Publications

novel adenovirus-based vaccines induce broad and sustained t cell responses to hcv in man.	currently, no vaccine exists for hepatitis c virus (hcv), a major pathogen thought to infect 170 million people globally. many studies suggest that host t cell responses are critical for spontaneous resolution of disease, and preclinical studies have indicated a requirement for t cells in protection against challenge. we aimed to elicit hcv-specific t cells with the potential for protection using a recombinant adenoviral vector strategy in a phase 1 study of healthy human volunteers. two adenovi ...	2012	22218690
the sound of one-hand clapping: handedness and perisylvian neural correlates of a communicative gesture in chimpanzees.	whether lateralization of communicative signalling in non-human primates might constitute prerequisites of hemispheric specialization for language is unclear. in the present study, we examined (i) hand preference for a communicative gesture (clapping in 94 captive chimpanzees from two research facilities) and (ii) the in vivo magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of 40 of these individuals. the preferred hand for clapping was defined as the one in the upper position when the two hands came toge ...	2012	22217719
a viral vectored prime-boost immunization regime targeting the malaria pfs25 antigen induces transmission-blocking activity.	the ookinete surface protein pfs25 is a macrogamete-to-ookinete/ookinete stage antigen of plasmodium falciparum, capable of exerting high-level anti-malarial transmission-blocking activity following immunization with recombinant protein-in-adjuvant formulations. here, this antigen was expressed in recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus 63 (chad63), human adenovirus serotype 5 (adhu5) and modified vaccinia virus ankara (mva) viral vectored vaccines. two immunizations were administered to mice in a het ...	2011	22216279
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 ...	2011	22216243
consequences of non-intervention for infectious disease in african great apes.	infectious disease has recently joined poaching and habitat loss as a major threat to african apes. both "naturally" occurring pathogens, such as ebola and simian immunodeficiency virus (siv), and respiratory pathogens transmitted from humans, have been confirmed as important sources of mortality in wild gorillas and chimpanzees. while awareness of the threat has increased, interventions such as vaccination and treatment remain controversial. here we explore both the risk of disease to african a ...	2011	22216162
great apes' risk-taking strategies in a decision making task.	we investigate decision-making behaviour in all four non-human great ape species. apes chose between a safe and a risky option across trials of varying expected values. all species chose the safe option more often with decreasing probability of success. while all species were risk-seeking, orangutans and chimpanzees chose the risky option more often than gorillas and bonobos. hence all four species' preferences were ordered in a manner consistent with normative dictates of expected value, but va ...	2011	22216113
carryover effect of joint attention to repeated events in chimpanzees and young children.	gaze following is a fundamental component of triadic social interaction which includes events and an object shared with other individuals and is found in both human and nonhuman primates. most previous work has focused only on the immediate reaction after following another’s gaze. in contrast, this study investigated whether gaze following is retained after the observation of the other’s gaze shift, whether this retainment differs between species and age groups, and whether the retainment depend ...	2011	22213912
wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger.	the ability to recognize other individuals' mental states-their knowledge and beliefs, for example-is a fundamental part of human cognition and may be unique to our species. tests of a "theory of mind" in animals have yielded conflicting results [1-3]. some nonhuman primates can read others' intentions and know what others see, but they may not understand that, in others, perception can lead to knowledge [1-3]. using an alarm-call-based field experiment, we show that chimpanzees were more likely ...	2011	22209531
Pathologic lesions in chimpanzees (Pan trogylodytes schweinfurthii) from Gombe National Park, Tanzania, 2004-2010.	During a population decline or disease outbreak, the true risk of specific diseases to a wild population is often difficult to determine because of a lack of baseline disease information. To better understand the risk of disease in an endangered and scientifically important population of chimpanzees (Pan trogylodytes schweinfurthii), a health monitoring program was initiated in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. As part of this health monitoring program, comprehensive necropsies with histopathology ...	2011	22204054
Allelic Lineages of the Ficolin Genes (FCNs) Are Passed from Ancestral to Descendant Primates.	The ficolins recognize carbohydrates and acetylated compounds on microorganisms and dying host cells and are able to activate the lectin pathway of the complement system. In humans, three ficolin genes have been identified: FCN1, FCN2 and FCN3, which encode ficolin-1, ficolin-2 and ficolin-3, respectively. Rodents have only two ficolins designated ficolin-A and ficolin-B that are closely related to human ficolin-1, while the rodent FCN3 orthologue is a pseudogene. Ficolin-2 and ficolin-3 have so ...	2011	22194813
paleogenomics of archaic hominins.	in order to understand the genetic basis for the evolutionary success of modern humans, it is necessary to compare their genetic makeup to that of closely related species. unfortunately, our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, are evolutionarily quite distant. with the advent of ancient dna study and more recently paleogenomics - the study of the genomes of ancient organisms - it has become possible to compare human genomes to those of much more closely related groups. our closest known r ...	2011	22192823
Axonal Fiber Terminations Concentrate on Gyri.	Convoluted cortical folding and neuronal wiring are 2 prominent attributes of the mammalian brain. However, the macroscale intrinsic relationship between these 2 general cross-species attributes, as well as the underlying principles that sculpt the architecture of the cerebral cortex, remains unclear. Here, we show that the axonal fibers connected to gyri are significantly denser than those connected to sulci. In human, chimpanzee, and macaque brains, a dominant fraction of axonal fibers were fo ...	2011	22190432
