerometer data to discriminate in more detail the different behaviours tarsiers can display and to address the causes and consequences of individual variations in activity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  19. Fulltext Parasite community structure in sympatric Bornean primates
    Frias L, Hasegawa H, Chua TH, Sipangkui S, Stark DJ, Salgado-Lynn M, et al.
    Int J Parasitol, 2021 10;51(11):925-933.
    PMID: 33862059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.03.003
    Parasites are important components of ecosystems, influencing trophic networks, competitive interactions and biodiversity patterns. Nonetheless, we are not nearly close to disentangling their complex roles in natural systems. Southeast Asia falls within global areas targeted as most likely to source parasites with zoonotic potential, where high rates of land conversion and fragmentation have altered the circulation of wildlife species and their parasites, potentially resulting in altered host-parasite systems. Although the overall biodiversity in the region predicts equally high, or even higher, parasite diversity, we know surprisingly little about wild primate parasites, even though this constitutes the first step towards a more comprehensive understanding of parasite transmission processes. Here, we characterise the gastrointestinal helminth parasite assemblages of a community of Bornean primates living along the Kinabatangan floodplain in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo), including two species endemic to the island. Through parasitological analyses, and by using several measures of parasite infection as proxies for parasite diversity and distribution, we show that (i) most parasite taxonomic groups are not limited to a single host, suggesting a greater flexibility for habitat disturbance, (ii) parasite infracommunities of nocturnal primates differ from their diurnal counterparts, reflecting both phylogenetic and ecological constraints, and (iii) soil-transmitted helminths such as whipworm, threadworm and nodule worm are widespread across the primate community. This study also provides new parasite records for southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina), silvered langurs (Trachypithecus cristatus) and Western tarsiers (Cephalopachus bancanus) in the wild, while adding to the limited records for the other primate species in the community. Given the information gap regarding primate-parasite associations in the region, the information presented here should prove relevant for future studies of parasite biodiversity and infectious disease ecology in Asia and elsewhere.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
  20. Fulltext A pinworm's tale: The evolutionary history of Lemuricola (Protenterobius) nycticebi
    Frias L, Hasegawa H, Stark DJ, Lynn MS, Nathan SK, Chua TH, et al.
    Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl, 2019 Apr;8:25-32.
    PMID: 30619706 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.11.009
    Lemuricola (Protenterobius) nycticebi is the only pinworm species known to infect strepsirrhine primates outside Africa, and the only pinworm species yet described in slow lorises. Here, we provided a detailed morphological comparison of female and male worms, and a first description of fourth-stage larvae collected from free-living slow lorises (Nycticebus menagensis) in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Using mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we also reconstructed the species' phylogenetic relationship with other pinworms infecting primates. Both morphological and molecular results indicated a distinct association between L. (P.) nycticebi and its host. However, while taxonomy identified this species as a member of the Lemuricola clade and grouped pinworms infecting lemurs and slow lorises together, phylogenetic reconstruction split them, placing L. (P.) nycticebi within the Enterobius clade. Our results suggest that L. (P.) nycticebi may represent a different taxon altogether, and that it is more closely related to pinworm species infecting Old World primates outside Madagascar. Pongobius pongoi (Foitová et al., 2008) n. comb. is also proposed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Primates
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