Publications

native folding of a recombinant gpe1/gpe2 heterodimer vaccine antigen from a precursor protein fused with fc igg.	a recombinant strain hcv1 (hepatitis c virus [hcv] genotype 1a) gpe1/gpe2 (e1e2) vaccine candidate was previously shown by our group to protect chimpanzees and generate broad cross-neutralizing antibodies in animals and humans. in addition, recent independent studies have highlighted the importance of conserved neutralizing epitopes in hcv vaccine development that map to antigenic clusters in e2 or the e1e2 heterodimer. e1e2 can be purified using galanthis nivalis lectin agarose (gna), but this ...	2017	27795422
sex-linked markers in the north american green frog (rana clamitans) developed using dartseq provide early insight into sex chromosome evolution.	the extent to which sex reversal is associated with transitions in sex determining systems (xx-xy, zz-zw, etc.) or abnormal sexual differentiation is predominantly unexplored in amphibians. this is in large part because most amphibian taxa have homomorphic sex chromosomes, which has traditionally made it challenging to identify discordance between phenotypic and genetic sex in amphibians, despite all amphibians having a genetic component to sex determination. recent advances in molecular techniq ...	2016	27793086
reply to schmidt and tomasello: chimpanzees as natural team-players.		2016	27791163
how chimpanzees cooperate: if dominance is artificially constrained.		2016	27791161
chimpanzee genomic diversity reveals ancient admixture with bonobos.	our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, have a complex demographic history. we analyzed the high-coverage whole genomes of 75 wild-born chimpanzees and bonobos from 10 countries in africa. we found that chimpanzee population substructure makes genetic information a good predictor of geographic origin at country and regional scales. multiple lines of evidence suggest that gene flow occurred from bonobos into the ancestors of central and eastern chimpanzees between 200,000 and 550,0 ...	2016	27789843
locomotor hand postures, carpal kinematics during wrist extension, and associated morphology in anthropoid primates.	the biomechanics of wrist extension (or dorsiflexion) are important for understanding functional adaptation of the primate hand because extension mobility varies with habitual locomotor hand posture and facilitates certain manipulative tasks. here, intercarpal kinematics are employed to investigate mechanisms underlying wrist extension in a sample of anthropoids representing various arboreal and terrestrial locomotor modes. carpal kinematics are studied using computed-tomography of cadaveric for ...	2017	27788281
elevation of alanine aminotransferase activity occurs after activation of the cell-death signaling initiated by pattern-recognition receptors ‎but before activation of cytolytic effectors in nk or cd8+ t cells in the liver during acute hcv infection.	pattern-recognition receptors (prrs) promote host defenses against hcv infection by binding to their corresponding adapter molecules leading to the initiation of innate immune responses including cell death. we investigated the expression of prr genes, biomarkers of liver cell-death, and t cell and nk cell activation/inhibition-related genes in liver and serum obtained from three experimentally infected chimpanzees with acute hcv infection, and analyzed the correlation between gene expression le ...	2016	27788241
the molecular basis of human brain evolution.	humans are a remarkable species, especially because of the remarkable properties of their brain. since the split from the chimpanzee lineage, the human brain has increased three-fold in size and has acquired abilities for vocal learning, language and intense cooperation. to better understand the molecular basis of these changes is of great biological and biomedical interest. however, all the about 16 million fixed genetic changes that occurred during human evolution are fully correlated with all ...	2016	27780052
sustained myrmecophagy in nigerian chimpanzees: preferred or fallback food?	at some sites across africa, chimpanzees consume army ants, often aided by plant tools, although consumption frequencies vary greatly. other populations do not eat these insects at all, despite apparent abundance. the relative importance of this type of myrmecophagy for chimpanzee diet therefore remains unclear. we investigate if army ants constitute a preferred food or a fallback resource for chimpanzees at gashaka, nigeria, where army ants are consumed much more frequently than elsewhere.	2017	27779749
shewanella baltica ecotypes have wide transcriptional variation under the same growth conditions.	in bacterial populations, subtle expressional differences may promote ecological specialization through the formation of distinct ecotypes. in a barrier-free habitat, this process most likely precedes population divergence and may predict speciation events. to examine this, we used four sequenced strains of the bacterium shewanella baltica, os155, os185, os195, and os223, as models to assess transcriptional variation and ecotype formation within a prokaryotic population. all strains were isolate ...	2017	27777983
foundations of cumulative culture in apes: improved foraging efficiency through relinquishing and combining witnessed behaviours in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).	a vital prerequisite for cumulative culture, a phenomenon often asserted to be unique to humans, is the ability to modify behaviour and flexibly switch to more productive or efficient alternatives. here, we first established an inefficient solution to a foraging task in five captive chimpanzee groups (n = 19). three groups subsequently witnessed a conspecific using an alternative, more efficient, solution. when participants could successfully forage with their established behaviours, most indivi ...	2016	27775061
a diverse group of small circular ssdna viral genomes in human and non-human primate stools.	viral metagenomics sequencing of fecal samples from outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis from the us revealed the presence of small circular ssdna viral genomes encoding a replication initiator protein (rep). viral genomes were ∼2.5 kb in length, with bi-directionally oriented rep and capsid (cap) encoding genes and a stem loop structure downstream of rep. several genomes showed evidence of recombination. by digital screening of an in-house virome database (1.04 billion reads) using blast, we iden ...	2015	27774288
a novel fecal stable isotope approach to determine the timing of age-related feeding transitions in wild infant chimpanzees.	determining nutritional development in wild primates is difficult through observations because confirming dietary intake is challenging. physiological measures are needed to determine the relative contributions of maternal milk and other foods at different ages, and time of weaning. we used fecal stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ(13) c, δ(15) n) and fecal nitrogen concentrations (%n) from wild chimpanzees at ngogo, uganda, to derive physiological dietary indicators during the transition fro ...	2017	27768227