detailed comparative anatomy of the extrinsic cardiac nerve plexus and postnatal reorganization of the cardiac position and innervation in the great apes: orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees.	to speculate how the extrinsic cardiac nerve plexus (ecnp) evolves phyletically and ontogenetically within the primate lineage, we conducted a comparative anatomical study of the ecnp, including an imaging examination in the great apes using 20 sides from 11 bodies from three species and a range of postnatal stages from newborns to mature adults. although the position of the middle cervical ganglion (mg) in the great apes tended to be relatively lower than that in humans, the morphology of the e ...	2012	22190256
Menopause occurs late in life in the captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).	Menopause in women occurs at mid-life. Chimpanzees, in contrast, continue to display cycles of menstrual bleeding and genital swelling, suggestive of ovulation, until near their maximum life span of about 60 years. Because ovulation was not confirmed hormonally, however, the age at which chimpanzees experience menopause has remained uncertain. In the present study, we provide hormonal data from urine samples collected from 30 female chimpanzees, of which 9 were old (>30 years), including 2 above ...	2011	22189910
review: immunogenetics of human placentation.	natural killer (nk) cells are a population of lymphocytes that function in both immune defense and reproduction. diversifying nk cell phenotype and function are interactions between nk cell receptors and major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class i ligands. as a consequence of strong and variable selection these ligand-receptor systems are polymorphic, rapidly evolving, and considerably species-specific. counterparts to the human system of hla class i ligands and killer cell immunoglobulin-lik ...	2011	22177321
animal research. committee recommends nih continue chimpanzee research, with new limits.		2011	22174223
research agenda. guiding limited use of chimpanzees in research.		2012	22174127
Age-related differences in corpus callosum area of capuchin monkeys.	Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) are New World primates with relatively large brains for their body size. The developmental trajectories of several brain regions-including cortical white matter, frontal lobe white matter, and basal ganglia nuclei-are similar to humans. Additionally, capuchins have independently evolved several behavioral and anatomical characteristics in common with humans and chimpanzees-including complex manipulative abilities, use of tools, and the use of precision grips-makin ...	2011	22173013
does geography or ecology best explain 'cultural' variation among chimpanzee communities?	much attention has been paid to geographic variation in chimpanzee behavior, but few studies have applied quantitative techniques to explain this variation. here, we apply methods typically utilized in macroecology to explain variation in the putative cultural traits of chimpanzees. we analyzed published data containing 39 behavioral traits from nine chimpanzee communities. we used a canonical correspondence analysis to examine the relative importance of environmental characteristics and geograp ...	2012	22169329
MicroRNA-Driven Developmental Remodeling in the Brain Distinguishes Humans from Other Primates.	While multiple studies have reported the accelerated evolution of brain gene expression in the human lineage, the mechanisms underlying such changes are unknown. Here, we address this issue from a developmental perspective, by analyzing mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression in two brain regions within macaques, chimpanzees, and humans throughout their lifespan. We find that constitutive gene expression divergence (species differences independent of age) is comparable between humans and chimpanzee ...	2011	22162950
moral ape philosophy.	our closest relative the chimpanzee seems to display proto-moral behavior. some scholars emphasize the similarities between humans and chimpanzees, others some key differences. this paper aims is to formulate a set of intermediate conditions between a sometimes helpful chimpanzee and moral man. i specify these intermediate conditions as requirements for the chimpanzees, and for each requirement i take on a verificationist stance and ask what the empirical conditions that satisfy it would be. i a ...	2011	22162898
Polymorphic NumtS trace human population relationships.	The human genome is constantly subjected to evolutionary forces which shape its architecture. Insertions of mitochondrial DNA sequences into nuclear genome (NumtS) have been described in several eukaryotic species, including Homo sapiens and other primates. The ongoing process of the generation of NumtS has made them valuable markers in primate phylogenetic studies, as well as potentially informative loci for reconstructing the genetic history of modern humans. Here, we report the identification ...	2011	22160368
a fibrinogen-derived peptide provides icam-1-specific targeting and intra-endothelial transport of polymer nanocarriers in human cell cultures and mice.	intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (icam-1), a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on activated endothelium and many other cells, represents a suitable target for delivery of drug nanocarriers (ncs) to disease areas. numerous works showed efficient targeting and intracellular transport of icam-1-targeted ncs, rendering significant therapeutic potential. this is the case for enzyme delivery for treatment of multi-tissue lysosomal storage disorders. however, these studies used formulations targete ...	2011	22160267
changes in gene expression associated with reproductive maturation in wild female baboons.	changes in gene expression during development play an important role in shaping morphological and behavioral differences, including between humans and nonhuman primates. while many of the most striking developmental changes occur during early development, reproductive maturation represents another critical window in primate life history. however, this process is difficult to study at the molecular level in natural primate populations. here, we took advantage of ovarian samples made available thr ...	2011	22155733
A genome sequence resource for the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a nocturnal lemur from Madagascar.	We present a high-coverage, draft genome assembly of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a highly unusual, nocturnal primate from Madagascar. Our assembly totals ~3.0 billion base pairs (3.0 Gb), roughly the size of the human genome, comprised of ~2.6 million scaffolds (N50 scaffold size = 13,597 bp) based on short, paired-end sequencing reads. We compared the aye-aye genome sequence data to the four other published primate genomes (human, chimpanzee, orangutan, and rhesus macaque), as w ...	2011	22155688
Evolution of orthologous tandemly arrayed gene clusters.	Tandemly Arrayed Gene (TAG) clusters are groups of paralogous genes that are found adjacent on a chromosome. TAGs represent an important repertoire of genes in eukaryotes. In addition to tandem duplication events, TAG clusters are affected during their evolution by other mechanisms, such as inversion and deletion events, that affect the order and orientation of genes. The DILTAG algorithm developed in 1 makes it possible to infer a set of optimal evolutionary histories explaining the evolution o ...	2011	22152029
