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infanticide and social flexibility in the genus gorilla.based on the cases of infanticide by male mountain gorillas reported from the virunga volcanic region, the socioecological and life history features of gorillas satisfy the conditions for which infanticide may be expected. however, there are considerable variations in the occurrence of infanticide between habitats. we analyze the recent reports of infanticides that were directly observed or are suspected based on field evidence in two populations of eastern and western lowland gorillas (kahuzi a ...200919688234
morphological and molecular evidence reveals recent hybridization between gorilla taxa.molecular studies have demonstrated a deep lineage split between the two gorilla species, as well as divisions within these taxa; estimates place this divergence in the mid-pleistocene, with gene flow continuing until approximately 80,000 years ago. here, we present analyses of skeletal data indicating the presence of substantial recent gene flow among gorillas at all taxonomic levels: between populations, subspecies, and species. complementary analyses of dna sequence variation suggest that low ...201019804402
human ability to recognize kin visually within primates.the assessment of relatedness is a key determinant in the evolution of social behavior in primates. humans are able to detect kin visually in their own species using facial phenotypes, and facial resemblance in turn influences both prosocial behaviors and mating decisions. this suggests that cognitive abilities that allow facial kin detection in conspecifics have been favored in the species by kin selection. we investigated the extent to which humans are able to recognize kin visually by asking ...200919816544
male and female western gorilla diet: preferred foods, use of fallback resources, and implications for ape versus old world monkey foraging strategies.most of what is currently known about western gorilla (gorilla gorilla) diet is based on indirect studies using fecal samples and trail signs rather than measures based on direct observations. here we report results on adult male and female western gorilla foraging behavior, based on systematic focal observations and nutritional analyses of foods. we found that western gorillas, like other apes, are highly selective ripe fruit specialists, seeking fruit high in energy, low in antifeedants, and r ...200919890869
molecular epidemiology of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in wild-living gorillas.chimpanzees and gorillas are the only nonhuman primates known to harbor viruses closely related to hiv-1. phylogenetic analyses showed that gorillas acquired the simian immunodeficiency virus sivgor from chimpanzees, and viruses from the sivcpz/sivgor lineage have been transmitted to humans on at least four occasions, leading to hiv-1 groups m, n, o, and p. to determine the geographic distribution, prevalence, and species association of sivgor, we conducted a comprehensive molecular epidemiologi ...201019906908
the kinematics of load carrying in humans and great apes: implications for the evolution of human bipedalism.we present a comparison of loaded and unloaded carrying kinematics in humans, common chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), bonobos (pan paniscus), western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and bornean and sumatran orang-utans (pongo pygmaeus and pongo abelii). human hindlimb joint and segment angles were collected during treadmill locomotion using infrared motion analysis cameras. non-human primate fore- and hindlimb joint and segment angles were collected at zoos during free-ranging locomotio ...200919923843
are the gorillas in bwindi impenetrable national park "true" mountain gorillas?the gorillas that inhabit bwindi impenetrable national park in uganda are the least known of the eastern gorillas. because they are an allopatric population living a minimum of 25 km from the well-studied population of mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) in rwanda and have certain morphological and ecological differences from these gorillas, their taxonomic status has been in question in recent years. this study presents new craniodental metrics from bwindi individuals and compares the ...201019927278
how ebola impacts genetics of western lowland gorilla populations.emerging infectious diseases in wildlife are major threats for both human health and biodiversity conservation. infectious diseases can have serious consequences for the genetic diversity of populations, which could enhance the species' extinction probability. the ebola epizootic in western and central africa induced more than 90% mortality in western lowland gorilla population. although mortality rates are very high, the impacts of ebola on genetic diversity of western lowland gorilla have neve ...200920020045
dental wear, wear rate, and dental disease in the african apes.the african apes possess thinner enamel than do other hominoids, and a certain amount of dentin exposure may be advantageous in the processing of tough diets eaten by gorilla. dental wear (attrition plus abrasion) that erodes the enamel exposes the underlying dentin and creates additional cutting edges at the dentin-enamel junction. hypothetically, efficiency of food processing increases with junction formation until an optimal amount is reached, but excessive wear hinders efficient food process ...201020077466
using behavior to determine immature life-stages in captive western gorillas.ontogenic development is divided into infant, juvenile, adolescent and adult life-stages. although the developmental trajectory of an individual is a flexible entity, which differs within species, environment and sex, life-stage classifications are generally structured, age-based systems. this invariably leads to rigidity within a dynamic system and consequently hampers our understanding of primate life history strategies. we propose that life-stage classifications should be quantitative, flexib ...201020082439
a survey of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the selectively logged ngotto forest, central african republic.currently, the timber company industrie forestiere du batalimo is selectively logging the ngotto forest in the central african republic. the forest is home to a population of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and provides the bofi-speaking people of grima with food, medicine, housing material, and other commodities. over a 7-month period, the research team conducted a line-transect survey of the great ape population in the forests to the south of gr ...200920183473
individually identifiable body odors are produced by the gorilla and discriminated by humans.many species produce odor cues that enable them to be identified individually, as well as providing other socially relevant information. study of the role of odor cues in the social behavior of great apes is noticeable by its absence. olfaction has been viewed as having little role in guiding behavior in these species. this study examined whether western lowland gorillas produce an individually identifiable odor. odor samples were obtained by placing cloths in the gorilla's den. a delayed matchi ...201020190006
