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molecular characterization of pneumococcal isolates from pets and laboratory animals.between 1986 and 2008 streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from 41 pets/zoo animals (guinea pigs (n = 17), cats (n = 12), horses (n = 4), dogs (n = 3), dolphins (n = 2), rat (n = 2), gorilla (n = 1)) treated in medical veterinary laboratories and zoos, and 44 laboratory animals (mastomys (multimammate mice; n = 32), mice (n = 6), rats (n = 4), guinea pigs (n = 2)) during routine health monitoring in an animal facility. s. pneumoniae was isolated from nose, lung and respiratory tract, eye, ear a ...200920011527
how ebola impacts genetics of western lowland gorilla populations.emerging infectious diseases in wildlife are major threats for both human health and biodiversity conservation. infectious diseases can have serious consequences for the genetic diversity of populations, which could enhance the species' extinction probability. the ebola epizootic in western and central africa induced more than 90% mortality in western lowland gorilla population. although mortality rates are very high, the impacts of ebola on genetic diversity of western lowland gorilla have neve ...200920020045
snar genes: recent descendants of alu involved in the evolution of chorionic gonadotropins.we identified a novel family of human noncoding rnas by in vivo cross-linking to the nuclear factor 90 (nf90) protein. these small nf90-associated rnas (snars) are transcribed by rna polymerase iii and display restricted tissue distribution, with high expression in testis and discrete areas of the brain. the most abundant human transcript, snar-a, interacts with the cell's transcription and translation systems. snar genes have evolved in african great apes (human, chimpanzee, and gorilla) and so ...200920028844
combining prehension and propulsion: the foot of ardipithecus ramidus.several elements of the ardipithecus ramidus foot are preserved, primarily in the ara-vp-6/500 partial skeleton. the foot has a widely abducent hallux, which was not propulsive during terrestrial bipedality. however, it lacks the highly derived tarsometatarsal laxity and inversion in extant african apes that provide maximum conformity to substrates during vertical climbing. instead, it exhibits primitive characters that maintain plantar rigidity from foot-flat through toe-off, reminiscent of som ...200919810198
root growth during molar eruption in extant great apes.while there is gradually accumulating knowledge about molar crown formation and the timing of molar eruption in extant great apes, very little is known about root formation during the eruption process. we measured mandibular first and second molar root lengths in extant great ape osteological specimens that died while either the first or second molars were in the process of erupting. for most specimens, teeth were removed so that root lengths could be measured directly. when this was not possibl ...200919828983
the kinematics of load carrying in humans and great apes: implications for the evolution of human bipedalism.we present a comparison of loaded and unloaded carrying kinematics in humans, common chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), bonobos (pan paniscus), western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and bornean and sumatran orang-utans (pongo pygmaeus and pongo abelii). human hindlimb joint and segment angles were collected during treadmill locomotion using infrared motion analysis cameras. non-human primate fore- and hindlimb joint and segment angles were collected at zoos during free-ranging locomotio ...200919923843
the road to therapeutic rna interference (rnai): tackling the 800 pound sirna delivery gorilla.if those of us privileged enough to have the opportunity to work towards curing human diseases had the power to design the ideal therapeutic molecule, the question would be what selection criteria would we choose? arguably, at the top of the list would be four mandatory properties: specificity, potency, tolerability, and universality. so it should come as no surprise the momentum associated with the field of small interfering rna (sirna)-induced rna interference (rnai) therapeutics has gained st ...200920040280
great apes track hidden objects after changes in the objects' position and in subject's orientation.eight chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), five bonobos (pan paniscus), five gorillas (gorilla gorilla), and seven orangutans (pongo pygmaeus) were presented with two invisible object displacement tasks. in full view of the subject, a food item was hidden under one of three opaque cups resting on a platform and, after an experimental manipulation, the subject was allowed to select one of the cups. in the rotation task, the platform was rotated 180 degrees while the subject remained stationary. in the ...201020052693
triadic and collaborative play by gorillas in social games with objects.interaction with others over objects has until recently been thought lacking in the social play of non-human great apes, in contrast to that of children; even now, only bonobos have been observed to engage in social play involving objects. human children's triadic interactions with objects involve joint attention, showing and giving, communication that maintains interaction, and sharing of emotions and experiences. we question assertions that chimpanzees, and non-human great apes in general, lac ...201020066451
a highly conserved pericentromeric domain in human and gorilla chromosomes.significant similarity between human and gorilla genomes has been found in all chromosome arms, but not in centromeres, using whole-comparative genomic hybridization (w-cgh). in human chromosomes, centromeric regions, generally containing highly repetitive dnas, are characterized by the presence of specific human dna sequences and an absence of homology with gorilla dna sequences. the only exception is the pericentromeric area of human chromosome 9, which, in addition to a large block of human d ...201020068296