Identification of a Genomic Reservoir for New TRIM Genes in Primate Genomes.	Tripartite Motif (TRIM) ubiquitin ligases act in the innate immune response against viruses. One of the best characterized members of this family, TRIM5a, serves as a potent retroviral restriction factor with activity against HIV. Here, we characterize what are likely to be the youngest TRIM genes in the human genome. For instance, we have identified 11 TRIM genes that are specific to humans and African apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas) and another 7 that are human-specific. Many of thes ...	2011	22144910
Visuoauditory mappings between high luminance and high pitch are shared by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans.	Humans share implicit preferences for certain cross-sensory combinations; for example, they consistently associate higher-pitched sounds with lighter colors, smaller size, and spikier shapes. In the condition of synesthesia, people may experience such cross-modal correspondences to a perceptual degree (e.g., literally seeing sounds). So far, no study has addressed the question whether nonhuman animals share cross-modal correspondences as well. To establish the evolutionary origins of cross-modal ...	2011	22143791
Structural insights into the neutralization mechanism of a higher primate antibody against dengue virus.	The four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV-1 to -4) cause the most important emerging viral disease. Protein E, the principal viral envelope glycoprotein, mediates fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes during virus entry and is the target of neutralizing antibodies. However, the epitopes of strongly neutralizing human antibodies have not been described despite their importance to vaccine development. The chimpanzee Mab 5H2 potently neutralizes DENV-4 by binding to domain I of E. The crystal ...	2011	22139356
comparison of the endocranial ontogenies between chimpanzees and bonobos via temporal regression and spatiotemporal registration.	this paper aims at quantifying ontogenetic differences between bonobo (pan paniscus) and chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) endocrania, using dental development as a timeline. we utilize a methodology based on smooth and invertible deformations combined with a metric of "currents" that defines a distance between endocranial surfaces and does not rely on correspondence between landmarks. this allows us to perform a temporal surface regression that estimates typical endocranial ontogenetic trajectories ...	2012	22137587
Identification and functional characterization of a primate specific E2F1 binding motif regulating MCPH1 expression.	MCPH1 (also named BRIT1) is one of the known genes responsible for autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (small head syndrome), suggesting its important role in brain development. The interaction of MCPH1 with transcriptional factors like E2F1 is required for the activation of cell cycle checkpoint, DNA repair and apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism of MCPH1 regulation is currently unclear. Here, we cloned the human MCPH1 promoter and we identified a novel E2F1 binding motif located i ...	2011	22136275
Revealing the missing expressed genes beyond the human reference genome by RNA-Seq.	ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The complete and accurate human reference genome is important for functional genomics researches. Therefore, the incomplete reference genome and individual specific sequences have significant effects on various studies. RESULTS: we used two RNA-Seq datasets from human brain tissues and 10 mixed cell lines to investigate the completeness of human reference genome. First, we demonstrated that in previously identified ~5 Mb Asian and ~5 Mb African novel sequences that are abs ...	2011	22133125
Regulation of Deoxycytidine Kinase Expression and Sensitivity to Gemcitabine by Micro-RNA 330 and Promoter Methylation in Cancer Cells.	Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is essential for phosphorylation of natural deoxynucleosides and analogs, such as gemcitabine and cytarabine, two widely used anticancer compounds. Regulation of dCK is complex, including Ser-74 phosphorylation. We hypothesized that dCK could be regulated by two additional mechanisms: micro-RNA (miRNA) and promoter methylation. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) revealed methylation of the 3 ' GC box in three out of six cancer cell lines. The 3 ' GC box is located at the d ...	2011	22132977
effect of familiarity and viewpoint on face recognition in chimpanzees.	numerous studies have shown that familiarity strongly influences how well humans recognize faces. this is particularly true when faces are encountered across a change in viewpoint. in this situation, recognition may be accomplished by matching partial or incomplete information about a face to a stored representation of the known individual, whereas such representations are not available for unknown faces. chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, share many of the same behavioral specialization ...	2011	22128558
Diet of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda, 2. temporal variation and fallback foods.	Highly frugivorous primates like chimpanzees (Pan trogolodytes) must contend with temporal variation in food abundance and quality by tracking fruit crops and relying more on alternative foods, some of them fallbacks, when fruit is scarce. We used behavioral data from 122 months between 1995 and 2009 plus 12 years of phenology records to investigate temporal dietary variation and use of fallback foods by chimpanzees at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Fruit, including figs, comprised most of ...	2011	22125130
Interspecies difference in placement of developing teeth and its relationship with cross-sectional geometry of the mandibular symphysis in four primate species including modern humans.	The form of the anthropoid mandibular symphysis has recently been addressed in association with spatial requirements for the forming anterior teeth. To evaluate potential relationships between the symphyseal shape and teeth further, the growth patterns of the symphyseal region and the positioning of the tooth crypts were examined using CT data, comparing four primate species (modern humans, chimpanzees, Japanese monkeys, and hamadryas baboons) with varied symphyseal curvature and tooth size. Fir ...	2011	22120684
ontogenetic trajectories of chimpanzee social play: similarities with humans.	social play, a widespread phenomenon in mammals, is a multifunctional behavior, which can have many different roles according to species, sex, age, relationship quality between playmates, group membership, context, and habitat. play joins and cuts across a variety of disciplines leading directly to inquiries relating to individual developmental changes and species adaptation, thus the importance of comparative studies appears evident. here, we aim at proposing a possible ontogenetic pathway of c ...	2011	22110630