a legacy of low-impact logging does not elevate prevalence of potentially pathogenic protozoa in free-ranging gorillas and chimpanzees in the republic of congo: logging and parasitism in african apes.many studies have examined the long-term effects of selective logging on the abundance and diversity of free-ranging primates. logging is known to reduce the abundance of some primate species through associated hunting and the loss of food trees for frugivores; however, the potential role of pathogens in such primate population declines is largely unexplored. selective logging results in a suite of alterations in host ecology and forest structure that may alter pathogen dynamics in resident wild ...201020238141
the external genitalia of the gorilla, gorilla gorilla gorilla (savage & wyman). 194720258875
medical and surgical management of reproductive neoplasia in two western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).reports of female reproductive tract neoplasia are infrequent in great apes.201020412375
surgical extractions for periodontal disease in a western lowland gorilla.this case report describes surgical exraction of multiple premolar and molar teeth in a western lowland gorilla. postoperative photographs and radiographs indicated complete healing of the extraction sites. this case report includes a review of gorilla dental anatomy, oral disease in primates, pathogenesis of periodontal disease, predisposing factors to periodontal disease, and principles of surgical tooth extraction.201020469792
dental and phylogeographic patterns of variation in gorillas.gorilla patterns of variation have great relevance for studies of human evolution. in this study, molar morphometrics were used to evaluate patterns of geographic variation in gorillas. dental specimens of 323 adult individuals, drawn from the current distribution of gorillas in equatorial africa were divided into 14 populations. discriminant analyses and mahalanobis distances were used to study population structure. results reveal that: 1) the west and east african gorillas form distinct cluste ...201020494403
validation of multiple diagnostic techniques to detect cryptosporidium sp. and giardia sp. in free-ranging western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and observations on the prevalence of these protozoan infections in two populations in gabon.anthropozoonotic diseases threaten the survival of western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). use of accurate diagnostic techniques in gorilla health monitoring contributes to the conservation of gorillas by providing robust information for appropriate management decisions. to identify suitable protozoa diagnostic techniques for wild gorillas, 95 fecal specimens were collected in lopé national park and east of moukalaba-doudou national park in gabon, areas with high and low levels of hu ...201020597211
dientamoeba fragilis: initial evidence of pathogenicity in the western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).a 7-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) shared an enclosure with 10 other gorillas at the limbe wildlife centre (lwc), a wildlife rehabilitation centre in cameroon. the gorilla had been living at the lwc for more than 6 yr prior to the exhibition of irritable bowel syndrome (ibs)-like clinical signs. the gorilla improved dramatically after metronidazole therapy. the report suggests that metronidazole was effective because it eliminated the protozoa, dientamoeba fragil ...201020597233
the evolution of hiv-1 and the origin of aids.the major cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids) is human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1). we have been using evolutionary comparisons to trace (i) the origin(s) of hiv-1 and (ii) the origin(s) of aids. the closest relatives of hiv-1 are simian immunodeficiency viruses (sivs) infecting wild-living chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in west central africa. phylogenetic analyses have revealed the origins of hiv-1: chimpanzees were th ...201020643738
behavioral responses of one western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) group at bai hokou, central african republic, to tourists, researchers and trackers.gorilla tourism, widely perceived as a lucrative industry, is propelled by strong market demand with programs in five countries and for three of four gorilla subspecies. human presence may negatively affect wild gorillas, potentially lowering immunity and increasing the likelihood of acquiring human-borne disease. yet, behavioral impacts of humans on wild gorilla behavior remain largely unexplored, particularly for western lowland gorillas. we evaluate the impact of tourist presence, human obser ...201020806337
surgical implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with fibrosing cardiomyopathy.a 24-yr-old, male western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was diagnosed in march of 2003 with congestive heart failure (chf). transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated global left and right ventricular hypokinesia with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.20. at the time of diagnosis, the animal exhibited symptoms and signs of chf with minimal exertion (new york heart association class iii). over a 16-mo period, the severity of chf progressed to class iv (res ...201020945635
successful treatment of acute systemic anaphylaxis in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).this brief communication describes the successful treatment of acute systemic anaphylaxis in a wild-born but captive infant western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the republic of congo. the infant demonstrated signs of acute respiratory distress, lingual swelling, and reaction to intradermal tuberculin, given 55 hr earlier. details of the treatment with steroids, anesthetic induction, and i.v. epinephrine are all reported, and potential antigens that may have initiated the anaphyla ...201020945654
a novel adenovirus of western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).adenoviruses (adv) broadly infect vertebrate hosts including a variety of primates. we identified a novel adv in the feces of captive gorillas by isolation in cell culture, electron microscopy and pcr. from the supernatants of infected cultures we amplified dna polymerase (dpol), preterminal protein (ptp) and hexon gene sequences with generic pan primate adv pcr assays. the sequences in-between were amplified by long-distance pcrs of 2-10 kb length, resulting in a final sequence of 15.6 kb. phyl ...201021054831
the presence of a vpu gene and the lack of nef-mediated downmodulation of t cell receptor-cd3 are not always linked in primate lentiviruses.nef is an accessory protein critical for the ability of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (hiv and siv) to replicate efficiently in their respective hosts. previous analyses of members of 15 different primate lentivirus lineages revealed a link between nef function and the presence of a vpu gene. in particular, nef proteins of all vpu-containing viruses had lost their ability to downmodulate the t cell (tcr-cd3) receptor. here we examined nef proteins from eight additional siv lineages, ...201021068258