dental wear, wear rate, and dental disease in the african apes.the african apes possess thinner enamel than do other hominoids, and a certain amount of dentin exposure may be advantageous in the processing of tough diets eaten by gorilla. dental wear (attrition plus abrasion) that erodes the enamel exposes the underlying dentin and creates additional cutting edges at the dentin-enamel junction. hypothetically, efficiency of food processing increases with junction formation until an optimal amount is reached, but excessive wear hinders efficient food process ...201020077466
dental development and life history in living african and asian apes.life-history inference is an important aim of paleoprimatology, but life histories cannot be discerned directly from the fossil record. among extant primates, the timing of many life-history attributes is correlated with the age at emergence of the first permanent molar (m1), which can therefore serve as a means to directly compare the life histories of fossil and extant species. to date, m1 emergence ages exist for only a small fraction of extant primate species and consist primarily of data fr ...201020080537
using behavior to determine immature life-stages in captive western gorillas.ontogenic development is divided into infant, juvenile, adolescent and adult life-stages. although the developmental trajectory of an individual is a flexible entity, which differs within species, environment and sex, life-stage classifications are generally structured, age-based systems. this invariably leads to rigidity within a dynamic system and consequently hampers our understanding of primate life history strategies. we propose that life-stage classifications should be quantitative, flexib ...201020082439
geometric morphometric analyses of hominid proximal femora: taxonomic and phylogenetic considerations.the proximal femur has long been used to distinguish fossil hominin taxa. specifically, the genus homo is said to be characterized by larger femoral heads, shorter femoral necks, and more lateral flare of the greater trochanter than are members of the genera australopithecus or paranthropus. here, a digitizing arm was used to collect landmark data on recent human (n=82), chimpanzee (n=16), and gorilla (n=20) femora and casts of six fossil hominin femora in order to test whether one can discrimin ...201020096410
identification of human specific gene duplications relative to other primates by array cgh and quantitative pcr.in order to identify human lineage specific (hls) copy number differences (cnds) compared to other primates, we performed pair wise comparisons (human vs. chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan) by using cdna array comparative genomic hybridization (cgh). a set of 23 genes with hls duplications were identified, as well as other lineage differences in gene copy number specific of chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan. each species has gained more copies of specific genes rather than losing gene copies. el ...201020153417
are the gorillas in bwindi impenetrable national park "true" mountain gorillas?the gorillas that inhabit bwindi impenetrable national park in uganda are the least known of the eastern gorillas. because they are an allopatric population living a minimum of 25 km from the well-studied population of mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) in rwanda and have certain morphological and ecological differences from these gorillas, their taxonomic status has been in question in recent years. this study presents new craniodental metrics from bwindi individuals and compares the ...201019927278
a survey of entodiniomorphid ciliates in chimpanzees and bonobos.intestinal entodiniomorphid ciliates are commonly diagnosed in the feces of wild apes of the genera pan and gorilla. although some authors previously considered entodiniomorphid ciliates as possible pathogens, a symbiotic function within the intestinal ecosystem and their participation in fiber fermentation has been proposed. previous studies have suggested that these ciliates gradually disappear under captive conditions. we studied entodiniomorphid ciliates in 23 captive groups of chimpanzees, ...201019845028
brief communication: captive gorillas are right-handed for bimanual feeding.predominance of right-handedness has historically been considered as a hallmark of human evolution. whether nonhuman primates exhibit population-level manual bias remains a controversial topic. here, we investigated the hypothesis that bimanual coordinated activities may be a key-behavior in our ancestors for the emergence and evolution of human population-level right-handedness. to this end, we collected data on hand preferences in 35 captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla) during simple unimanual r ...201020033918
the impact of regulatory fit on performance in an inattentional blindness paradigm.when people's self-regulatory focus (e.g., focus on gains vs. focus on avoiding losses) matches environmental demands (e.g., search gains vs. avoid losses), regulatory focus theory predicts performance improvements because of "regulatory fit" (higgins, 1997). in this article, the authors investigate attentional differences due to regulatory fit as a possible cause for changes in performance, using an inattentional blindness paradigm. participants counted passes in a basketball game, during which ...201020441129