diet of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at ngogo, kibale national park, uganda, 1. diet composition and diversity.	chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are ecologically flexible omnivores with broad diets comprising many plant and animal foods, although they mostly eat fruit (including figs). like other ecologically flexible nonhuman primates (e.g., baboons, papio spp.) with broad diets, their diets vary across habitats. much data on diets come from short studies that may not capture the range of variation, however, and data are scant on variation within habitats and populations. we present data on diet composition ...	2011	22109938
"i've got your back". new evidence shows that chimpanzees aren't as selfish as many scientists thought.		2011	22106798
ban chimp testing. why it is time to end invasive biomedical research on chimpanzees.		2011	22106792
Functional mastery of percussive technology in nut-cracking and stone-flaking actions: experimental comparison and implications for the evolution of the human brain.	Various authors have suggested behavioural similarities between tool use in early hominins and chimpanzee nut cracking, where nut cracking might be interpreted as a precursor of more complex stone flaking. In this paper, we bring together and review two separate strands of research on chimpanzee and human tool use and cognitive abilities. Firstly, and in the greatest detail, we review our recent experimental work on behavioural organization and skill acquisition in nut-cracking and stone-knappin ...	2012	22106427
Comparative investigations of manual action representations: evidence that chimpanzees represent the costs of potential future actions involving tools.	The ability to adjust one's ongoing actions in the anticipation of forthcoming task demands is considered as strong evidence for the existence of internal action representations. Studies of action selection in tool use reveal that the behaviours that we choose in the present moment differ depending on what we intend to do next. Further, they point to a specialized role for mechanisms within the human cerebellum and dominant left cerebral hemisphere in representing the likely sensory costs of int ...	2012	22106426
The neural and cognitive correlates of aimed throwing in chimpanzees: a magnetic resonance image and behavioural study on a unique form of social tool use.	It has been hypothesized that neurological adaptations associated with evolutionary selection for throwing may have served as a precursor for the emergence of language and speech in early hominins. Although there are reports of individual differences in aimed throwing in wild and captive apes, to date there has not been a single study that has examined the potential neuroanatomical correlates of this very unique tool-use behaviour in non-human primates. In this study, we examined whether differe ...	2012	22106425
the sex-specific region of sex chromosomes in animals and plants.	our understanding of the evolution of sex chromosomes has increased greatly in recent years due to a number of molecular evolutionary investigations in divergent sex chromosome systems, and these findings are reshaping theories of sex chromosome evolution. in particular, the dynamics of the sex-determining region (sdr) have been demonstrated by recent findings in ancient and incipient sex chromosomes. radical changes in genomic structure and gene content in the male specific region of the y chro ...	2011	22105696
long-term balancing selection at the antiviral gene oas1 in central african chimpanzees.	oligoadenylate synthetases (oas) are interferon-induced enzymes that participate in the first line of defense against a wide range of viral infection in animals. upon activation by viral double-stranded rna, oas synthesizes (2-5) oligoadenylates, which activate rnase l, leading to the nonspecific degradation of cellular and viral rna. some association studies in humans suggest that variation at one of the oas genes, oas1, could be influencing host susceptibility to viral infection. we assessed t ...	2011	22104212
tetherin antagonism by primate lentiviral nef proteins.	the multifunctional nef protein of primate lentiviruses is commonly considered an early viral factor that downmodulates various receptors from the cell surface and modulates several signaling pathways to facilitate viral immune evasion and to render the cell conducive for viral replication. however, nef also acts during the late stages of infection, e.g. by increasing the infectivity of progeny virions. just recently, it has become clear that many primate lentiviruses that have been detected in ...	2011	22103835
de novo origin of human protein-coding genes.	the de novo origin of a new protein-coding gene from non-coding dna is considered to be a very rare occurrence in genomes. here we identify 60 new protein-coding genes that originated de novo on the human lineage since divergence from the chimpanzee. the functionality of these genes is supported by both transcriptional and proteomic evidence. rna-seq data indicate that these genes have their highest expression levels in the cerebral cortex and testes, which might suggest that these genes contrib ...	2011	22102831
brief communication: endocranial volumes in an ontogenetic sample of chimpanzees from the taï forest national park, ivory coast.	ontogenetic samples of endocranial volumes (evs) from great apes and humans are critical for understanding the evolution of the brain growth pattern in the hominin lineage. however, high quality ontogenetic data are scarce, especially for nonhuman primates. here, we provide original data derived from an osteological collection of a wild population of pan troglodytes verus from the taï forest national park, ivory coast. this sample is unique, because age, sex, and pedigree information are availab ...	2012	22101940
plant-food and tool transfer among savanna chimpanzees at fongoli, senegal.	transferring food is considered a defining characteristic of humans, as such behavior is relatively uncommon in other animal species save for kin-based transfer. chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are one exception, as they commonly transfer meat among nonrelatives but rarely transfer other resources. new observations at fongoli, senegal, show habitual transfer of wild-plant foods and other non-meat resources among community members beyond transfers from mother to offspring. we explore various explan ...	2012	22101639
Prime-boost regimens with adjuvanted synthetic long peptides elicit T cells and antibodies to conserved regions of HIV-1 in macaques.	OBJECTIVES:: Administration of Synthetic Long Peptides (SLP) derived from human papillomavirus to cervical cancer patients resulted in clinical benefit correlated with expansions of tumour-specific T cells. Because vaginal mucosa is an important port of entry for HIV-1, we have explored SLP for HIV-1 vaccination. Using immunogen HIVconsv derived from the conserved regions of HIV-1, we previously showed in rhesus macaques that SLP.HIVconsv delivered as a boost increased the breath of T cell speci ...	2011	22095198
