scholarly journals Avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 170968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Sarabian ◽  
Barthelemy Ngoubangoye ◽  
Andrew J. J. MacIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
Adaptive System ◽  
Parasite Infection ◽  
Avoidance Behaviour ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Biological Contaminants ◽  
Parasite Avoidance

Avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. In theory, animals evolved with such a system to prevent pathogen and parasite infection. Bodily products are human-universal disgust elicitors, but whether they also elicit avoidance behaviour in non-human primates has yet to be tested. Here, we report experimental evidence that potential exposure to biological contaminants (faeces, blood, semen), as perceived via multiple sensory modalities (visual, olfactory, tactile), might influence feeding decisions in chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes troglodytes )—our closest phylogenetic relatives. Although somewhat mixed, our results do show increased latencies to feed, tendencies to maintain greater distances from contaminants and/or outright refusals to consume food in test versus control conditions. Overall, these findings are consistent with the parasite avoidance theory of disgust, although the presence of biological contaminants did not preclude feeding entirely. The avoidance behaviours observed hint at the origins of disgust in humans, and further comparative research is now needed.

scholarly journals Revulsion in chimpanzees: health maintenance through avoidance of biological contaminants

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Sarabian ◽  
Andrew J. J. MacIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes ◽  
Avoidance Behaviors ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
Biological Contaminants ◽  
Olfactory Stimuli ◽  
Tactile Cues ◽  
Sources Of Infection ◽  
Parasite Avoidance

Many major human infectious diseases are transmitted via bodily products such as feces, blood, semen, and saliva. Such contaminants are also known disgust elicitors among humans. From an evolutionary perspective, revulsion in humans is hypothesized to have evolved to protect us from the risk of contracting disease; sensu the Parasite Avoidance Theory of Disgust. To investigate whether chimpanzees are sensitive to these potential sources of infection, we conducted feeding-related experiments to elicit avoidance behaviors in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes, N=20-42; sex ratio=1; 27±9 years-old) at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Gabon. In the first set of experiments, we tested for feces-avoidance behaviors by presenting target individuals with food rewards in conjunction with visual, olfactory and tactile cues of chimpanzee feces. In a second experiment, the same individuals were presented with olfactory stimuli of blood, semen, and rotten meat. In all experiments, chimpanzees expressed some degree of behavioral avoidance, manifest as refusals to feed, increased latencies to feeding, or maintenance of greater distances from contaminants relative to control substrates. We are now in the process of testing whether behavioral tendencies observed toward these contaminants coincide with individual health markers, including current levels as well as historical records of infection with bacterial, protozoan and helminth parasites. We predict that individuals with greater tendencies toward avoidance of such contaminants, possibly representative of revulsion, to be characterized by better general health than less sensitive individuals.

scholarly journals Revulsion in chimpanzees: health maintenance through avoidance of biological contaminants

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Sarabian ◽  
Andrew J. J. MacIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes ◽  
Avoidance Behaviors ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
Biological Contaminants ◽  
Olfactory Stimuli ◽  
Tactile Cues ◽  
Sources Of Infection ◽  
Parasite Avoidance

Many major human infectious diseases are transmitted via bodily products such as feces, blood, semen, and saliva. Such contaminants are also known disgust elicitors among humans. From an evolutionary perspective, revulsion in humans is hypothesized to have evolved to protect us from the risk of contracting disease; sensu the Parasite Avoidance Theory of Disgust. To investigate whether chimpanzees are sensitive to these potential sources of infection, we conducted feeding-related experiments to elicit avoidance behaviors in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes, N=20-42; sex ratio=1; 27±9 years-old) at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Gabon. In the first set of experiments, we tested for feces-avoidance behaviors by presenting target individuals with food rewards in conjunction with visual, olfactory and tactile cues of chimpanzee feces. In a second experiment, the same individuals were presented with olfactory stimuli of blood, semen, and rotten meat. In all experiments, chimpanzees expressed some degree of behavioral avoidance, manifest as refusals to feed, increased latencies to feeding, or maintenance of greater distances from contaminants relative to control substrates. We are now in the process of testing whether behavioral tendencies observed toward these contaminants coincide with individual health markers, including current levels as well as historical records of infection with bacterial, protozoan and helminth parasites. We predict that individuals with greater tendencies toward avoidance of such contaminants, possibly representative of revulsion, to be characterized by better general health than less sensitive individuals.