surgical extractions for periodontal disease in a western lowland gorilla.this case report describes surgical exraction of multiple premolar and molar teeth in a western lowland gorilla. postoperative photographs and radiographs indicated complete healing of the extraction sites. this case report includes a review of gorilla dental anatomy, oral disease in primates, pathogenesis of periodontal disease, predisposing factors to periodontal disease, and principles of surgical tooth extraction.201020469792
detection and characterization of hepatitis b virus strains from wild-caught gorillas and chimpanzees in cameroon, central africa.previous epidemiological studies have reported a high prevalence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in chimpanzees in gabon and congo, central africa. there is no data for this species from cameroon. to date few cases of active hbv infection have been documented in gorillas and only one complete hbv sequence has been described from a wild-caught gorilla originating from cameroon and housed in germany. since gorillas are apes found in cameroon, we thus investigated the prevalence and genetic re ...201020471498
prezygapophyseal articular facet shape in the catarrhine thoracolumbar vertebral column.two contrasting patterns of lumbar vertebral morphology generally characterize anthropoids. "long-backed" monkeys are distinguished from "short-backed" apes [benton: the baboon in medical research, vol. 2 (1967:201)] with respect to several vertebral features thought to afford greater spinal flexibility in the former and spinal rigidity in the latter. yet, discussions of spinal mobility are lacking important functional insight that can be gained by analysis of the zygapophyses, the spine's synov ...201020310062
a psychogeriatrician's home visit to the zoo: a case report.psychogeriatricians commonly undertake home visits, often under unusual and sometimes challenging circumstances. we report a home visit to a zoo to see an unusual case, a 49-year-old confused gorilla. a diagnosis of post-infarct delirium was made, subsequently validated by autopsy. we describe a primate observation scale which was used in the assessment of cognition this case, which may be helpful for use when cognitive assessment of primates is required.201020367891
medical and surgical management of reproductive neoplasia in two western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).reports of female reproductive tract neoplasia are infrequent in great apes.201020412375
the olduvai hominid 8 foot: adult or subadult?olduvai hominid 8 (oh 8), an articulating set of fossil hominin tarsal and metatarsal bones, is critical to interpretations of the evolution of hominin pedal morphology and bipedal locomotion. it has been suggested that oh 8 may represent the foot of a subadult and may be associated with the oh 7 mandible, the type specimen of homo habilis. this assertion is based on the presence of what may be unfused distal metatarsal epiphyses. accurately assessing the skeletal maturity of the oh 8 foot is im ...201020416928
monitoring great ape and elephant abundance at large spatial scales: measuring effectiveness of a conservation landscape.protected areas are fundamental to biodiversity conservation, but there is growing recognition of the need to extend beyond protected areas to meet the ecological requirements of species at larger scales. landscape-scale conservation requires an evaluation of management impact on biodiversity under different land-use strategies; this is challenging and there exist few empirical studies. in a conservation landscape in northern republic of congo we demonstrate the application of a large-scale moni ...201020428233
individually identifiable body odors are produced by the gorilla and discriminated by humans.many species produce odor cues that enable them to be identified individually, as well as providing other socially relevant information. study of the role of odor cues in the social behavior of great apes is noticeable by its absence. olfaction has been viewed as having little role in guiding behavior in these species. this study examined whether western lowland gorillas produce an individually identifiable odor. odor samples were obtained by placing cloths in the gorilla's den. a delayed matchi ...201020190006
vertebrate dna in fecal samples from bonobos and gorillas: evidence for meat consumption or artefact?deciphering the behavioral repertoire of great apes is a challenge for several reasons. first, due to their elusive behavior in dense forest environments, great ape populations are often difficult to observe. second, members of the genus pan are known to display a great variety in their behavioral repertoire; thus, observations from one population are not necessarily representative for other populations. for example, bonobos (pan paniscus) are generally believed to consume almost no vertebrate p ...201020195539
cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation on the captive western lowlands gorilla. 201020218263
handedness in captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla).species-level right handedness is frequently presented as a marker of human uniqueness. handedness also has implications for the evolution of language and cognition. in this study, we examined handedness in 22 captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla) across a range of behaviours that were part of their daily routine. ten individuals showed no preferences for any of the behaviours performed, and the majority of the remaining individuals showed a preference for only one behaviour. these results lend sup ...201020224914