Use of human hepatocyte-like cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells as a model for hepatocytes in hepatitis C virus infection.	Host tropism of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is limited to human and chimpanzee. HCV infection has never been fully understood because there are few conventional models for HCV infection. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like (iPS-Hep) cells have been expected to use for drug discovery to predict therapeutic activities and side effects of compounds during the drug discovery process. However, the suitability of iPS-Hep cells as an experimental model for HCV research is not known. ...	2011	22093821
distribution of the entodiniomorphid ciliate troglocorys cava tokiwa, modrý, ito, pomajbíková, petrželková, & imai, , (entodiniomorphida: blepharocorythidae) in wild and captive chimpanzees.	trophozoites of troglocorys cava were detected in all but one of the wild chimpanzee populations from rubondo island (tanzania), with a prevalence ranging between 20% and 78%. however, the ciliate was absent in all captive groups. prevalence appeared to increase with the number of sequential samples taken from a particular individual and reached 95.5% in wild individuals sampled at least 4 times.	2012	22092556
effects of cage mesh on pointing: hand shapes in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).	it has been speculated that cage mesh exerts a shaping influence on reaching behavior by captive apes, which is then misconstrued as pointing by human observers. although this notion is clearly falsified by the pointing of captive language-trained apes-who point in the absence of intervening cage mesh-nevertheless, the degree to which cage mesh might influence pointing hand shapes by captive great apes in other housing environments remains relatively unexplored. we examined 259 pointing gestures ...	2011	22086551
dna sequence-mediated, evolutionarily rapid redistribution of meiotic recombination hotspots.	hotspots regulate the position and frequency of spo11 (rec12)-initiated meiotic recombination, but paradoxically they are suicidal and are somehow resurrected elsewhere in the genome. after the dna sequence-dependent activation of hotspots was discovered in fission yeast, nearly two decades elapsed before the key realizations that (a) dna site-dependent regulation is broadly conserved and (b) individual eukaryotes have multiple different dna sequence motifs that activate hotspots. from our persp ...	2011	22084420
Is the Y chromosome disappearing?-Both sides of the argument.	On August 31, 2011 at the 18th International Chromosome Conference in Manchester, Jenny Graves took on Jenn Hughes to debate the demise (or otherwise) of the mammalian Y chromosome. Sex chromosome evolution is an example of convergence; there are numerous examples of XY and ZW systems with varying degrees of differentiation and isolated examples of the Y disappearing in some lineages. It is agreed that the Y was once genetically identical to its partner and that the present-day human sex chromos ...	2011	22083302
comparative dental development in hispanopithecus laietanus and pan troglodytes.		2012	22082569
DARC alleles and Duffy phenotypes in African Americans.	BACKGROUND: The DARC (Duffy blood group, chemokine receptor) gene encodes for a transmembrane glycoprotein that functions as a chemokine transporter, is a receptor for Plasmodium vivax and P. knowlesi, and expresses the Duffy blood group antigens (Fy). The Fy(a-b-) phenotype found in people of African descent is typically associated with a -67t>c mutation in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), which prevents red blood cells being invaded by P. vivax and P. knowlesi. The aim of this study was to es ...	2011	22082243
the evolution of human warfare.	here we propose a new theory for the origins and evolution of human warfare as a complex social phenomenon involving several behavioral traits, including aggression, risk taking, male bonding, ingroup altruism, outgroup xenophobia, dominance and subordination, and territoriality, all of which are encoded in the human genome. among the family of great apes only chimpanzees and humans engage in war; consequently, warfare emerged in their immediate common ancestor that lived in patrilocal groups wh ...	2011	22081837
Assessing the role of tandem repeats in shaping the genomic architecture of great apes.	Ancestral reconstructions of mammalian genomes have revealed that evolutionary breakpoint regions are clustered in regions that are more prone to break and reorganize. What is still unclear to evolutionary biologists is whether these regions are physically unstable due solely to sequence composition and/or genome organization, or do they represent genomic areas where the selection against breakpoints is minimal.	2011	22076140
Identification of a novel single stranded circular DNA virus from bovine stool.	We report the identification of a novel, single stranded circular DNA virus isolated from bovine stool. The virus, named bovine stool-associated circular DNA virus (BoSCV), has a genome comprising 2600-bases single-stranded circular DNA and 2 putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding replicase and capsid proteins, arranged inversely. The stem-loop structure was located between the 3' ends of 2 putative ORFs, like chimpanzee stool-associated circular virus (ChimpSCV) and unlike other circular ...	2011	22071514
the hepatitis c virus glycan shield and evasion of the humoral immune response.	despite the induction of effective immune responses, 80% of hepatitis c virus (hcv)-infected individuals progress from acute to chronic hepatitis. in contrast to the cellular immune response, the role of the humoral immune response in hcv clearance is still subject to debate. indeed, hcv escapes neutralizing antibodies in chronically infected patients and reinfection has been described in human and chimpanzee. studies of antibody-mediated hcv neutralization have long been hampered by the lack of ...	2011	22069522
Review and hypothesis: does graves' disease develop in non-human great apes?	Background: Graves' disease, caused by stimulatory thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) autoantibodies, has not been observed in animals. In contrast, Hashimoto's thyroiditis develops in chickens, rats, mice, dogs, and marmosets. Attempts to induce an immune response in mice to the luteinizing-hormone receptor suggested that autoantigen glycosylation was one parameter involved in breaking self-tolerance. Over evolution, TSHR glycosylation increased from three asparagine-linked-glycans (N-glycans) in fish ...	2011	22066476