a comparison between bonobos and chimpanzees: a review and update.	chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and bonobos (p. paniscus) are our closest living relatives, with the human lineage diverging from the pan lineage only around five to seven mya, but possibly as early as eight mya.(1-2) chimpanzees and bonobos even share genetic similarities with humans that they do not share with each other.(2) given their close genetic relationship to humans, both pan species represent crucial living models for reconstructing our last common ancestor (lca) and identifying uniquely ...	2016	27753219
cloning, localization and focus formation at dna damage sites of canine xlf.	understanding the molecular mechanisms of dna double-strand break (dsb) repair processes, especially nonhomologous dna-end joining (nhej), is critical for developing next-generation radiotherapies and chemotherapeutics for human and animal cancers. the localization, protein-protein interactions and post-translational modifications of core nhej factors, such as human ku70 and ku80, might play critical roles in controlling nhej activity. xrcc4-like factor (xlf) is a core nhej factor and plays a ke ...	2017	27746407
chimpanzee females queue but males compete for social status.	dominance hierarchies are widespread in animal social groups and often have measureable effects on individual health and reproductive success. dominance ranks are not static individual attributes, however, but instead are influenced by two independent processes: 1) changes in hierarchy membership and 2) successful challenges of higher-ranking individuals. understanding which of these processes dominates the dynamics of rank trajectories can provide insights into fitness benefits of within-sex co ...	2016	27739527
genome sequences of polyomaviruses from the wild-living red colobus (piliocolobus badius) and western chimpanzee (pan troglodytes verus).	we identified with pcr and sequencing the full genomes of the recently discovered pan troglodytes verus polyomavirus 8 and piliocolobus badius polyomavirus 2 in a western chimpanzee and a western red colobus free-ranging in taï national park of côte d'ivoire.	2016	27738028
a single nucleotide polymorphism in human apobec3c enhances restriction of lentiviruses.	humans express seven human apobec3 proteins, which can inhibit viruses and endogenous retroelements through cytidine deaminase activity. the seven paralogs differ in the potency of their antiviral effects, as well as in their antiviral targets. one apobec3, apobec3c, is exceptional as it has been found to only weakly block viruses and endogenous retroelements compared to other apobec3s. however, our positive selection analyses suggest that apobec3c has played a role in pathogen defense during pr ...	2016	27732658
paternal and grandpaternal ages at conception and descendant telomere lengths in chimpanzees and humans.	telomeres are repeating dna at chromosome ends. telomere length (tl) declines with age in most human tissues, and shorter tl is thought to accelerate senescence. in contrast, older men have sperm with longer tl; correspondingly, older paternal age at conception (pac) predicts longer tl in offspring. this pac-effect could be a unique form of transgenerational genetic plasticity that modifies somatic maintenance in response to cues of recent ancestral experience. the pac-effect has not been examin ...	2017	27731903
human lice in paleoentomology and paleomicrobiology.	lice are a classic example of cospeciation. human lice confirm this cospeciation with lice specialized in hominids which differ from those of gorillas and chimpanzees. head lice and body lice seem to belong to closely related species with different ecotypes and a different geographical distribution which may reflect population movements. paleo-entomology allows us in some cases to trace the migrations of archaic human populations. the analysis of lice found on mummies in egypt and south america ...	2016	27726759
enamel biorhythms of humans and great apes: the havers-halberg oscillation hypothesis reconsidered.	the havers-halberg oscillation (hho) hypothesis links evidence for the timing of a biorhythm retained in permanent tooth enamel (retzius periodicity) to adult body mass and life history traits across mammals. potentially, these links provide a way to access life history of fossil species from teeth. recently we assessed intra-specific predictions of the hho on human children. we reported retzius periodicity (rp) corresponded with enamel thickness, and cusp formation time, when calculated from is ...	2017	27726135
tool transfers are a form of teaching among chimpanzees.	teaching is a form of high-fidelity social learning that promotes human cumulative culture. although recently documented in several nonhuman animals, teaching is rare among primates. in this study, we show that wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) in the goualougo triangle teach tool skills by providing learners with termite fishing probes. tool donors experienced significant reductions in tool use and feeding, while tool recipients significantly increased their tool use and feeding af ...	2016	27725706
beyond the cut hunter: a historical epidemiology of hiv beginnings in central africa.	in the absence of direct evidence, an imagined "cut hunter" stands in for the index patient of pandemic hiv/aids. during the early years of colonial rule, this explanation goes, a hunter was cut or injured from hunting or butchering a chimpanzee infected with simian immunodeficiency virus, resulting in the first sustained human infection with the virus that would emerge as hiv-1m. we argue here that the "cut hunter" relies on a historical misunderstanding and ecological oversimplification of hum ...	2016	27718030
the global synanthrome project: a call for an exhaustive study of human associates.	here we coin the term synanthrome to describe all of the species we interact with. we propose that the time is now here for the global synanthrome project to describe all of our interacting species and how they have changed through time and across space. this effort must involve natural history, ecology, and evolutionary biology in addition to genomics studies that are already underway.	2017	27717597
carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic offsets between diet and hair/feces in captive chimpanzees.	estimation of the stable isotopic offsets between tissue and diet is important for dietary reconstructions. although stable isotopic studies of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are increasing, the isotopic offsets in chimpanzees have never been studied. in this study, the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic offset values in hair and feces were measured for 13 captive chimpanzees for the first time.	2017	27717069
evolution and demography of the great apes.	the great apes are the closest living relatives of humans. chimpanzees and bonobos group together with humans, while gorillas and orangutans are more divergent from humans. here, we review insights into their evolution pertaining to the topology of species and subspecies and the reconstruction of their demography based on genome-wide variation. these advances have only become possible recently through next-generation sequencing technologies. given the close relationship to humans, they provide a ...	2016	27716526