a legacy of low-impact logging does not elevate prevalence of potentially pathogenic protozoa in free-ranging gorillas and chimpanzees in the republic of congo: logging and parasitism in african apes.many studies have examined the long-term effects of selective logging on the abundance and diversity of free-ranging primates. logging is known to reduce the abundance of some primate species through associated hunting and the loss of food trees for frugivores; however, the potential role of pathogens in such primate population declines is largely unexplored. selective logging results in a suite of alterations in host ecology and forest structure that may alter pathogen dynamics in resident wild ...201020238141
dental and phylogeographic patterns of variation in gorillas.gorilla patterns of variation have great relevance for studies of human evolution. in this study, molar morphometrics were used to evaluate patterns of geographic variation in gorillas. dental specimens of 323 adult individuals, drawn from the current distribution of gorillas in equatorial africa were divided into 14 populations. discriminant analyses and mahalanobis distances were used to study population structure. results reveal that: 1) the west and east african gorillas form distinct cluste ...201020494403
african apes as reservoirs of plasmodium falciparum and the origin and diversification of the laverania subgenus.we investigated two mitochondrial genes (cytb and cox1), one plastid gene (tufa), and one nuclear gene (ldh) in blood samples from 12 chimpanzees and two gorillas from cameroon and one lemur from madagascar. one gorilla sample is related to plasmodium falciparum, thus confirming the recently reported presence in gorillas of this parasite. the second gorilla sample is more similar to the recently defined plasmodium gaboni than to the p. falciparum-plasmodium reichenowi clade, but distinct from bo ...201020498054
the von economo neurons in frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortex in great apes and humans.the von economo neurons (vens) are large bipolar neurons located in frontoinsular (fi) and anterior cingulate cortex in great apes and humans, but not other primates. we performed stereological counts of the vens in fi and la (limbic anterior, a component of anterior cingulate cortex) in great apes and in humans. the vens are more numerous in humans than in apes, although one gorilla approached the lower end of the human range. we also examined the ontological development of the vens in fi and l ...201020512377
do gorillas (gorilla gorilla) and orangutans (pongo pygmaeus) fail to represent objects in the context of cohesion violations?recent research suggests that witnessing events of fission (e.g., the splitting of a solid object) impairs human infants', human adults', and non-human primates' object representations. the present studies investigated the reactions of gorillas and orangutans to cohesion violation across different types of fission events implementing a behavioral paradigm previously used with human infants. results suggest that fission events vary in their impact on representational abilities but do not destroy ...201020537325
endocranial shape asymmetries in pan paniscus, pan troglodytes and gorilla gorilla assessed via skull based landmark analysis.brain shape asymmetries or petalias consist of the extension of one cerebral hemisphere beyond the other. a larger frontal or caudal projection is usually coupled with a larger lateral extent of the more projecting hemisphere relative to the other. the concurrence of these petalial components is characteristic of hominins. studies aimed at quantifying petalial asymmetries in human and great ape endocasts rely on the definition of the midline of the endocranial surface. studies of brain material ...201020537369
quantifying mental foramen position in extant hominoids and australopithecus: implications for its use in studies of human evolution.the location of the mental foramen on the mandibular corpus has figured prominently in debates concerning the taxonomy of fossil hominins and gorilla gorilla. in this study we quantify the antero/posterior (a/p) position of the mental foramen across great apes, modern humans and australopithecus. contrary to most qualitative assessments, we find significant differences between some extant hominoid species in mental foramen a/p position supporting its potential usefulness as a character for taxon ...201020564583
noninvasive saliva collection techniques for free-ranging mountain gorillas and captive eastern gorillas.this study was designed to develop a simple, noninvasive method for saliva collection: a first step toward developing new diagnostic tests to survey gorillas for infectious diseases. the subjects included free-ranging mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) in the parc national des volcans, rwanda, and a group of orphan mountain and grauer's gorillas (gorilla heringei graueri) housed nearby in a temporary holding facility. three collection methods were used to recover saliva from discarded ...201020597210
validation of multiple diagnostic techniques to detect cryptosporidium sp. and giardia sp. in free-ranging western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and observations on the prevalence of these protozoan infections in two populations in gabon.anthropozoonotic diseases threaten the survival of western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). use of accurate diagnostic techniques in gorilla health monitoring contributes to the conservation of gorillas by providing robust information for appropriate management decisions. to identify suitable protozoa diagnostic techniques for wild gorillas, 95 fecal specimens were collected in lopé national park and east of moukalaba-doudou national park in gabon, areas with high and low levels of hu ...201020597211