influence of the task on hand preference: individual differences among gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the degree of task complexity and bimanual complementarity have been proposed as factors affecting lateralization strength in humans. however, a large number of studies have demonstrated group-level lateral hand bias for different manual activities in numerous non-human primate species. however, no study has tested the effects that a variety of tasks may have in inducing differences in hand preference. here, we aim to test if 3 adult gorillas exhibited a greater hand preference bias performing 4 ...201021212681
mass spectral analyses of the two major apolipoproteins of great ape high density lipoproteins.the two major apolipoproteins associated with human and chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) high density lipoproteins (hdl) are apoa-i and dimeric apoa-ii. although humans are closely related to great apes, apolipoprotein data do not exist for bonobos (pan paniscus), western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the sumatran orangutans (pongo abelii). in the absence of any data, other great apes simply have been assumed to have dimeric apoa-ii while other primates and most other mammals have b ...200921298813
great apes use weight as a cue to find hidden food.bonobos (pan paniscus; n=5), orangutans (pongo pygmaeus abelii; n=6), and a gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla; n=1) were presented with two opaque cups, one empty and one baited (containing two bananas). subjects had to independently gain weight information about the contents of the cups to find the hidden food. six apes attained above chance level within a total of 16 trials. successful subjects spontaneously adopted the method of successively lifting the cups and thus comparing their weight bef ...201021328591
debilitating clinical disease in a wild-born captive western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) co-infected with varicella zoster virus (vzv) and simian t-lymphotropic virus (stlv).a wild-born, 34-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was transferred between zoologic collections in the united kingdom. adjustment to its new environment was difficult and a series of health problems ensued. progressive severe illness of multiple etiologies, and a failure to respond to multiple therapies, led to its euthanasia 5 mo later. disease processes included severe thoracic and axillary cutaneous ulceration of t2-3 dermatome distribution, gastroenteritis, ulcer ...201021370655
who killed porthos? genetic tracking of a gorilla death.we describe a novel application of "forensic" genetics to study a key demographic event in a population of wild gorillas. we used microsatellite genotyping and non-invasively collected dna samples to identify one individual western lowland gorilla as being most likely to have caused the death of another in lopé national park, gabon. data from relatively few genotypes permitted the identification of female transfer events and the interpretation of individual behavior that was previously impossibl ...200721396025
behavioral responses of silverback gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) to videos.this study examined the impact of video presentations on the behavior of 4 silverback, western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). on each of 5 occasions, gorillas viewed 6 types of videos (blue screen, humans, an all-male or mixed-sex group engaged in low activity, and an all-male or mixed-sex group engaged in agonistic behavior). the study recorded behavioral responses and watching rates. all gorillas preferred dynamic over static videos; 3 watched videos depicting gorillas significant ...201121442506
fatal balamuthia mandrillaris infection in a gorilla - first case of balamuthiasis in germany.background  a 12-year-old female western lowland gorilla died in a zoological garden in germany after exhibiting general neurological signs. methods  balamuthia mandrillaris was identified as causative agent by indirect immunofluorescent staining of brain sections and confirmed by pcr and respective sequencing. results  the animal suffered from a chronic progressive necrotizing amebic meningoencephalitis. conclusion  this is the first case of balamuthia amebic encephalitis in germany.201121496054
target animacy influences gorilla handedness.we investigated the unimanual actions of a biological family group of twelve western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) using a methodological approach designed to assess behavior within social context from a bottom-up perspective. measures of both the lateralization of unimanual actions (left, right) and the target of the action (animate, inanimate) were assessed during dual, synchronized video observations of naturalistic behavior. this paper demonstrates a corelationship between hande ...201121562817
relationship between behavior, adrenal activity, and environment in zoo-housed western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).monitoring adrenal activity through noninvasive fecal hormone sampling is rapidly gaining popularity as a tool to assess zoo animal welfare. however, few studies have sought to investigate the interrelationships between behavior, adrenal activity, and environment, and ask whether both behavioral and adrenal monitoring strategies are required to assess welfare sufficiently. we present the findings of a 9-month study of a small group (one male, two females) of western lowland gorillas, gorilla gor ...201121563213
the effect of feeding enrichment methods on the behavior of captive western lowland gorillas.three feeding enrichment treatments were tested in an outdoor yard used by six western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). in "yard-toss," forage was thrown by hand over one third of the yard. in "set-up," forage and browse were hand-scattered throughout the yard. "set-up enriched" was similar with the addition of either a hay- and forage-filled feeder or forage-filled boomer ball(s) suspended from a climbing structure. each treatment was presented on 5 d. behavior was recorded for 30 mi ...201121656848
effects of combination birth control on estrous behavior in captive western lowland gorillas, gorilla gorilla gorilla.combination birth control pills (cbc) are one of the most common birth control methods used for western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) housed in zoos. since zoos are interested in maintaining as many natural behaviors as possible, it is important to know how contraception may affect social and sexual interactions among group members. although some data are available regarding the influence of the pill on sexual behavior in human females, no data are available on its effects on gorill ...201121674603
gorilla genome structural variation reveals evolutionary parallelisms with chimpanzee.structural variation has played an important role in the evolutionary restructuring of human and great ape genomes. recent analyses have suggested that the genomes of chimpanzee and human have been particularly enriched for this form of genetic variation. here, we set out to assess the extent of structural variation in the gorilla lineage by generating 10-fold genomic sequence coverage from a western lowland gorilla and integrating these data into a physical and cytogenetic framework of structur ...201121685127