chimpanzees can visually perceive differences in the freshness of foods.	colour vision in primates is believed to be an adaptation for finding ripe fruit and young leaves. the contribution of the luminance distribution, which influences how humans evaluate the freshness of food, has not been explored with respect to the detection of subtle distinctions in food quality in non-human primates. we examined how chimpanzees, which are closely related to humans, perceive the freshness of foods. the findings suggest that chimpanzees were able to choose fresher cabbage based ...	2016	27708365
neocortical grey matter distribution underlying voluntary, flexible vocalizations in chimpanzees.	vocal learning is a key property of spoken language, which might also be present in nonhuman primate species, such as chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), to a limited degree. while understanding the origins of vocal learning in the primate brain may help shed light on the evolution of speech and language, little is still known regarding the neurobiological correlates of vocal flexibility in nonhuman primates. the current study used voxel-based morphometry (vbm) to assess whether the cerebral cortex o ...	2016	27703216
elucidating the origin of hla-b*73 allelic lineage: did modern humans benefit by archaic introgression?	a previous study reported that some of the human leukocyte antigen (hla) alleles and haplotypes in present-day humans were acquired by admixture with archaic humans; specifically, an exceptionally diverged hla-b73 allele was proposed to be transmitted from denisovans, although the dna sequence of hla-b73 has not been detected in the denisovan genome. here, we argue against the hypothesis that hla-b*73 introgressed from denisovans into early modern humans. a phylogenetic analysis revealed that ...	2017	27695917
a systematic review of the literature relating to captive great ape morbidity and mortality.	wild bonobos (pan paniscus), chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), western gorillas (gorilla gorilla), and orangutans (pongo pygmaeus, pongo abelii) are threatened with extinction. in order to help maintain a self-sustaining zoo population, clinicians require a sound understanding of the diseases with which they might be presented. to provide an up-to-date perspective on great ape morbidity and mortality, a systematic review of the zoological and veterinary literature of great apes from 1990 to 2014 wa ...	2016	27691977
prospective population management for hepatitis b in the chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) ssp® population.	hepatitis b virus causes horizontally transmitted infectious hepatopathy of primates and may progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. historically, a small number of chimpanzees ( pan troglodytes ) living in accredited north american zoos have been confirmed with positive hepatitis b serology consistent with exposure. however, the overall status for this population and the interpretation of these individual test results have not been established previously. the current u.s. zoo-housed population (n ...	2016	27691953
disruption of an evolutionarily novel synaptic expression pattern in autism.	cognitive defects in autism spectrum disorder (asd) include socialization and communication: key behavioral capacities that separate humans from other species. here, we analyze gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of 63 autism patients and control individuals, as well as 62 chimpanzees and macaques, from natal to adult age. we show that among all aberrant expression changes seen in asd brains, a single aberrant expression pattern overrepresented in genes involved synaptic-related pathways is ...	2016	27685936
the impact of linked selection in chimpanzees: a comparative study.	levels of nucleotide diversity vary greatly across the genomes of most species owing to multiple factors. these include variation in the underlying mutation rates, as well as the effects of both direct and linked selection. fundamental to interpreting the relative importance of these forces is the common observation of a strong positive correlation between nucleotide diversity and recombination rate. while indeed observed in humans, the interpretation of this pattern has been difficult in the ab ...	2016	27678122
differences and similarities between human and chimpanzee neural progenitors during cerebral cortex development.	human neocortex expansion likely contributed to the remarkable cognitive abilities of humans. this expansion is thought to primarily reflect differences in proliferation versus differentiation of neural progenitors during cortical development. here, we have searched for such differences by analysing cerebral organoids from human and chimpanzees using immunohistofluorescence, live imaging, and single-cell transcriptomics. we find that the cytoarchitecture, cell type composition, and neurogenic ge ...	2016	27669147
from stem cells to comparative corticogenesis: a bridge too far?	it has been hypothesized that the higher number of neurons in human cortex compared to the chimpanzee and other primate species is key to high cognitive function. are human cortical precursors endowed with specific properties that drive greater neuronal expansion than in other non-human primates? otani et al. 2016 addressed this issue taking advantage of comparative in vitro corticogenesis models based on human, chimpanzee and macaque pluripotent stem cells. clonal analysis revealed a heterochro ...	2016	27668246
integrating occurrence and detectability patterns based on interview data: a case study for threatened mammals in equatorial guinea.	occurrence models that account for imperfect detection of species are increasingly used for estimating geographical range, for determining species-landscape relations and to prioritize conservation actions worldwide. in 2010, we conducted a large-scale survey in río muni, the mainland territory of equatorial guinea, which aimed to estimate the probabilities of occurrence and detection of threatened mammals based on environmental covariates, and to identify priority areas for conservation. interv ...	2016	27666671
what volume of seeds can a chimpanzee carry in its body?	great apes are important seed dispersers with large bodies, able to swallow large seeds and travel long distances. although there have been several studies investigating seed dispersal quality [sensu schupp (vegetatio 107/108:15-29, 1993)] by chimpanzees, there is little information on the volume of seeds they can carry in their bodies. when a relatively fresh corpse of a mature female chimpanzee was found at mahale, tanzania, we took advantage of the rare opportunity to investigate the total we ...	2017	27664100
selective sweeps across twenty millions years of primate evolution.	the contribution from selective sweeps to variation in genetic diversity has proven notoriously difficult to assess, in part because polymorphism data only allows detection of sweeps in the most recent few hundred thousand years. here, we show how linked selection in ancestral species can be quantified across evolutionary timescales by analyzing patterns of incomplete lineage sorting (ils) along the genomes of closely related species. we show that sweeps in the human-chimpanzee and human-orangut ...	2016	27660295