scholarly journals Intercommunity interactions and killings in central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) from Loango National Park, Gabon

Primates ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Martínez-Íñigo ◽  
Pauline Baas ◽  
Harmonie Klein ◽  
Simone Pika ◽  
Tobias Deschner
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
National Park ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Intergroup Interactions ◽  
Killing Rate ◽  
The Core ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes

AbstractIntercommunity competition in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) has been widely studied in eastern (P. t. schweinfurthii) and western (P. t. verus) communities. Both subspecies show hostility towards neighboring communities but differ in rates of lethal attacks and female involvement. However, relatively little is known about the territorial behavior of the two other subspecies, central (P. t. troglodytes) and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (P. t. ellioti). Here, we present the first insights into intercommunity interactions of individuals of a community of central chimpanzees living in the Loango National Park in Gabon. The presence of individuals of neighboring communities in the Rekambo home range was assessed using 27 camera traps. Information was compiled on intergroup interactions recorded before (2005–2016) and after (January 2017–June 2019) the habituation of the community. Individuals from neighboring communities entered the core area, where nine out of 16 recorded intercommunity encounters occurred. Males were the main participants in territorial patrols and intercommunity aggressions. Females were part of all six territorial patrols recorded and dependent offspring participated in five patrols. Females were involved in intercommunity aggression in five out of twelve recorded encounters in which there was visual contact between communities. While the intercommunity encounter rate was lower than that reported across most other long-term chimpanzee sites, the annual intercommunity killing rate was among the highest. These results suggest that the frequency of lethal attacks at Loango is comparable to that reported for the eastern subspecies. In contrast, female involvement in intercommunity interactions mirrors that of the western subspecies.

scholarly journals Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1751) ◽  
pp. 20170256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Sarabian ◽  
Val Curtis ◽  
Rachel McMullan
Keyword(s):  
Avoidance Behaviour ◽  
Disease Avoidance ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Society Meeting ◽  
Neural Architecture ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parasite Avoidance ◽  
Behavioural Adaptations

All free-living animals are subject to intense selection pressure from parasites and pathogens resulting in behavioural adaptations that can help potential hosts to avoid falling prey to parasites. This special issue on the evolution of parasite avoidance behaviour was compiled following a Royal Society meeting in 2017. Here we have assembled contributions from a wide range of disciplines including genetics, ecology, parasitology, behavioural science, ecology, psychology and epidemiology on the disease avoidance behaviour of a wide range of species. Taking an interdisciplinary and cross-species perspective allows us to sketch out the strategies, mechanisms and consequences of parasite avoidance and to identify gaps and further questions. Parasite avoidance strategies must include avoiding parasites themselves and cues to their presence in conspecifics, heterospecifics, foods and habitat. Further, parasite avoidance behaviour can be directed at constructing parasite-retardant niches. Mechanisms of parasite avoidance behaviour are generally less well characterized, though nematodes, rodents and human studies are beginning to elucidate the genetic, hormonal and neural architecture that allows animals to recognize and respond to cues of parasite threat. While the consequences of infection are well characterized in humans, we still have much to learn about the epidemiology of parasites of other species, as well as the trade-offs that hosts make in parasite defence versus other beneficial investments like mating and foraging. Finally, in this overview we conclude that it is legitimate to use the word ‘ disgust' to describe parasite avoidance systems, in the same way that ‘fear' is used to describe animal predator avoidance systems. Understanding disgust across species offers an excellent system for investigating the strategies, mechanisms and consequences of behaviour and could be a vital contribution towards the understanding and conservation of our planet's ecosystems. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.