Relationship between humeral geometry and shoulder muscle power among suspensory, knuckle-walking, and digitigrade/palmigrade quadrupedal primates.	Shoulder morphology is functionally related to different patterns of locomotion in primates. To investigate this we performed a quantitative analysis of the relationship between cortical bone thickness (Cbt) of the muscle/tendon attachment site on the humerus and physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) of the shoulder muscle in primates with different locomotory habits. The deltoid, subscapularis, supraspinatus, and infraspinatus were investigated. A chimpanzee, a gibbon, a baboon, two species ...	2012	22050714
A comparative analysis of viral peptides presented by contemporary human and chimpanzee MHC class I molecules.	Genetic factors such as the MHC influence the immunocompetence of an individual. MHC genes are the most polymorphic genes in primates, which is often interpreted as an adaptation to establish good T cell responses to a wide range of (evolving) pathogens. Chimpanzee MHC (Patr) genes are less polymorphic than human MHC (HLA) genes, which is surprising because chimpanzee is the older species of the two and is therefore expected to display more variation. To quantify the effect of the reduced polymo ...	2011	22043011
Physical properties of fruit and seeds ingested by primate seed predators with emphasis on sakis and bearded sakis.	Several primate radiations exhibit dental adaptations that enable them to gain access to seeds embedded in well-protected fruit. To a database drawn from published sources in which hardness of fruit and seeds were tested in the field, we added an additional 100+ species of plants used as resources by pitheciin primates (specifically, South American white-faced sakis (Pithecia pithecia) and bearded sakis (Chiropotes spp.). This sample allowed us to compare hardness of fruit and seeds and deduce t ...	2011	22042738
new neutralizing antibody epitopes in hepatitis c virus envelope glycoproteins are revealed by dissecting peptide recognition profiles.	one of the greatest challenges to hcv vaccine development is the induction of effective immune responses using recombinant proteins or vectors. in order to better understand which vaccine-induced antibodies contribute to neutralization of hcv the quality of polyclonal anti-e1e2 antibody responses in immunized mice and chimpanzees was assessed at the level of epitope recognition using peptide scanning and neutralization of chimeric 1a/2a, 1b/2a and 2a hcvcc after blocking or affinity elution of s ...	2011	22041300
responses of chimpanzees to a recently dead community member at gombe national park, tanzania.	chimpanzee responses to the death of a group member have rarely been observed in the wild and most instances involve infant deaths. one of the very few detailed accounts of a group's response to the death of an adult community member is from gombe national park, tanzania, where teleki [folia primatologica 20:81-94, 1973] observed the responses of 16 chimpanzees to an accidental death, none of whom touched the body. now, almost 40 years later, we report on the behaviors of 16 (different) gombe in ...	2012	22038875
female contributions to the peaceful nature of bonobo society.	although chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and bonobos (pan paniscus) are closely related, females of the two species show surprisingly large differences in many behavioral aspects. while female chimpanzees tend to range alone or in small parties during non-estrous periods, female bonobos aggregate even more often than do males. female chimpanzees do not have frequent social interactions with other females, whereas female bonobos maintain close social associations with one another. although the rang ...	2011	22038769
Functional adaptations in the forelimb muscles of non-human great apes.	The maximum capability of a muscle can be estimated from simple measurements of muscle architecture such as muscle belly mass, fascicle length and physiological cross-sectional area. While the hindlimb anatomy of the non-human apes has been studied in some detail, a comparative study of the forelimb architecture across a number of species has never been undertaken. Here we present data from chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and an orangutan to ascertain if, and where, there are functional differenc ...	2012	22034995
"an ape's view of the oldowan" revisited.	in 1989, wynn and mcgrew published an explicit comparison between oldowan technology and what was then known of chimpanzee technology. they compared the range and variety of tools, adaptive role of tools, carrying distances, spatial cognition, manufacturing procedures, and modes of learning. they concluded that everything archeologists had reconstructed about the behavior of oldowan hominins could be accommodated within the ape adaptive grade; that is, a paraphyletic group united by overall simi ...	2011	22034236
sociability of female bottlenose dolphins (tursiops spp.) and chimpanzees (pan troglodytes): understanding evolutionary pathways toward social convergence.	on the northern tip of new zealand's south island, bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) occasionally pass through admiralty bay in large, fast-traveling groups of 100 or so individuals. watching such a group race and splash through the water is reminiscent of a stampeding herd of ungulates, cetaceans' closest terrestrial ancestors. at other times, smaller social groups of bottlenose dolphins appear in the bay and provide a glimpse of the behavioral complexity that dolphins share with their d ...	2011	22034166
Human evolution and osteoporosis-related spinal fractures.	The field of evolutionary medicine examines the possibility that some diseases are the result of trade-offs made in human evolution. Spinal fractures are the most common osteoporosis-related fracture in humans, but are not observed in apes, even in cases of severe osteopenia. In humans, the development of osteoporosis is influenced by peak bone mass and strength in early adulthood as well as age-related bone loss. Here, we examine the structural differences in the vertebral bodies (the portion o ...	2011	22028933
onset and early use of gestural communication in nonhuman great apes.	the early gesturing of six bonobos, eight chimpanzees, three gorillas, and eight orangutans was systematically documented using focal animal sampling. apes' were observed during their first 20 months of life in an effort to investigate: (i) the onset of gesturing; (ii) the order in which signals of different sensory modalities appear; (iii) the extent to which infants make use of these modalities in their early signaling; and (iv) the behavioral contexts where signals are employed. orangutans di ...	2012	22025273
characterization and potential functional significance of human-chimpanzee large indel variation.	abstract:	2011	22024410