exploring the evolutionary origins of overimitation: a comparison across domesticated and non-domesticated canids.	when learning from others, human children tend to faithfully copy - or 'overimitate' - the actions of a demonstrator, even when these actions are irrelevant for solving the task at hand. we investigate whether domesticated dogs (canis familiaris) and dingoes (canis dingo) share this tendency to overimitate in three experiments. in experiment 1, dogs and dingoes had the opportunity to solve a puzzle after watching an ostensive demonstrator who used both a relevant action and an irrelevant action. ...	2016	27659592
fire usage and ancient hominin detoxification genes: protective ancestral variants dominate while additional derived risk variants appear in modern humans.	studies of the defence capacity of ancient hominins against toxic substances may contribute importantly to the reconstruction of their niche, including their diets and use of fire. fire usage implies frequent exposure to hazardous compounds from smoke and heated food, known to affect general health and fertility, probably resulting in genetic selection for improved detoxification. to investigate whether such genetic selection occurred, we investigated the alleles in neanderthals, denisovans and ...	2017	27655273
wild chimpanzees modify modality of gestures according to the strength of social bonds and personal network size.	primates form strong and enduring social bonds with others and these bonds have important fitness consequences. however, how different types of communication are associated with different types of social bonds is poorly understood. wild chimpanzees have a large repertoire of gestures, from visual gestures to tactile and auditory gestures. we used social network analysis to examine the association between proximity bonds (time spent in close proximity) and rates of gestural communication in pairs ...	2016	27649626
cloning, localization and focus formation at dna damage sites of canine xrcc4.	various chemotherapies and radiation therapies are useful for killing cancer cells mainly by inducing dna double-strand breaks (dsbs). uncovering the molecular mechanisms of dsb repair processes is crucial for developing next-generation radiotherapies and chemotherapeutics for human and animal cancers. xrcc4 plays a critical role in ku-dependent nonhomologous dna-end joining (nhej) in human cells, and is one of the core nhej factors. the localization of core nhej factors, such as human ku70 and ...	2017	27644316
prevalence of an unusual hypoplastic defect of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor in great apes.	in this article, i describe a previously unreported maxillary lateral incisor defect (mlid) of the enamel in great apes and evaluate potential general causes (genetic, systemic stress, or localized disturbance), as well as examine differences in prevalence among the represented taxa. this defect occurred only on the labial surface of the maxillary lateral incisor and extended from the cervical-mesial quarter of the crown to the mesial edge of the cementoenamel junction (cej). the study sample co ...	2017	27643754
saliviruses-the first knowledge about a newly discovered human picornavirus.	the salivirus, first discovered in the year 2009, is a member of the large and growing family picornaviridae. at present, the genus salivirus contains 1 species salivirus a and 2 genotypes, salivirus a1 and salivirus a2. salivirus has been identified in humans and chimpanzees and may cause acute gastroenteritis in humans, having been detected in 0% to 8.7% of fecal samples collected from gastroenteritis in different human populations. salivirus is ubiquitous in wastewater of human origin and riv ...	2017	27641729
a little cooperation helps murine cytomegalovirus (mcmv) go a long way: mcmv co-infection rescues a chemokine salivary gland defect.	cytomegaloviruses (cmvs) produce chemokines (vcxcls) that have both sequence and functional homology to host chemokines. assessment of vcxcl-1's role in cmv infection is limited to in vitro and in silico analysis due to cmvs species specificity. in this study, we used the murine cmv (mcmv) mouse model to evaluate the function of vcxcl-1 in vivo. recombinant mcmvs expressing chimpanzee cmv vcxcl-1 (vcxcl-1ccmv) or host chemokine, mcxcl1, underwent primary dissemination to the popliteal lymph node ...	2016	27638684
effect of hiv-1 envelope cytoplasmic tail on adenovirus primed virus encoded virus-like particle immunizations.	the low number of envelope (env) spikes presented on native hiv-1 particles is a major impediment for hiv-1 prophylactic vaccine development. we designed virus-like particle encoding adenoviral vectors utilizing sivmac239 gag as an anchor for full length and truncated hiv-1 m consensus env. truncated env overexpressed vrc01 and 17b binding antigen on the surface of transduced cells while the full length env vaccine presented more and similar amounts of antigen binding to the trimer conformation ...	2016	27633665
the gestural repertoire of the wild bonobo (pan paniscus): a mutually understood communication system.	in animal communication, signallers and recipients are typically different: each signal is given by one subset of individuals (members of the same age, sex, or social rank) and directed towards another. however, there is scope for signaller-recipient interchangeability in systems where most signals are potentially relevant to all age-sex groups, such as great ape gestural communication. in this study of wild bonobos (pan paniscus), we aimed to discover whether their gestural communication is ind ...	2017	27632158
the potency of nef-mediated serinc5 antagonism correlates with the prevalence of primate lentiviruses in the wild.	the cellular factor serine incorporator 5 (serinc5) impairs hiv-1 infectivity but is antagonized by the viral nef protein. we analyzed the anti-serinc5 activity of nef proteins across primate lentiviruses and examined whether serinc5 represents a barrier to cross-species transmissions and/or within-species viral spread. hiv-1, hiv-2, and siv nefs counteract human, ape, monkey, and murine serinc5 orthologs with similar potency. however, hiv-1 nefs are more active against serinc5 than hiv-2 nefs, ...	2016	27631701
reflections in the rainforest: full-length mirrors facilitate behavioral observations of unhabituated, wild chimpanzees.	we describe behaviors of unhabituated wild chimpanzees in gabon during repeated encounters with large mirrors installed permanently in their home range. movement in proximity to the mirrors triggered video cameras that recorded the scene. data are presented for 51 mirror encounters spanning a 3-year period. after initial wariness, mirror-directed aggressive behaviors were common, especially in adult males, but aggression gradually diminished and eventually almost completely ceased. focusing on t ...	2017	27629110
fifteen new species of penicillium.	we introduce 15 new species of penicillium isolated from a diverse range of locations, including canada, costa rica, germany, italy, new zealand, tanzania, usa and the dry valleys of antarctica, from a variety of habitats, including leaf surfaces in tropical rain forests, soil eaten by chimpanzees, infrabuccal pockets of carpenter ants, intestinal contents of caterpillars and soil. the new species are classified in sections aspergilloides (1), canescentia (2), charlesia (1), exilicaulis (3), lan ...	2016	27616792
bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in sub-saharan africa-chromosomal monophyly and broad geographic distribution.	through full genome analyses of four atypical bacillus cereus isolates, designated b. cereus biovar anthracis, we describe a distinct clade within the b. cereus group that presents with anthrax-like disease, carrying virulence plasmids similar to those of classic bacillus anthracis. we have isolated members of this clade from different mammals (wild chimpanzees, gorillas, an elephant and goats) in west and central africa (côte d'ivoire, cameroon, central african republic and democratic republic ...	2016	27607836
development of replication-deficient adenovirus malaria vaccines.	malaria remains a major threat to endemic populations and travelers, including military personnel to these areas. a malaria vaccine is feasible, as radiation attenuated sporozoites induce nearly 100% efficacy. areas covered: this review covers current malaria clinical trials using adenoviruses and pre-clinical research. heterologous prime-boost regimens, including replication-deficient human adenovirus 5 (huad5) carrying malaria antigens, are efficacious. however, efficacy appears to be adversel ...	2017	27606709
a partial e3 deletion in replication-defective adenoviral vectors allows for stable expression of potentially toxic transgene products.	adenovirus (ad) is used extensively for construction of viral vectors, most commonly with deletion in its e1 and/or e3 genomic regions. previously, our attempts to insert envelope proteins (env) of hiv-1 into such vectors based on chimpanzee-derived ad (adc) viruses were thwarted. here, we describe that genetic instability of an e1- and e3-deleted adc vector of serotype c6 expressing env of hiv-1 can be overcome by reinsertion of e3 sequences with anti-apoptotic activities. this partial e3 delet ...	2016	27604324
activating the innate immune response to counter chronic hepatitis b virus infection.	chronic infection with hepatitis b virus (hbv) is endemic to several populous parts of the world, where resulting complicating cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma occur commonly. licensed drugs to treat the infection have limited curative efficacy, and development of therapies that eliminate all replication intermediates of hbv is a priority. areas covered: the recent demonstration that the activation of the innate immune response may eradicate hbv from infected hepatocytes has a promising th ...	2016	27603796
behavioral variation in gorillas: evidence of potential cultural traits.	the question of whether any species except humans exhibits culture has generated much debate, partially due to the difficulty of providing conclusive evidence from observational studies in the wild. a starting point for demonstrating the existence of culture that has been used for many species including chimpanzees and orangutans is to show that there is geographic variation in the occurrence of particular behavioral traits inferred to be a result of social learning and not ecological or genetic ...	2016	27603668
familiar face + novel face = familiar face? representational bias in the perception of morphed faces in chimpanzees.	highly social animals possess a well-developed ability to distinguish the faces of familiar from novel conspecifics to induce distinct behaviors for maintaining society. however, the behaviors of animals when they encounter ambiguous faces of familiar yet novel conspecifics, e.g., strangers with faces resembling known individuals, have not been well characterised. using a morphing technique and preferential-looking paradigm, we address this question via the chimpanzee's facial-recognition abilit ...	2016	27602275
sex differences in age-related decline of urinary insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 levels in adult bonobos and chimpanzees.	there is increasing interest in the characterization of normative senescence in humans. to assess to what extent aging patterns in humans are unique, comparative data from closely related species, such as non-human primates, can be very useful. here, we use data from bonobos and chimpanzees, two closely related species that share a common ancestor with humans, to explore physiological markers that are indicative of aging processes. many studies on aging in humans focus on the somatotropic axis, ...	2016	27602019
variation in the molecular clock of primates.	events in primate evolution are often dated by assuming a constant rate of substitution per unit time, but the validity of this assumption remains unclear. among mammals, it is well known that there exists substantial variation in yearly substitution rates. such variation is to be expected from differences in life history traits, suggesting it should also be found among primates. motivated by these considerations, we analyze whole genomes from 10 primate species, including old world monkeys (owm ...	2016	27601674
in-group defense, out-group aggression, and coordination failures in intergroup conflict.	intergroup conflict persists when and because individuals make costly contributions to their group's fighting capacity, but how groups organize contributions into effective collective action remains poorly understood. here we distinguish between contributions aimed at subordinating out-groups (out-group aggression) from those aimed at defending the in-group against possible out-group aggression (in-group defense). we conducted two experiments in which three-person aggressor groups confronted thr ...	2016	27601640
chimpanzees can point to smaller amounts of food to accumulate larger amounts but they still fail the reverse-reward contingency task.	the reverse-reward contingency task presents 2 food sets to an animal, and they are required to choose the smaller of the 2 sets in order to receive the larger food set. intriguingly, the majority of species tested on the reverse-reward task fail to learn this contingency in the absence of large trial counts, correction trials, and punishment techniques. the unique difficulty of this seemingly simple task likely reflects a failure of inhibitory control which is required to point toward a smaller ...	2016	27598059
chimpanzee adenovirus vector-based avian influenza vaccine completely protects mice against lethal challenge of h5n1.	highly pathogenic avian h5n1 viruses may give rise to the next influenza pandemic due to their reassortment and mutation of the genome. vaccine against this virus is important for coping with its potential threat. chimpanzee adenovirus (ad) vectors are a novel type of vaccine vectors that share the advantages of human serotype ad vectors but without being affected by pre-existing human neutralizing antibody to the vaccine vector. based on a replication-deficient chimpanzee ad vector, adc7, we ge ...	2016	27576071
epidemiological surveillance of lymphocryptovirus infection in wild bonobos.	lymphocryptovirus (lcv) is one of the major gena in the herpesvirus family and is widely disseminated among primates. lcvs of human and rhesus macaques are shown to be causative agents of a number of malignant diseases including lymphoma and carcinoma. bonobos (pan paniscus) are highly endangered and the least studied species of the great apes. considering the potential pathogenicity of the lcv that might threaten the fate of wild bonobos, population-based epidemiological information in terms of ...	2016	27570523