dientamoeba fragilis: initial evidence of pathogenicity in the western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).a 7-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) shared an enclosure with 10 other gorillas at the limbe wildlife centre (lwc), a wildlife rehabilitation centre in cameroon. the gorilla had been living at the lwc for more than 6 yr prior to the exhibition of irritable bowel syndrome (ibs)-like clinical signs. the gorilla improved dramatically after metronidazole therapy. the report suggests that metronidazole was effective because it eliminated the protozoa, dientamoeba fragil ...201020597233
ape behavior in two alternating environments: comparing exhibit and short-term holding areas.in many facilities, primates are voluntarily transferred between different enclosures on a daily basis to facilitate animal husbandry and exhibit maintenance. this procedure is particularly relevant in the management of great apes living in zoos, where the requirements of functional management must be balanced with the desire to maintain enriching and naturalistic exhibit enclosures that benefit ape residents and attract the visiting public. in these settings, examinations of ape behavior and we ...201020623498
a likelihood ratio test of speciation with gene flow using genomic sequence data.genomic sequence data may be used to test hypotheses about the process of species formation. in this paper, i implement a likelihood ratio test of variable species divergence times over the genome, which may be considered a test of the null model of allopatric speciation without gene flow against the alternative model of parapatric speciation with gene flow. two models are implemented in the likelihood framework, which accommodate coalescent events in the ancestral populations in a phylogeny of ...201020624726
the evolution of hiv-1 and the origin of aids.the major cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids) is human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1). we have been using evolutionary comparisons to trace (i) the origin(s) of hiv-1 and (ii) the origin(s) of aids. the closest relatives of hiv-1 are simian immunodeficiency viruses (sivs) infecting wild-living chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in west central africa. phylogenetic analyses have revealed the origins of hiv-1: chimpanzees were th ...201020643738
comparative forefoot trabecular bone architecture in extant hominids.the appearance of a forefoot push-off mechanism in the hominin lineage has been difficult to identify, partially because researchers disagree over the use of the external skeletal morphology to differentiate metatarsophalangeal joint functional differences in extant great apes and humans. in this study, we approach the problem by quantifying properties of internal bone architecture that may reflect different loading patterns in metatarsophalangeal joints in humans and great apes. high-resolution ...201020655571
identification and characterization of a new bocavirus species in gorillas.a novel parvovirus, provisionally named gorilla bocavirus species 1 (gbov1), was identified in four stool samples from western gorillas (gorilla gorilla) with acute enteritis. the complete genomic sequence of the new parvovirus revealed three open reading frames (orfs) with an organization similar to that of known bocaviruses. phylogenetic analysis using complete capsid and non structural (ns) gene sequence suggested that the new parvovirus is most closely related to human bocaviruses (hbov). ho ...201020668709
genomic architecture of mhc-linked odorant receptor gene repertoires among 16 vertebrate species.the recent sequencing and assembly of the genomes of different organisms have shown that almost all vertebrates studied in detail so far have one or more clusters of genes encoding odorant receptors (or) in close physical linkage to the major histocompatibility complex (mhc). it has been postulated that mhc-linked or genes could be involved in mhc-influenced mate choice, comprising both pre- as well as post-copulatory mechanisms. we have therefore carried out a systematic comparison of protein s ...201020680261
real-time pcr detection of campylobacter spp. in free-ranging mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei).health monitoring of wildlife populations can greatly benefit from rapid, local, noninvasive molecular assays for pathogen detection. fecal samples collected from free-living virunga mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) between august 2002 and february 2003 were tested for campylobacter spp. dna using a portable, real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) instrument. a high prevalence of campylobacter spp. was detected in both individually identified (22/26=85%) and nest-collected sample ...201020688685
great apes select tools on the basis of their rigidity.wild chimpanzees select tools according to their rigidity. however, little is known about whether choices are solely based on familiarity with the materials or knowledge about tool properties. furthermore, it is unclear whether tool manipulation is required prior to selection or whether observation alone can suffice. we investigated whether chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) (n = 9), bonobos (pan paniscus) (n = 4), orangutans (pongo pygmaeus) (n = 6), and gorillas (gorilla gorilla) (n = 2) selected n ...201020718558
brief communication: ectocranial suture closure in pongo: pattern and phylogeny.ectocranial suture fusion patterns have been shown to contain biological and phylogenetic information. previously the patterns of homo, pan, and gorilla have been described. these data reflect the phylogenetic relationships among these species. in this study, we applied similar methodology to pongo to determine the suture synostosis progression of this genus, and to allow comparison to previously reported data on other large-bodied hominoids. we hypothesized these data would strengthen the argum ...201020721941