deep trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodelling in the placental bed of the lowland gorilla.in contrast to baboon or rhesus macaque, trophoblast invasion in the human placental bed occurs by the interstitial as well as the endovascular route and reaches as deep as the inner myometrium. we here describe two rare specimens of gorilla placenta. in the light of recent findings in the chimpanzee, we postulated the occurrence of deep invasion in gorilla pregnancy. tissues were processed for histology (pas, orcein), lectin staining (ulex europaeus agglutinin 1) and immunohistochemistry (cytok ...201121705078
functional anatomy and adaptation of male gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with comparison to male orangutans (pongo pygmaeus).great apes diversified during the miocene in old world forests. two lineages, gorillas in africa and orangutans in asia, have sexual dimorphisms of super-sized males, though they presumably diverged from a smaller common ancestor. we test the hypothesis that they increased in body mass independently and convergently, and that their many postcranial differences reflect locomotor differences. whole body dissections of five adult male gorillas and four adult male orangutans allowed quantification o ...201121809463
visitor effects on the behavior of captive western lowland gorillas: the importance of individual differences in examining welfare.given the conflicting and somewhat limited findings available on the effect of zoo visitors on primate behavior, the primary purpose of this study was to provide additional data on gorillas' response to variations in crowd size and to look at what other factors-both intrinsic (e.g. personality, sex, and rearing history) and extrinsic (e.g. group)-might influence such responses. subjects included four groups (three mixed-sex and one bachelor) of captive western lowland gorillas living at zoo atla ...201222038867
Echocardiographic parameters of captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).A total of 163 echocardiographic studies on western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were submitted for evaluation; 140 from 99 animals were suitable for analysis. Of these, 81 studies (42 studies from 35 males ranging in age from 11-41+ yr and 39 studies from 31 females ranging in age from 11-41+ yr) are reported here. Three studies from 3 females and 56 studies from 30 males were excluded from this report due to cardiac abnormalities. Cardiac parameters measured were aortic root (Ao ...201122204050
y-chromosome variation in hominids: intraspecific variation is limited to the polygamous chimpanzee.we have previously demonstrated that the y-specific ampliconic fertility genes daz (deleted in azoospermia) and cdy (chromodomain protein y) varied with respect to copy number and position among chimpanzees (pan troglodytes). in comparison, seven y-chromosomal lineages of the bonobo (pan paniscus), the chimpanzee's closest living relative, showed no variation. we extend our earlier comparative investigation to include an analysis of the intraspecific variation of these genes in gorillas (gorilla ...201122216243
olfactory discrimination in the western lowland gorilla, gorilla gorilla gorilla.the olfactory abilities of great apes have been subject to little empirical investigation, save for a few observational reports. this study, using an habituation/dishabituation task, provides experimental evidence for a core olfactory ability, namely, olfactory discrimination, in the gorilla. in experiment 1, six zoo-housed western lowland gorillas were individually presented with the same odour on four trials, and with a novel odour on the fifth trial. odours (almond and vanilla) were presented ...201222261746
metastatic endocervical adenocarcinoma in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla g. gorilla): no evidence of virus-induced carcinogenesis.cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. nevertheless, similar tumours have only been rarely described in great apes. this report characterizes the pathological and molecular features of a metastatic endocervical adenocarcinoma in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla g. gorilla).201222273046
use of buckets as tools by western lowland gorillas.while all great apes have been documented to use tools, gorillas are arguably the least proficient tool users. in 2009, a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the buffalo zoo was observed using a bucket, which had been provided as part of normal enrichment, as a tool to collect water. we conducted a brief, ad libitum investigation to confirm the validity of the initial observation. we then carried out a systematic investigation of the behavior in 2010. we collected 72 hr of video ...201222290615
the effect of body orientation on judgments of human visual attention in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the ability to appreciate the attentional states of others is an important element used in discerning the presence of theory of mind in an individual. whether primates are able to recognize attention, and further, use such information to predict behavior, remains contentious. in this study, six western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) were tested under different conditions that aimed to investigate not only their understanding of what a human experimenter sees, but also what informatio ...201322390623
genomics: gorilla gorilla gorilla. 201222398552
insights into hominid evolution from the gorilla genome sequence.gorillas are humans' closest living relatives after chimpanzees, and are of comparable importance for the study of human origins and evolution. here we present the assembly and analysis of a genome sequence for the western lowland gorilla, and compare the whole genomes of all extant great ape genera. we propose a synthesis of genetic and fossil evidence consistent with placing the human-chimpanzee and human-chimpanzee-gorilla speciation events at approximately 6 and 10 million years ago. in 30% ...201222398555
species association of hepatitis b virus (hbv) in non-human apes; evidence for recombination between gorilla and chimpanzee variants.hepatitis b virus (hbv) infections are widely distributed in humans, infecting approximately one third of the world's population. hbv variants have also been detected and genetically characterised from old world apes; gorilla gorilla (gorilla), pan troglodytes (chimpanzee), pongo pygmaeus (orang-utan), nomascus nastusus and hylobates pileatus (gibbons) and from the new world monkey, lagothrix lagotricha (woolly monkey). to investigate species-specificity and potential for cross species transmiss ...201222432021
severe idiopathic hypocalcemia in a juvenile western lowland gorilla, gorilla gorilla gorilla.a 6-mo-old, male western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was evaluated because of tetany of both hands. the gorilla had alternating periods of constipation, diarrhea, and bloating since birth. a diagnosis of idiopathic hypocalcemia was based on severe hypocalcemia, a normal vitamin d level, response to oral calcium and vitamin d therapy, and eventual resolution. idiopathic hypocalcemia, an uncommon disease in neonatal humans, should be considered in young gorillas with persistent gastr ...201222448527