nut-cracking behaviour in wild-born, rehabilitated bonobos (pan paniscus): a comprehensive study of hand-preference, hand grips and efficiency.	there has been an enduring interest in primate tool-use and manipulative abilities, most often with the goal of providing insight into the evolution of human manual dexterity, right-hand preference, and what behaviours make humans unique. chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are arguably the most well-studied tool-users amongst non-human primates, and are particularly well-known for their complex nut-cracking behaviour, which has been documented in several west african populations. however, their siste ...	2017	27564429
comparative methylome analyses identify epigenetic regulatory loci of human brain evolution.	how do epigenetic modifications change across species and how do these modifications affect evolution? these are fundamental questions at the forefront of our evolutionary epigenomic understanding. our previous work investigated human and chimpanzee brain methylomes, but it was limited by the lack of outgroup data which is critical for comparative (epi)genomic studies. here, we compared whole genome dna methylation maps from brains of humans, chimpanzees and also rhesus macaques (outgroup) to el ...	2016	27563052
normalization of human rna-seq experiments using chimpanzee rna as a spike-in standard.	normalization of human rna-seq experiments employing chimpanzee rna as a spike-in standard is reported. human and chimpanzee rnas exhibit single nucleotide variations (snvs) in average 210-bp intervals. spike-in chimpanzee rna would behave the same as the human counterparts during the whole ngs procedures owing to the high sequence similarity. after discrimination of species origins of the ngs reads based on snvs, the chimpanzee reads were used to read-by-read normalize biases and variations of ...	2016	27554056
fecal carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis as an indicator of diet in kanyawara chimpanzees, kibale national park, uganda.	the shorter-term overview from feces provides scope to investigate dietary fluctuations. we assess the correlation of stable isotopic fecal values with recorded seasonal diet of 10 adult chimpanzees (p. t. schweinfurthii) of the kanyawara community (kibale national park, uganda) and whether fecal nitrogen levels (%n) indicate a change in crude protein intake.	2016	27553783
fat face illusion, or jastrow illusion with faces, in humans but not in chimpanzees.	when two identical faces are aligned vertically, humans readily perceive the face at the bottom to be fatter than the top one. this phenomenon is called the fat face illusion. furthermore, an apparent similarity has been pointed out between the fat face illusion and the jastrow illusion. recent studies have suggested the importance of facial contours and the role of basic-level processing of faces. in the present study, we directly compared the typical jastrow illusion and fat face illusion in h ...	2015	27551367
how chimpanzees cooperate in a competitive world.	our species is routinely depicted as unique in its ability to achieve cooperation, whereas our closest relative, the chimpanzee (pan troglodytes), is often characterized as overly competitive. human cooperation is assisted by the cost attached to competitive tendencies through enforcement mechanisms, such as punishment and partner choice. to examine if chimpanzees possess the same ability to mitigate competition, we set up a cooperative task in the presence of the entire group of 11 adults, whic ...	2016	27551075
human feeding biomechanics: performance, variation, and functional constraints.	the evolution of the modern human (homo sapiens) cranium is characterized by a reduction in the size of the feeding system, including reductions in the size of the facial skeleton, postcanine teeth, and the muscles involved in biting and chewing. the conventional view hypothesizes that gracilization of the human feeding system is related to a shift toward eating foods that were less mechanically challenging to consume and/or foods that were processed using tools before being ingested. this hypot ...	2016	27547550
a comparative molecular survey of malaria prevalence among eastern chimpanzee populations in issa valley (tanzania) and kalinzu (uganda).	habitat types can affect vector and pathogen distribution and transmission dynamics. the prevalence and genetic diversity of plasmodium spp. in two eastern chimpanzee populations-kalinzu forest reserve, uganda and issa valley, tanzania-inhabiting different habitat types was investigated. as a follow up study the effect of host sex and age on infections patterns in kalinzu forest reserve chimpanzees was determined.	2016	27543045
comparative in silico study of sex-determining region y (sry) protein sequences involved in sex-determining.	the sry gene (sry) provides instructions for making a transcription factor called the sex-determining region y protein. the sex-determining region y protein causes a fetus to develop as a male. in this study, sry of 15 spices included of human, chimpanzee, dog, pig, rat, cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, horse, zebra, frog, urial, dolphin and killer whale were used for determine of bioinformatic differences.	0	27536700
role of microbial translocation in soluble cd14 up-regulation in hiv-, but not in hcv-, infected chimpanzees.	during human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection, soluble cd14 (scd14) is up-regulated as a consequence of pathological disruption of the gut epithelial barrier, and subsequent increased microbial translocation. also in hepatitis c virus (hcv)-infected patients with advanced liver fibrosis, increased levels of scd14 have been reported. since the liver plays an important role in clearance of translocated bacterial products, hepatic fibrosis may negatively affect clearance and thus contribute t ...	2016	27534537
functional analysis of the upstream regulatory region of chicken mir-17-92 cluster.	mir-17-92 cluster plays important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, animal development and tumorigenesis. the transcriptional regulation of mir-17-92 cluster has been extensively studied in mammals, but not in birds. to date, avian mir-17-92 cluster genomic structure has not been fully determined. the promoter location and sequence of mir-17-92 cluster have not been determined, due to the existence of a genomic gap sequence upstream of mir-17-92 cluster in all the birds wh ...	2016	27531611
antibody responses to prime-boost vaccination with an hiv-1 gp145 envelope protein and chimpanzee adenovirus vectors expressing hiv-1 gp140.	over 2 million individuals are infected with hiv type 1 (hiv-1) each year, yet an effective vaccine remains elusive. the most successful hiv-1 vaccine to date demonstrated 31% efficacy. immune correlate analyses associated hiv-1 envelope (env)-specific antibodies with protection, thus providing a path toward a more effective vaccine. we sought to test the antibody response from novel prime-boost vaccination with a chimpanzee-derived adenovirus (adc) vector expressing a subtype c env glycoprotein ...	2016	27525550
a checklist of parasites and commensals reported for the chimpanzee (pan).		1972	27520648