humans differ from other hominids in lacking an activating nk cell receptor that recognizes the c1 epitope of mhc class i.modulation of human nk cell function by killer cell ig-like receptors (kir) and mhc class i is dominated by the bipartite interactions of inhibitory lineage iii kir with the c1 and c2 epitopes of hla-c. in comparison, the ligand specificities and functional contributions of the activating lineage iii kir remain poorly understood. using a robust, sensitive assay of kir binding and a representative panel of 95 hla class i targets, we show that kir2ds1 binds c2 with ~50% the avidity of kir2dl1, whe ...201020802150
behavioral responses of one western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) group at bai hokou, central african republic, to tourists, researchers and trackers.gorilla tourism, widely perceived as a lucrative industry, is propelled by strong market demand with programs in five countries and for three of four gorilla subspecies. human presence may negatively affect wild gorillas, potentially lowering immunity and increasing the likelihood of acquiring human-borne disease. yet, behavioral impacts of humans on wild gorilla behavior remain largely unexplored, particularly for western lowland gorillas. we evaluate the impact of tourist presence, human obser ...201020806337
blood groups in the species survival plan(®), european endangered species program, and managed in situ populations of bonobo (pan paniscus), common chimpanzee (pan troglodytes), gorilla (gorilla ssp.), and orangutan (pongo pygmaeus ssp.).blood groups of humans and great apes have long been considered similar, although they are not interchangeable between species. in this study, human monoclonal antibody technology was used to assign human abo blood groups to whole blood samples from great apes housed in north american and european zoos and in situ managed populations, as a practical means to assist blood transfusion situations for these species. from a subset of each of the species (bonobo, common chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangu ...201020853409
retrieving chronological age from dental remains of early fossil hominins to reconstruct human growth in the past.a chronology of dental development in pan troglodytes is arguably the best available model with which to compare and contrast reconstructed dental chronologies of the earliest fossil hominins. establishing a time scale for growth is a requirement for being able to make further comparative observations about timing and rate during both dento-skeletal growth and brain growth. the absolute timing of anterior tooth crown and root formation appears not to reflect the period of somatic growth. in cont ...201020855313
malaria: the gorilla connection. 201020864986
origin of the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum in gorillas.plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent and lethal of the malaria parasites infecting humans, yet the origin and evolutionary history of this important pathogen remain controversial. here we develop a single-genome amplification strategy to identify and characterize plasmodium spp. dna sequences in faecal samples from wild-living apes. among nearly 3,000 specimens collected from field sites throughout central africa, we found plasmodium infection in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and western ...201020864995
nest site ecology of the cross river gorilla at the kagwene gorilla sanctuary, cameroon, with special reference to anthropogenic influence.the cross river gorilla is the most endangered of all great apes. it is currently found in 14 apparently geographically separate and increasingly isolated populations, which face severe threats from habitat loss and the bushmeat trade. recent years have seen greater efforts to conserve the cross river gorilla across the landscape, but details of the ecology of individual populations that might help in conservation initiatives are lacking. here, we report on the production of the first habitat ma ...201020872882
brief communication: shape analysis of the mt 1 proximal articular surface in fossil hominins and shod and unshod homo.as a follow-up study to proctor et al. (am j phys anthropol 135 (2008) 216-224), this study quantifies the first metatarsal proximal articular surface using three-dimensional morphometrics to test for differences in articular surface shape between habitually shod and habitually unshod humans. in addition, differences in shape between homo, pan, gorilla, and hylobates are compared to the fossil hominin specimens a. l. 333-54, stw 562, stw 573 ("little foot"), oh 8, skx 5017, and sk 1813. no diffe ...201020925078
surgical implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with fibrosing cardiomyopathy.a 24-yr-old, male western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was diagnosed in march of 2003 with congestive heart failure (chf). transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated global left and right ventricular hypokinesia with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.20. at the time of diagnosis, the animal exhibited symptoms and signs of chf with minimal exertion (new york heart association class iii). over a 16-mo period, the severity of chf progressed to class iv (res ...201020945635
successful treatment of acute systemic anaphylaxis in a western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).this brief communication describes the successful treatment of acute systemic anaphylaxis in a wild-born but captive infant western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) in the republic of congo. the infant demonstrated signs of acute respiratory distress, lingual swelling, and reaction to intradermal tuberculin, given 55 hr earlier. details of the treatment with steroids, anesthetic induction, and i.v. epinephrine are all reported, and potential antigens that may have initiated the anaphyla ...201020945654