no evidence for transmission of antibiotic-resistant escherichia coli strains from humans to wild western lowland gorillas in lopé national park, gabon.the intensification of human activities within the habitats of wild animals is increasing the risk of interspecies disease transmission. this risk is particularly important for great apes, given their close phylogenetic relationship with humans. areas of high human density or intense research and ecotourism activities expose apes to a high risk of disease spillover from humans. is this risk lower in areas of low human density? we determined the prevalence of escherichia coli antibiotic-resistant ...201222492436
facilitating play through communication: significance of teeth exposure in the gorilla play face.primate facial expressions (fes) likely play an important role in primate society: through facial signals, individuals can potentially send and receive information and may benefit from coordinating their behavior accordingly. many primates use a relaxed open mouth (rom) facial display or “play face” (pf) during play behavior, where the mouth is open but teeth are covered. in addition to this conventional pf, however, western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) also use a full pf where the ...201222512019
brief communication: hand preference for bimanual and unimanual feeding in captive gorillas: extension in a second colony of apes.right-hand dominance is widely considered to be a uniquely human trait. whether nonhuman primates exhibit similar population-level hand preferences remains a topic of considerable debate. despite extensive research focusing on laterality in nonhuman primates, our interpretation of these studies is limited due to methodological issues including the lack of a common measure of hand preference and the use of tasks that may not be reliable indicators of handedness. the use of consistent methods betw ...201222639326
infant-directed communication in lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla): do older animals scaffold communicative competence in infants?infant-directed speech is a linguistic phenomenon in which adults adapt their language when addressing infants in order to provide them with more salient linguistic information and aid them in language acquisition. adult-directed language differs from infant-directed language in various aspects, including speech acoustics, syntax, and semantics. the existence of a "gestural motherese" in interaction with infants, demonstrates that not only spoken language but also nonvocal modes of communication ...201222644596
recovery potential of a western lowland gorilla population following a major ebola outbreak: results from a ten year study.investigating the recovery capacity of wildlife populations following demographic crashes is of great interest to ecologists and conservationists. opportunities to study these aspects are rare due to the difficulty of monitoring populations both before and after a demographic crash. ebola outbreaks in central africa have killed up to 95% of the individuals in affected western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) populations. assessing whether and how fast affected populations recover is ess ...201222649511
suspected macular degeneration in a captive western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the case of a 31-year-old captive female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with decreased near vision but good distance vision is presented. examination of the fundus revealed drusen-like bodies in the macula presumably because of an age-related macular degeneration (amd).201222702721
noninvasive follow-up of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in wild-living nonhabituated western lowland gorillas in cameroon.simian immunodeficiency viruses infecting western lowland gorillas (sivgor) are closely related to hiv-1 and are most likely the ancestors of hiv-1 groups o and p. at present, limited data are available on genetic diversity, transmission, viral evolution, and pathogenicity of sivgor in its natural host. between 2004 and 2011, 961 putative gorilla fecal samples were collected at the campo ma'an national park, cameroon. among them, 16% cross-reacted with hiv-1 antibodies, corresponding to at least ...201222740419
evaluation of different storage methods to characterize the fecal bacterial communities of captive western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).freezing is considered to be the best method for long-term storage of bacterial dna from feces; however this method cannot be usually applied for samples of wild primates collected in the challenging conditions of the tropical forest. in order to find an alternative conservation method of fecal samples from wild great apes, we compared freezing with other fixation methods. fecal samples from 11 captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) from three czech zoos were stored using freezing, rna stabi ...201222828127
target animacy influences chimpanzee handedness.we employed a bottom-up, quantitative method to investigate great ape handedness. our previous investigation of gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) demonstrated that contextual information influenced an individual's handedness toward target objects. specifically, we found a significant right-hand bias for unimanual actions directed toward inanimate target objects but not for actions directed to animate target objects (forrester et al. in anim cogn 14(6):903-907, 2011). using the identical methodo ...201222829099
reye's or reye's-like syndrome in western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).a 15-year-old western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) died shortly after transfer to the north carolina zoo.201222882671
scheuermann kyphosis in nonhuman primates.a cadaveric survey of the thoracic spines of extant species of nonbipedal primates for the presence of scheuermann kyphosis.201222922891
non-invasive monitoring of physiological stress in the western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla): validation of a fecal glucocorticoid assay and methods for practical application in the field.enzymeimmunoassays (eias) allow researchers to monitor stress hormone output via measurement of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fgcms) in many vertebrates. they can be powerful tools which allow the acquisition of otherwise unobtainable physiological information from both captive animals and wild animals in remote forest habitats, such as great apes. however, methods for hormone measurement, extraction and preservation need to be adapted and validated for field settings. in preparation for a f ...201222926327
clinical management of a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with a cardiac resynchronization therapy device.a 24-yr-old, male western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was diagnosed with congestive heart failure using transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiology. new york heart association (nyha) class iii was assigned to the severity of the condition. over 16 mo, this progressed to nyha class iv despite increasing medical therapy. repeated evaluations suggested that implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device with a defibrillator (crt-d) could benefit this animal based on c ...201122946404