use of "entertainment" chimpanzees in commercials distorts public perception regarding their conservation status.	chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are often used in movies, commercials and print advertisements with the intention of eliciting a humorous response from audiences. the portrayal of chimpanzees in unnatural, human-like situations may have a negative effect on the public's understanding of their endangered status in the wild while making them appear as suitable pets. alternatively, media content that elicits a positive emotional response toward chimpanzees may increase the public's commitment to chim ...	2011	22022503
MicroRNA expression and regulation in human, chimpanzee, and macaque brains.	Among other factors, changes in gene expression on the human evolutionary lineage have been suggested to play an important role in the establishment of human-specific phenotypes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these expression changes are largely unknown. Here, we have explored the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the regulation of gene expression divergence among adult humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques, in two brain regions: prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. Using a combination ...	2011	22022286
Gene conversion and purifying selection shape nucleotide variation in gibbon L/M opsin genes.	Routine trichromatic color vision is a characteristic feature of catarrhines (humans, apes and Old World monkeys). This is enabled by L and M opsin genes arrayed on the X chromosome and an autosomal S opsin gene. In non-human catarrhines, genetic variation affecting the color vision phenotype is reported to be absent or rare in both L and M opsin genes, despite the suggestion that gene conversion has homogenized the two genes. However, nucleotide variation of both introns and exons among catarrh ...	2011	22017819
Complete coding sequence and molecular analysis of hepatitis A virus from a chimpanzee with fulminant hepatitis.	Background Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infects both humans and non-human primates, in experimentally infected chimpanzees is typically milder than in humans. In 1982, Abe and Shikata reported a first case of a chimpanzee with fulminant hepatitis caused by spontaneous HAV infection, and the underlying mechanisms of the disease remain unknown. Methods To characterize denoted CFH-HAV, we conducted cloning and near full-length sequence analysis. Results Phylogenetic analyses of VP1-2A and complete se ...	2011	22017331
Time dependency of molecular evolutionary rates? Yes and no.	Some previous studies have suggested that rates of evolution inferred using molecular sequences vary substantially depending on the time frame over which they are measured, whereas a number of other studies have argued against this proposition. We examined this issue by separating positions of primate mitochondrial genomes that are under different levels of selection constraints. Our results revealed an order of magnitude variation in the evolutionary rates at constrained sites (including nonsyn ...	2011	22016336
Abundance of ultramicro inversions within local alignments between human and chimpanzee genomes.	ABSTRACT:	2011	22011259
A comparison of temperament in nonhuman apes and human infants.	The adaptive behavior of primates, including humans, is often mediated by temperament. Human behavior likely differs from that of other primates in part due to temperament. In the current study we compared the reaction of bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, and 2.5-year-old human infants to novel objects and people - as a measure of their shyness-boldness, a key temperamental trait. Human children at the age of 2.5 years avoided novelty of all kinds far more than the other ape species. This respon ...	2011	22010898
Chimpanzees used for medical research shed light on the pathoetiology of leprosy.	Leprosy is a chronic infectious disorder caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which mainly affects skin and peripheral nerves. It is classified as either paucibacillary or multibacillary based upon clinical manifestations and slit-skin smear results. It is speculated that leprosy develops after a long latency period following M. leprae infection. However, the actual time of infection and the duration of latency have never been proven in human patients. To date, four cases of spontaneous leprosy have ...	2011	22004034
children, but not chimpanzees, prefer to collaborate.	human societies are built on collaborative activities. already from early childhood, human children are skillful and proficient collaborators. they recognize when they need help in solving a problem and actively recruit collaborators [1, 2]. the societies of other primates are also to some degree cooperative. chimpanzees, for example, engage in a variety of cooperative activities such as border patrols, group hunting, and intra- and intergroup coalitionary behavior [3-5]. recent studies have sho ...	2011	22000101
targeting microrna-122 to treat hepatitis c virus infection.	an important host factor for hepatitis c virus (hcv) is microrna-122 (mir-122). mir-122 is a liver-specific member of a family of small, non-coding rna molecules known as micrornas that play major roles in the regulation of gene expression by direct interaction with rna targets. mir-122 binds directly to two sites in the 5' untranslated region (utr) of hcv rna and positively regulates the viral life cycle. the mechanism by which this regulation occurs is still not fully understood. there has bee ...	2010	21994685
hcv animal models: a journey of more than 30 years.	in the 1970s and 1980s it became increasingly clear that blood transfusions could induce a form of chronic hepatitis that could not be ascribed to any of the viruses known to cause liver inflammation. in 1989, the hepatitis c virus (hcv) was discovered and found to be the major causative agent of these infections. because of its narrow tropism, the in vivo study of this virus was, especially in the early days, limited to the chimpanzee. in the past decade, several alternative animal models have ...	2009	21994547
prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination against hepatitis c virus (hcv): developments and future perspectives.	studies in patients and chimpanzees that spontaneously clear hepatitis c virus (hcv) have demonstrated that natural immunity to the virus is induced during primary infections and that this immunity can be cross protective. these discoveries led to optimism regarding prophylactic hcv vaccines and a number of studies in the chimpanzee model have been performed, all of which resulted in modified infections after challenge but did not always prevent persistence of the virus. therapeutic vaccine stra ...	2009	21994543
A matter of life or death: How microsatellites emerge in and vanish from the human genome.	Microsatellites-tandem repeats of short DNA motifs-are abundant in the human genome and have high mutation rates. While microsatellite instability is implicated in numerous genetic diseases, the molecular processes involved in their emergence and disappearance are still not well understood. Microsatellites are hypothesized to follow a life cycle, wherein they are born and expand into adulthood, until their degradation and death. Here we identified microsatellite births/deaths in human, chimpanze ...	2011	21994250