ecological divergence and medial cuneiform morphology in gorillas.gorillas are more closely related to each other than to any other extant primate and are all terrestrial knuckle-walkers, but taxa differ along a gradient of dietary strategies and the frequency of arboreality in their behavioral repertoire. in this study, we test the hypothesis that medial cuneiform morphology falls on a morphocline in gorillas that tracks function related to hallucial abduction ability and relative frequency of arboreality. this morphocline predicts that western gorillas, bein ...201021093014
in vivo bone strain and finite-element modeling of the craniofacial haft in catarrhine primates.hypotheses regarding patterns of stress, strain and deformation in the craniofacial skeleton are central to adaptive explanations for the evolution of primate craniofacial form. the complexity of craniofacial skeletal morphology makes it difficult to evaluate these hypotheses with in vivo bone strain data. in this paper, new in vivo bone strain data from the intraorbital surfaces of the supraorbital torus, postorbital bar and postorbital septum, the anterior surface of the postorbital bar, and t ...201021105871
complete nucleotide sequence and evolutionary analysis of a gorilla foamy virus.to shed light on primate foamy virus (fv) evolution, we determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the gorilla simian foamy virus (sfvgor). starting from a conserved region in the integrase (in) domain of the pol gene we cloned the viral genome to the 5' and 3' ltr into plasmid vectors and elucidated its nucleotide sequence. the sequences of both ltrs were determined by nucleotide sequencing of separate pcr products from the primer-binding site or the bel region and ltrs. all protein motifs ...201021106805
evolution of subterminal satellite (stsat) repeats in hominids.subterminal satellite (stsat) repeats, consisting of 32-bp-long at-rich units (gatatttccatgtt(t/c)atacagatagcggtgta), were first found in chimpanzee and gorilla (african great apes) as one of the major components of heterochromatic regions located proximal to telomeres of chromosomes. stsat repeats have not been found in orangutan (asian great ape) or human. this patchy distribution among species suggested that the stsat repeats were present in the common ancestor of african great apes and subse ...201021136140
genome digging: insight into the mitochondrial genome of homo.a fraction of the neanderthal mitochondrial genome sequence has a similarity with a 5,839-bp nuclear dna sequence of mitochondrial origin (numt) on the human chromosome 1. this fact has never been interpreted. although this phenomenon may be attributed to contamination and mosaic assembly of neanderthal mtdna from short sequencing reads, we explain the mysterious similarity by integration of this numt (mtancestor-1) into the nuclear genome of the common ancestor of neanderthals and modern humans ...201021151557
buffalo hepcidin: characterization of cdna and study of antimicrobial property.hepcidin, a novel gene encoded, 25 residue, 2-3 kda cysteine rich cationic peptide synthesized in liver cells play an important role in iron metabolism in addition to its antimicrobial activity. in this study hepcidin cdna expressed on hepatocytes of bubalus bubalis has been characterized and the antibacterial activity of buffalo hepcidin analog has been determined. the complete buffalo hepcidin sequence is of 324 bp and have an orf of 249 nucleotides from 14 to 262. the sequence analysis at nuc ...201021161377
influence of the task on hand preference: individual differences among gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).the degree of task complexity and bimanual complementarity have been proposed as factors affecting lateralization strength in humans. however, a large number of studies have demonstrated group-level lateral hand bias for different manual activities in numerous non-human primate species. however, no study has tested the effects that a variety of tasks may have in inducing differences in hand preference. here, we aim to test if 3 adult gorillas exhibited a greater hand preference bias performing 4 ...201021212681
african great apes are naturally infected with polyomaviruses closely related to merkel cell polyomavirus.the oncogenic merkel cell polyomavirus (mcpyv) infects humans worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence of viruses related to mcpyv in the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans, great apes. we analyzed samples from 30 wild chimpanzees and one captive gorilla and identified two new groups of polyomaviruses (pyvs). these new viruses are by far the closest relatives to mcpyv described to date, providing the first evidence of the natural occurrence of pyvs related to mcpyv in wild great ...201021047967
a novel adenovirus of western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).adenoviruses (adv) broadly infect vertebrate hosts including a variety of primates. we identified a novel adv in the feces of captive gorillas by isolation in cell culture, electron microscopy and pcr. from the supernatants of infected cultures we amplified dna polymerase (dpol), preterminal protein (ptp) and hexon gene sequences with generic pan primate adv pcr assays. the sequences in-between were amplified by long-distance pcrs of 2-10 kb length, resulting in a final sequence of 15.6 kb. phyl ...201021054831