the al 333-160 fourth metatarsal from hadar compared to that of humans, great apes, baboons and proboscis monkeys: non-conclusive evidence for pedal arches or obligate bipedality in hadar hominins.based on comparisons to non-statistically representative samples of humans and two great ape species (i.e. common chimpanzees pan troglodytes and lowland gorillas gorilla gorilla), ward et al. (2011) concluded that a complete hominin fourth metatarsal (4th mt) from hadar, al 333-160, belonged to a committed terrestrial biped with fixed transverse and longitudinal pedal arches, which was no longer under selection favoring substantial arboreal behaviors. according to ward et al., the hadar 4th mt ...201222995931
genetic characterization of simian foamy viruses infecting humans.simian foamy viruses (sfvs) are retroviruses that are widespread among nonhuman primates (nhps). sfvs actively replicate in their oral cavity and can be transmitted to humans after nhp bites, giving rise to a persistent infection even decades after primary infection. very few data on the genetic structure of such sfvs found in humans are available. in the framework of ongoing studies searching for sfv-infected humans in south cameroon rainforest villages, we studied 38 sfv-infected hunters whose ...201223015714
entodiniomorphid ciliates from the wild lowland gorilla with the description of a new genus and three new species.the entodiniomorphid ciliates in gorilla in gabon, west africa, were surveyed and observed by light and scanning electron microscopy. as a result, 4 species belonging to the families troglodytellidae and cycloposthiidae were identified, and 3 of them were new to science. these species were described as goriliophilus thoracatus n.g., n.sp., troglodytella gabonensis n.sp., and prototapirella gorillae n.sp. sem observations of goriliophilus and troglodytella revealed in particular the surface struc ...201123196284
extraversion predicts longer survival in gorillas: an 18-year longitudinal study.personality plays an important role in determining human health and risk of earlier death. however, the mechanisms underlying those associations remain unknown. we moved away from testing hypotheses rooted in the activities of modern humans, by testing whether these associations are ancestral and one side of a trade-off between fitness costs and benefits. we examined personality predictors of survival in 283 captive western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) followed for 18 years. we fou ...201323222443
comparison of laryngeal mask airway use with endotracheal intubation during anesthesia of western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the laryngeal mask airway is an alternative to endotracheal intubation that achieves control of the airway by creating a seal around the larynx with an inflatable cuff. this study compared use of the laryngeal mask airway with endotracheal intubation in anesthetized western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). eight adult gorillas were immobilized for routine and diagnostic purposes for a total of nine anesthetic events. during each anesthetic event, gorillas were either intubated (n = 4; ...201223272342
human-associated staphylococcus aureus strains within great ape populations in central africa (gabon).the risk of serious infections caused by staphylococcus aureus is well-known. however, most studies regarding the distribution of (clinically relevant) s. aureus among humans and animals took place in the western hemisphere and only limited data are available from (central) africa. in this context, recent studies focused on s. aureus strains in humans and primates, but the question of whether humans and monkeys share related s. aureus strains or may interchange strains remained largely unsolved. ...201223398468
genetic diversity of north american captive-born gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) are designated as critically endangered and wild populations are dramatically declining as a result of habitat destruction, fragmentation, diseases (e.g., ebola) and the illegal bushmeat trade. as wild populations continue to decline, the genetic management of the north american captive western lowland gorilla population will be an important component of the long-term conservation of the species. we genotyped 26 individuals from the north americ ...201223403930
distribution of a community of mammals in relation to roads and other human disturbances in gabon, central africa.we present the first community-level study of the associations of both roads and other human disturbances with the distribution of mammals in gabon (central africa). our study site was in an oil concession within a littoral mosaic landscape. we conducted surveys along 199 line transects and installed camera traps on 99 of these transects to document mammal presence and abundance. we used generalized linear mixed-effect models to document associations between variables related to the ecosystem (l ...201323410077
the genome sequencing of an albino western lowland gorilla reveals inbreeding in the wild.the only known albino gorilla, named snowflake, was a male wild born individual from equatorial guinea who lived at the barcelona zoo for almost 40 years. he was diagnosed with non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism, i.e. white hair, light eyes, pink skin, photophobia and reduced visual acuity. despite previous efforts to explain the genetic cause, this is still unknown. here, we study the genetic cause of his albinism and making use of whole genome sequencing data we find a higher inbreeding coe ...201323721540
plant selection for nest building by western lowland gorillas in cameroon.we examined 834 nests built by western lowland gorillas in cameroon between july 2008 and july 2011 to identify the plant species used in their construction. preference for each plant species for nesting was assessed using a 'preference index' calculated by combining information on the occurrence of each species in the forest and in the nests. forty-six plant species representing about 15 % of the total number of species in the forest and 26 % of species used for nest building were frequently us ...201423732768
a genome-wide survey of genetic variation in gorillas using reduced representation sequencing.all non-human great apes are endangered in the wild, and it is therefore important to gain an understanding of their demography and genetic diversity. whole genome assembly projects have provided an invaluable foundation for understanding genetics in all four genera, but to date genetic studies of multiple individuals within great ape species have largely been confined to mitochondrial dna and a small number of other loci. here, we present a genome-wide survey of genetic variation in gorillas us ...201323750230
male genetic structure and paternity in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the male dispersal patterns of western lowland gorillas (wlgs, gorilla gorilla gorilla) are not well understood. to determine whether most silverbacks stay close to their relatives, we analyzed autosomal and y-chromosomal microsatellites (strs) in wild wlgs at moukalaba, gabon. we obtained str genotypes for 38 individuals, including eight silverbacks and 12 adult females in an approximately 40 km(2) area. among them, 20 individuals were members of one identified group (group gentil; gg), includi ...201323868171