preliminary information of the pygmy chimpanzees (pan paniscus) of the congo basin.	local information was collected on the ecology of pygmy chimpanzees in the lac tumba region, zaire. population density very small; habitat, secondary swamp forest with occasional trespass of 'esobe' grassland; locomotion, quadrupedal walking on the ground; diet, primarily frugivorous and vegetarian, but insects, honey and fish consumed. many kinds of cultivated plants also eaten; sleeping nest built in a tree in the same fashion as ordinary chimpanzees; group size fairly large, from 15-20 to 40 ...	1972	27520646
causal reasoning versus associative learning: a useful dichotomy or a strawman battle in comparative psychology?	the debate about whether or not one could/should ascribe reasoning abilities to animals has deep historical roots and seems very up-to-date in the light of the immense body of new empirical data originating from various species and research paradigms. associative learning (al) seems to be a ubiquitous low-level contender for any cognitive interpretation of animal behavior, mostly because of the assumed mechanistic simplicity and phylogenetic prevalence. however, the implicit assumption that al i ...	2016	27512825
[the emergence of ebola virus in humans: a long process not yet fully understood].	since 1976 ebola virus regularly has caused small deadly outbreaks in central africa, usually controlled in a few months. for the first time, an ebola epidemic of exceptional magnitude dramatically engulfed several countries in west africa since december 2013. major failures of implementing measures to prevent human-to-human transmissions are the main cause of this large-scale ebola outbreak. after about one-week incubation period, the ebola virus disease is characterized by a sudden onset of hi ...	2016	27509685
passive acoustic monitoring reveals group ranging and territory use: a case study of wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).	assessing the range and territories of wild mammals traditionally requires years of data collection and often involves directly following individuals or using tracking devices. indirect and non-invasive methods of monitoring wildlife have therefore emerged as attractive alternatives due to their ability to collect data at large spatiotemporal scales using standardized remote sensing technologies. here, we investigate the use of two novel passive acoustic monitoring (pam) systems used to capture ...	2016	27507999
pauci-immune glomerulonephritis in a captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes), and a review of spontaneous cases in animals.	crescentic glomeruli are the hallmark finding in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (rpgn) and are characterized by disruption and proliferation of the glomerular capsule and an influx of cells into bowman's space. pauci-immune-type rpgn is identified by a lack of immunoglobulins and immune complexes in the glomerular basement membrane.	2016	27506330
why are nigeria-cameroon chimpanzees (pan troglodytes ellioti) free of sivcpz infection?	simian immunodeficiency virus (siv) naturally infects two subspecies of chimpanzee: pan troglodytes troglodytes from central africa (sivcpzptt) and p. t. schweinfurtii from east africa (sivcpzpts), but is absent in p. t. verus from west africa and appears to be absent in p. t. ellioti inhabiting nigeria and western cameroon. one explanation for this pattern is that p. t. troglodytes and p. t schweinfurthii may have acquired sivcpz after their divergence from p. t. verus and p. t. ellioti. howeve ...	2016	27505066
schistosoma mansoni in gabon: emerging or ignored?	schistosomiasis affects millions of people across africa. we detected eggs of schistosoma mansoni in western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee fecal samples in loango national park, gabon. we analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial dna, namely internal transcribed spacer and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 fragments, and the resulting maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses and haplotype network of the its and coi, respectively, showed that the samples from gorillas and chimpanzees clustered cle ...	2016	27503513
mechanistically distinct pathways of divergent regulatory dna creation contribute to evolution of human-specific genomic regulatory networks driving phenotypic divergence of homo sapiens.	thousands of candidate human-specific regulatory sequences (hsrs) have been identified, supporting the hypothesis that unique to human phenotypes result from human-specific alterations of genomic regulatory networks. collectively, a compendium of multiple diverse families of hsrs that are functionally and structurally divergent from great apes could be defined as the backbone of human-specific genomic regulatory networks. here, the conservation patterns analysis of 18,364 candidate hsrs was carr ...	2016	27503290
cross-cultural sex differences in post-conflict affiliation following sports matches.	the nature of ancestral human social structure and the circumstances in which men or women tend to be more cooperative are subjects of intense debate. the male warrior hypothesis proposes that success in intergroup contests has been vital in human evolution and that men therefore must engage in maximally effective intragroup cooperation [1-3]. post-conflict affiliation between opponents is further proposed to facilitate future cooperation [4], which has been demonstrated in non-human primates [5 ...	2016	27498561
peromyscus as a model system for human hepatitis c: an opportunity to advance our understanding of a complex host parasite system.	worldwide, there are 185 million people infected with hepatitis c virus and approximately 350,000 people die each year from hepatitis c associated liver diseases. human hepatitis c research has been hampered by the lack of an appropriate in vivo model system. most of the in vivo research has been conducted on chimpanzees, which is complicated by ethical concerns, small sample sizes, high costs, and genetic heterogeneity. the house mouse system has led to greater understanding of a wide variety o ...	2017	27498234
highly-immunogenic virally-vectored t-cell vaccines cannot overcome subversion of the t-cell response by hcv during chronic infection.	an effective therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, as an adjunct to newly developed directly-acting antivirals (daa), or for the prevention of reinfection, would significantly reduce the global burden of disease associated with chronic hcv infection. a recombinant chimpanzee adenoviral (chad3) vector and a modified vaccinia ankara (mva), encoding the non-structural proteins of hcv (nsmut), used in a heterologous prime/boost regimen induced multi-spec ...	2016	27490575
laetoli footprints reveal bipedal gait biomechanics different from those of modern humans and chimpanzees.	bipedalism is a key adaptation that shaped human evolution, yet the timing and nature of its evolution remain unclear. here we use new experimentally based approaches to investigate the locomotor mechanics preserved by the famous pliocene hominin footprints from laetoli, tanzania. we conducted footprint formation experiments with habitually barefoot humans and with chimpanzees to quantitatively compare their footprints to those preserved at laetoli. our results show that the laetoli footprints a ...	2016	27488647