Pico-inplace-inversions between human and chimpanzee.	There have been several studies on the micro-inversions between human and chimpanzee, but there are large discrepancies among their results. Furthermore, all of them rely on alignment procedures or existing alignment results to identify inversions. However, the core alignment procedures do not take very small inversions into consideration. Therefore, their analyses cannot find inversions that are too small to be detected by a classic aligner. We call such inversions pico-inversions.	2011	21994225
future of liver transplantation: non-human primates for patient-specific organs from induced pluripotent stem cells.	strategies to fill the huge gap in supply versus demand of human organs include bioartificial organs, growing humanized organs in animals, cell therapy, and implantable bioengineered constructs. reproducing the complex relations between different cell types, generation of adequate vasculature, and immunological complications are road blocks in generation of bioengineered organs, while immunological complications limit the use of humanized organs produced in animals. recent developments in induce ...	2011	21990949
giardia duodenalis assemblages and entamoeba species infecting non-human primates in an italian zoological garden: zoonotic potential and management traits.	giardia duodenalis and entamoeba spp. are among the most common intestinal human protozoan parasites worldwide and they are frequently reported in captive non-human primates (nhp). from a public health point of view, infected animals in zoos constitute a risk for animal caretakers and visitors. in this study we carried out the molecular identification of g. duodenalis and entamoeba spp. from nine species of primates housed in the zoological garden of rome, to better ascertain their occurrence an ...	2011	21988762
rapid evolution and copy number variation of primate rhoxf2, an x-linked homeobox gene involved in male reproduction and possibly brain function.	homeobox genes are the key regulators during development, and they are in general highly conserved with only a few reported cases of rapid evolution. rhoxf2 is an x-linked homeobox gene in primates. it is highly expressed in the testicle and may play an important role in spermatogenesis. as male reproductive system is often the target of natural and/or sexual selection during evolution, in this study, we aim to dissect the pattern of molecular evolution of rhoxf2 in primates and its potential fu ...	2011	21988730
Sexual selection by female immunity against paternal antigens can fix loss of function alleles.	Humans lack the common mammalian cell surface molecule N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) due to a CMAH gene inactivation, which occurred approximately three million years ago. Modern humans produce antibodies specific for Neu5Gc. We hypothesized that anti-Neu5Gc antibodies could enter the female reproductive tract and target Neu5Gc-positive sperm or fetal tissues, reducing reproductive compatibility. Indeed, female mice with a human-like Cmah(-/-) mutation and immunized to express anti-Neu5Gc a ...	2011	21987817
a potential role for glucose transporters in the evolution of human brain size.	differences in cognitive abilities and the relatively large brain are among the most striking differences between humans and their closest primate relatives. the energy trade-off hypothesis predicts that a major shift in energy allocation among tissues occurred during human origins in order to support the remarkable expansion of a metabolically expensive brain. however, the molecular basis of this adaptive scenario is unknown. two glucose transporters (slc2a1 and slc2a4) are promising candidates ...	2011	21986508
managing a speared alpha male chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) in kibale national park, uganda.		2011	21984563
Androgen and androgen metabolite levels in serum and urine of East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): comparison of EIA and LC-MS analyses.	The primary male androgen testosterone (T) is often used as an endocrinological marker to investigate androgen-behaviour interactions in males. In chimpanzees and bonobos, studies investigating the relationship between T levels and dominance rank or aggressive behaviour have revealed contradictory results. The immunoassays used in these studies were originally developed for the measurement of steroids in serum. Their application to non-invasively collected samples, however, can lead to methodolo ...	2011	21983173
Event-related potentials in response to subjects' own names: A comparison between humans and a chimpanzee.	The sound of one's own name is one of the most salient auditory environmental stimuli. Several studies of human brain potentials have revealed some characteristic waveforms when we hear our own names. In a recent work, we investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) in a female chimpanzee and demonstrated that the ERP pattern generated when she heard her own name differed from that generated when she heard other sounds. However, her ERPs did not exhibit a prominent positive shift around 300 ms ( ...	2011	21980569
chimpanzees make mean-spirited, not prosocial, choices.		2011	21980175
Androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism in males of six non-human primate species.	Background Androgen receptor [CAG](n) microsatellite has been linked to human diseases. Methods Six non-human primates were genotyped for the [CAG](n) microsatellite. Results Marmosets and macaques are monomorphic, while mangabeys, baboons, and chimpanzees are polymorphic. Conclusions Non-human primates that are polymorphic for the microsatellite are candidate animal models for CAG-related diseases.	2011	21978295
Advancing neuroscience through epigenetics: molecular mechanisms of learning and memory.	Humans share 96% of our 30,000 genes with Chimpanzees. The 1,200 genes that differ appear at first glance insufficient to describe what makes us human and them apes. However, we are now discovering that the mechanisms that regulate how genes are expressed tell a much richer story than our DNA alone. Sections of our DNA are constantly being turned on or off, marked for easy access, or secluded and hidden away, all in response to ongoing cellular activity. In the brain, neurons encode information- ...	2011	21978007
a new variant of the capsule 3 cluster occurs in streptococcus pneumoniae from deceased wild chimpanzees.	the presence of new streptococcus pneumoniae clones in dead wild chimpanzees from the taï national park, côte d'ivoire, with previous respiratory problems has been demonstrated recently by dna sequence analysis from samples obtained from the deceased apes. in order to broadenour understanding on the relatedness of these pneumococcal clones to those from humans, the gene locus responsible for biosynthesis of the capsule polysaccharide (cps) has now been characterized. dna sequence analysis of pcr ...	2011	21969869