alzheimer's disease pathology in the neocortex and hippocampus of the western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the two major histopathologic hallmarks of alzheimer's disease (ad) are amyloid beta protein (aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (nft). aβ pathology is a common feature in the aged nonhuman primate brain, whereas nft are found almost exclusively in humans. few studies have examined ad-related pathology in great apes, which are the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans. in the present study, we examined aβ and tau-like lesions in the neocortex and hippocampus of aged male and female weste ...201323881733
variability in the developmental life history of the genus gorilla.life history is influenced by factors both intrinsic (e.g., body and relative brain size) and extrinsic (e.g., diet, environmental instability) to organisms. in this study, we examine the prediction that energetic risk influences the life history of gorillas. recent comparisons suggest that the more frugivorous western lowland gorilla shows increased infant dependence, and thus a slower life history, than the primarily folivorous mountain gorilla to buffer against the risk of starvation during p ...201323907657
assessment of landscape-scale distribution of sympatric great apes in african rainforests: concurrent use of nest and camera-trap surveys.information on the distribution and abundance of sympatric great apes (pan troglodytes troglodytes and gorilla gorilla gorilla) are important for effective conservation and management. although much research has been done to improve the precision of nest-surveys, trade-offs between data-reliability and research-efficiency have not been solved. in this study, we used different approaches to assess the landscape-scale distribution patterns of great apes. we conducted a conventional nest survey and ...201323907925
long-term monitoring of microsporidia, cryptosporidium and giardia infections in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) at different stages of habituation in dzanga sangha protected areas, central african republic.infectious diseases pose one of the greatest threats to endangered species, and a risk of gastrointestinal parasite transmission from humans to wildlife has always been considered as a major concern of tourism. increased anthropogenic impact on primate populations may result in general changes in communities of their parasites, and also in a direct exchange of parasites between humans and primates.201323951255
new evidence for diet and niche partitioning in rudapithecus and anapithecus from rudabánya, hungary.rudabánya is rare among eurasian miocene fossil primate localities in preserving both a hominid and pliopithecoid, and as such provides the unique opportunity to reconstruct the nature of sympatry and niche partitioning in these taxa. rudapithecus and anapithecus have similar locomotor and positional behavior and overlapping body mass ranges. while prior analyses of molar occlusal anatomy and microwear identify rudapithecus as a soft-object frugivore, reconstructing the dietary behavior of anapi ...201324034983
matching based on biological categories in orangutans (pongo abelii) and a gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).following a series of experiments in which six orangutans and one gorilla discriminated photographs of different animal species in a two-choice touch screen procedure, vonk & macdonald (2002) and vonk & macdonald (2004) concluded that orangutans, but not the gorilla, seemed to learn intermediate level category discriminations, such as primates versus non-primates, more rapidly than they learned concrete level discriminations, such as orangutans versus humans. in the current experiments, four of ...201324058886
endowment effects in gorillas (gorilla gorilla).reports of endowment effects in nonhuman primates have received considerable attention in the comparative literature in recent years. however, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these effects. continuing to explore endowment effects across different species of primate may reveal subtle differences in behavior that can help formulate specific hypotheses about the relevant mechanisms and the social and ecological factors that have shaped them. in this study, we use a paradigm that has ...201324060245
effective sociodemographic population assessment of elusive species in ecology and conservation management.wildlife managers are urgently searching for improved sociodemographic population assessment methods to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented conservation activities. these need to be inexpensive, appropriate for a wide spectrum of species and straightforward to apply by local staff members with minimal training. furthermore, conservation management would benefit from single approaches which cover many aspects of population assessment beyond only density estimates, to include for instance so ...201324101982
ontogenetic changes in limb bone structural proportions in mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei).behavioral studies indicate that adult mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei) are the most terrestrial of all nonhuman hominoids, but that infant mountain gorillas are much more arboreal. here we examine ontogenetic changes in diaphyseal strength and length of the femur, tibia, humerus, radius, and ulna in 30 virunga mountain gorillas, including 18 immature specimens and 12 adults. comparisons are also made with 14 adult western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla), which are known to be mor ...201324129040
bifidobacterium moukalabense sp. nov., isolated from the faeces of wild west lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).gram-staining-positive anaerobic rods were isolated from the faeces of a wild lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in moukalaba-doudou national park, gabon, and strain gg01(t) was taxonomically investigated. based on phylogenetic analyses and specific phenotypic characteristics, the strain belonged to the genus bifidobacterium. phylogenetic analysis of its 16s rrna gene sequence revealed that strain gg01(t) formed a single monophyletic cluster and had a distinct line of descent. based on 16 ...201424158945
tooth cusp sharpness as a dietary correlate in great apes.mammalian molars have undergone heavy scrutiny to determine correlates between morphology and diet. here, the relationship between one aspect of occlusal morphology, tooth cusp radius of curvature (roc), and two broad dietary categories, folivory and frugivory, is analyzed in apes. the author hypothesizes that there is a relationship between tooth cusp roc and diet, and that folivores have sharper teeth than frugivores, and further test the correlation between tooth cusp roc and tooth cusp size. ...201424227163
analysis of western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) specific alu repeats.research into great ape genomes has revealed widely divergent activity levels over time for alu elements. however, the diversity of this mobile element family in the genome of the western lowland gorilla has previously been uncharacterized. alu elements are primate-specific short interspersed elements that have been used as phylogenetic and population genetic markers for more than two decades. alu elements are present at high copy number in the genomes of all primates surveyed thus far. the aluy ...201324262036