emergence of a homo sapiens-specific gene family and chromosome 16p11.2 cnv susceptibility.	genetic differences that specify unique aspects of human evolution have typically been identified by comparative analyses between the genomes of humans and closely related primates, including more recently the genomes of archaic hominins. not all regions of the genome, however, are equally amenable to such study. recurrent copy number variation (cnv) at chromosome 16p11.2 accounts for approximately 1% of cases of autism and is mediated by a complex set of segmental duplications, many of which ar ...	2016	27487209
the host specificity of ape malaria parasites can be broken in confined environments.	recent studies have revealed a large diversity of plasmodium spp. among african great apes. some of these species are related to plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria (subgenus laverania), and others to plasmodium ovale, plasmodium malariae and plasmodium vivax (subgenus plasmodium), three other human malaria agents. laverania parasites exhibit strict host specificity in their natural environment. plasmodium reichenowi, plasmodium billcollinsi, plasmodium billbrayi and ...	2016	27486075
the first smile: spontaneous smiles in newborn japanese macaques (macaca fuscata).	spontaneous smiles are facial movements that are characterized by lip corner raises that occur during irregular sleep or drowsiness without known external or internal causes. they are shown by human infants and infant chimpanzees. these smiles are considered to be the developmental origin of smiling and laughter. there are some case studies showing that spontaneous smiles occur in japanese macaques. the goals of this study were to investigate whether newborn japanese macaques show a considerable ...	2017	27485748
the dau cluster: a comparative analysis of 18 rhd alleles, some forming partial d antigens.	the rh system is the most complex and polymorphic blood group system in humans with more than 460 alleles known for the rhd gene. the dau cluster of rhd alleles is characterized by the single-nucleotide change producing the p.thr379met amino acid substitution. it is called the dau-0 allele and has been postulated to be the primordial allele, from which all other alleles of the dau cluster have eventually evolved.	2016	27480171
tepitool: a pipeline for computational prediction of t cell epitope candidates.	computational prediction of t cell epitope candidates is currently being used in several applications including vaccine discovery studies, development of diagnostics, and removal of unwanted immune responses against protein therapeutics. there have been continuous improvements in the performance of mhc binding prediction tools, but their general adoption by immunologists has been slow due to the lack of user-friendly interfaces and guidelines. current tools only provide minimal advice on what al ...	2016	27479659
characterizing abnormal behavior in a large population of zoo-housed chimpanzees: prevalence and potential influencing factors.	abnormal behaviors in captive animals are generally defined as behaviors that are atypical for the species and are often considered to be indicators of poor welfare. although some abnormal behaviors have been empirically linked to conditions related to elevated stress and compromised welfare in primates, others have little or no evidence on which to base such a relationship. the objective of this study was to investigate a recent claim that abnormal behavior is endemic in the captive population ...	2016	27478710
differences in molecular evolutionary rates among micrornas in the human and chimpanzee genomes.	the rise of the primate lineage is accompanied by an outstanding emergence of micrornas, small non-coding rnas with a prominent role in gene regulation. in spite of their biological importance little is known about the way in which natural selection has influenced micrornas in the human lineage. to study the recent evolutionary history of human micrornas and to analyze the signatures of natural selection in genomic regions harbouring micrornas we have investigated the nucleotide substitution rat ...	2016	27474039
kea cooperate better with sharing affiliates.	controlled studies that focus on intraspecific cooperation tasks have revealed striking similarities, but also differences, in abilities across taxa as diverse as primates, fish, and birds. such comparisons may provide insight into the specific socio-ecological selection pressures that led to the evolution of cooperation. unfortunately, however, compared to primates data on birds remain relatively scarce. we tested a new zealand psittaciform, the kea, in a dyadic cooperation task using the loose ...	2016	27473206
animal research. chimpanzee sanctuaries open door to more research.		2016	27471286
form and function of the human and chimpanzee forefoot: implications for early hominin bipedalism.	during bipedal walking, modern humans dorsiflex their forefoot at the metatarsophalangeal joints (mtpjs) prior to push off, which tightens the plantar soft tissues to convert the foot into a stiff propulsive lever. particular features of metatarsal head morphology such as "dorsal doming" are thought to facilitate this stiffening mechanism. in contrast, chimpanzees are believed to possess mtpj morphology that precludes high dorsiflexion excursions during terrestrial locomotion. the morphological ...	2016	27464580
effects of relocation and individual and environmental factors on the long-term stress levels in captive chimpanzees (pan troglodytes): monitoring hair cortisol and behaviors.	understanding the factors associated with the long-term stress levels of captive animals is important from the view of animal welfare. in this study, we investigated the effects of relocation in addition to individual and environmental factors related to social management on long-term stress level in group-living captive chimpanzees by examining behaviors and hair cortisol (hc). specifically, we conducted two studies. the first compared changes in hc levels before and after the relocation of 8 c ...	2016	27463685
cospeciation of gut microbiota with hominids.	the evolutionary origins of the bacterial lineages that populate the human gut are unknown. here we show that multiple lineages of the predominant bacterial taxa in the gut arose via cospeciation with humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas over the past 15 million years. analyses of strain-level bacterial diversity within hominid gut microbiomes revealed that clades of bacteroidaceae and bifidobacteriaceae have been maintained exclusively within host lineages across hundreds of thousands of ...	2016	27463672
field studies of pan troglodytes reviewed and comprehensively mapped, focussing on japan's contribution to cultural primatology.	field studies done over decades of wild chimpanzees in east, central and west africa have yielded impressive, cumulative findings in cultural primatology. japanese primatologists have been involved in this advance from the outset, over a wide variety of topics. here i review the origins and development of field studies of pan troglodytes, then assess their progress based on analogy between cultural primatology and cultural anthropology, through four stages: natural history, ethnography, ethnolog ...	2017	27461577