scholarly journals Identification of Structural Variation in Chimpanzees Using Optical Mapping and Nanopore Sequencing

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela C. Soto ◽  
Colin Shew ◽  
Mira Mastoras ◽  
Joshua M. Schmidt ◽  
Ruta Sahasrabudhe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Optical Mapping ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Genome Project ◽  
Nanopore Sequencing ◽  
Great Ape ◽  
Single Nucleotide Variants ◽  
Short Read ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes

Recent efforts to comprehensively characterize great ape genetic diversity using short-read sequencing and single-nucleotide variants have led to important discoveries related to selection within species, demographic history, and lineage-specific traits. Structural variants (SVs), including deletions and inversions, comprise a larger proportion of genetic differences between and within species, making them an important yet understudied source of trait divergence. Here, we used a combination of long-read and -range sequencing approaches to characterize the structural variant landscape of two additional Pan troglodytes verus individuals, one of whom carries 13% admixture from Pan troglodytes troglodytes. We performed optical mapping of both individuals followed by nanopore sequencing of one individual. Filtering for larger variants (>10 kbp) and combined with genotyping of SVs using short-read data from the Great Ape Genome Project, we identified 425 deletions and 59 inversions, of which 88 and 36, respectively, were novel. Compared with gene expression in humans, we found a significant enrichment of chimpanzee genes with differential expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cells, both within deletions and near inversion breakpoints. We examined chromatin-conformation maps from human and chimpanzee using these same cell types and observed alterations in genomic interactions at SV breakpoints. Finally, we focused on 56 genes impacted by SVs in >90% of chimpanzees and absent in humans and gorillas, which may contribute to chimpanzee-specific features. Sequencing a greater set of individuals from diverse subspecies will be critical to establish the complete landscape of genetic variation in chimpanzees.

scholarly journals Assessment of gastrointestinal parasites in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in southeast Cameroon

2014 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 2541-2550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Drakulovski ◽  
Sébastien Bertout ◽  
Sabrina Locatelli ◽  
Christelle Butel ◽  
Sébastien Pion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Gastrointestinal Parasites ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes

scholarly journals Reach-to-Grasp: A Multisensory Experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Betti ◽  
Umberto Castiello ◽  
Chiara Begliomini
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Experimental Test ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Reach To Grasp ◽  
Predominant Role ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Multisensory Experience ◽  
Everyday Living

The reach-to-grasp movement is ordinarily performed in everyday living activities and it represents a key behavior that allows humans to interact with their environment. Remarkably, it serves as an experimental test case for probing the multisensory architecture of goal-oriented actions. This review focuses on experimental evidence that enhances or modifies how we might conceptualize the “multisensory” substrates of prehension. We will review evidence suggesting that how reach-to-grasp movements are planned and executed is influenced by information coming from different sensory modalities such as vision, proprioception, audition, taste, and olfaction. The review closes with some considerations about the predominant role of the multisensory constituents in shaping prehensile behavior and how this might be important for future research developments, especially in the rehabilitative domain.

scholarly journals Orígenes del VIH/SIDA

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Boza Cordero
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes

El síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (SIDA) es producido por dos lentivirus, los virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) 1 y 2. Los primeros pacientes fueron diagnosticados en Estados Unidos en 1981. El virus fue aislado e identificado en 1983, no obstante, sus orígenes no fueron dilucidados sino hasta tiempo después, el del VIH-2 a partir del virus de la inmunodeficiencia de simios (VIS) aislados de monos africanos principalmente Cercocebus spp y el VIH-1 de VIS aislados de chimpancés principalmente del género Pan troglodytes troglodytes. En este artículo se hace un análisis de los orígenes de estos virus así como de su posterior diseminación a África, América y el resto del mundo.

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