quantity estimation and comparison in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).we investigated the quantity judgment abilities of two adult male western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) by presenting discrimination tasks on a touch-screen computer. both gorillas chose the larger quantity of two arrays of dot stimuli. on some trials, the relative number of dots was congruent with the relative total area of the two arrays. on other trials, number of dots was incongruent with area. the gorillas were first tested with static dots, then with dots that moved within the ...201424271957
gorilla mothers also matter! new insights on social transmission in gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in captivity.the present paper describes two distinct behaviors relating to food processing and communication that were observed in a community of five separately housed groups of lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in captivity during two study periods one decade apart: (1) a food processing technique to separate wheat from chaff, the so-called puff-blowing technique; and (2) a male display used to attract the attention of visitors, the so-called throw-kiss-display. we investigated (a) whether the be ...201324312184
hemorrhagic colitis associated with salmonella enterica serotype infantis infection in a captive western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in brazil.enteric diseases are among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in gorillas, and it is often caused by bacteria.201424359673
niche differentiation and dietary seasonality among sympatric gorillas and chimpanzees in loango national park (gabon) revealed by stable isotope analysis.the feeding ecology of sympatric great ape species yields valuable information for palaeodietary reconstructions in sympatric early hominin species. however, no isotopic references on sympatrically living apes and their feeding ecology are currently available. here we present the first isotopic study on sympatric great apes, namely western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) from loango national park, gabon. we successfully analyzed th ...201424373257
implementing a low-starch biscuit-free diet in zoo gorillas: the impact on behavior.in the wild, western lowland gorillas travel long distances while foraging and consume a diet high in fiber and low in caloric density. in contrast, gorillas in zoos typically consume a diet that is low in fiber and calorically dense. some items commonly used in captive gorilla diets contain high levels of starch and sugars, which are present at low levels in the natural diet of gorillas. diet items high in simple carbohydrates are associated with obesity and heart disease in humans. typical cap ...201424391046
implementing a low-starch biscuit-free diet in zoo gorillas: the impact on health.in the wild, western lowland gorillas consume a diet high in fiber and low in caloric density. in contrast, many gorillas in zoos consume a diet that is high-calorie and low in fiber. some items commonly used in captive gorilla diets contain high levels of starch and sugars, which are minimal in the natural diet of gorillas. there is a growing concern that captive gorillas may qualify as obese. furthermore, the leading cause of death for adult male gorillas in zoos is heart disease. in humans, a ...201524420273
evaluating echocardiogram and indirect blood pressure results in male western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) during three phases of an anesthetic protocol.until the majority of the great ape population is trained for conscious cardiac evaluations, most individuals will require general anesthesia to perform echocardiograms. within the veterinary community, concern exists that certain anesthetic protocols may exacerbate or artificially induce signs of cardiac disease. because of potential cardiovascular effects, medetomidine has generally been used cautiously in patients with cardiac disease. the combination of ketamine and medetomidine is frequentl ...201324450045
unusual turner syndrome mosaic with a triple x cell line (47,x/49,xxx) in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).a 29-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was evaluated for low fertility and a midterm abortion. laboratory testing included karyotyping, which revealed an unusual mosaicism for turner syndrome with triple x (47,x/49,xxx). this appears to be the first report of turner syndrome in a great ape. in humans, turner syndrome occurs in approximately 1 in 3,000 females, with half of those monosomic for the x chromosome. a small proportion is mosaic for a triple x cell line (3 ...201324450068
non-contiguous finished genome sequence and description of bacillus massiliogorillae sp. nov.strain g2(t) sp. nov. is the type strain of b. massiliogorillae, a proposed new species within the genus bacillus. this strain, whose genome is described here, was isolated in france from the fecal sample of a wild western lowland gorilla from cameroon. b. massiliogorillae is a facultative anaerobic, gram-variable, rod-shaped bacterium. here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. the 5,431,633 bp long genome (1 chromosome but no plas ...201324501648
ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla).conjoined twinning is rare in man and non-human primates. the current report describes a case of ischiopagus tripus conjoined western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla) twins. the female twins were joined at the umbilical and pelvic region, involving the liver, xiphoid, umbilicus, body wall and skin. computed tomography revealed two complete spines. the combined pelvic space was formed by two sacra, each connected with two iliac bones. the twins were only conjoined by a common pubis. cause of dea ...201424529511
the genome sequence of bifidobacterium moukalabense dsm 27321 highlights the close phylogenetic relatedness with the bifidobacterium dentium taxon.bifidobacterium moukalabense dsm 27321 is the reference strain for a recently described new bifidobacterial species that has been isolated from a wild west lowland gorilla. here, we report the whole-genome sequence of dsm 27321, which supports very close phylogenetic relatedness with members of the bifidobacterium adolescentis phylogenetic group and, in particular, the bifidobacterium dentium taxon.201424558236
orangutans (pongo abelii) and a gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) match features in familiar and unfamiliar individuals.great apes can perceive images as representative of corresponding real-life objects. coupled with the potential advantages of identifying specific members of one's species and mounting evidence for individual recognition in other non-humans, it seems likely that great apes would have the ability to identify conspecifics in photographs. the ability of four orangutans and a gorilla to match images of individuals of their own and a closely related but unfamiliar species was examined here for the fi ...201424623526
malignant hypertension and retinopathy in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).a 34-year-old western lowland gorilla presented with peracute blindness.201424646309
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