proximate composition of milk from free-ranging mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei).published data on milk composition for nonhuman primates, especially great apes, are lacking. milk composition data are important for understanding the physiology and evolution of mammalian milk production, as well as the nutritional requirements of infants. for many primate species these data have added relevance because of the need to hand raise infants orphaned by poaching or separated from their mothers in captivity. the proximate composition (dry matter (dm), protein, fat, sugar) of free-ra ...201021061295
great apes use weight as a cue to find hidden food.bonobos (pan paniscus; n=5), orangutans (pongo pygmaeus abelii; n=6), and a gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla; n=1) were presented with two opaque cups, one empty and one baited (containing two bananas). subjects had to independently gain weight information about the contents of the cups to find the hidden food. six apes attained above chance level within a total of 16 trials. successful subjects spontaneously adopted the method of successively lifting the cups and thus comparing their weight bef ...201021328591
male-immature relationships in multi-male groups of mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei).we examined the pattern and possible functions of social interactions between adult males and immatures in three free-ranging, multi-male groups of mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei). previous studies conducted during the 1970s when groups contained one to three adult males concluded that male-immature relationships were likely to be a form of low-cost paternal investment [stewart, mountain gorillas: three decades of research at karisoke. cambridge, uk: cambridge university press, 200 ...201021328594
debilitating clinical disease in a wild-born captive western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) co-infected with varicella zoster virus (vzv) and simian t-lymphotropic virus (stlv).a wild-born, 34-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) was transferred between zoologic collections in the united kingdom. adjustment to its new environment was difficult and a series of health problems ensued. progressive severe illness of multiple etiologies, and a failure to respond to multiple therapies, led to its euthanasia 5 mo later. disease processes included severe thoracic and axillary cutaneous ulceration of t2-3 dermatome distribution, gastroenteritis, ulcer ...201021370655
why do gorillas make sequences of gestures?great ape gestures have attracted considerable research interest in recent years, prompted by their flexible and intentional pattern of use; but almost all studies have focused on single gestures. here, we report the first quantitative analysis of sequential gesture use in western gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla), using data from three captive groups and one african study site. we found no evidence that gesture sequences were given for reasons of increased communicative efficiency over single ...201019649664
comparative 3d quantitative analyses of trapeziometacarpal joint surface curvatures among living catarrhines and fossil hominins.comparisons of joint surface curvature at the base of the thumb have long been made to discern differences among living and fossil primates in functional capabilities of the hand. however, the complex shape of this joint makes it difficult to quantify differences among taxa. the purpose of this study is to determine whether significant differences in curvature exist among selected catarrhine genera and to compare these genera with hominin fossils in trapeziometacarpal curvature. two 3d approache ...201019544574
the vertebral formula of the last common ancestor of african apes and humans.the modal number of lumbar vertebrae in modern humans is five. it varies between three and four in extant african apes (mean=3.5). because both chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla) possess the same distributions of thoracic, lumbar, and sacral vertebrae, it has been assumed from parsimony that the last common ancestor (lca) of african apes and humans possessed a similarly short lower back. this "short-backed lca" scenario has recently been viewed favorably in an analysis ...201019688850
behavioral response of captive western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) to the death of silverbacks in multi-male groups.in both free-ranging and captive western lowland gorillas, a silverback provides protection and leadership, mediating conflict within a group. in the wild, when a dominant silverback dies the group will disperse or transfer to a solitary male, unless a subsequent male is present to inherit the group. in captivity, studies have focused on groups containing one male and therefore it is unclear how gorillas respond to the death or removal of a silverback in multi-male groups. this study examined th ...201019367612
ensembl's 10th year.ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org) integrates genomic information for a comprehensive set of chordate genomes with a particular focus on resources for human, mouse, rat, zebrafish and other high-value sequenced genomes. we provide complete gene annotations for all supported species in addition to specific resources that target genome variation, function and evolution. ensembl data is accessible in a variety of formats including via our genome browser, api and biomart. this year marks the tenth ann ...201019906699
molecular epidemiology of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in wild-living gorillas.chimpanzees and gorillas are the only nonhuman primates known to harbor viruses closely related to hiv-1. phylogenetic analyses showed that gorillas acquired the simian immunodeficiency virus sivgor from chimpanzees, and viruses from the sivcpz/sivgor lineage have been transmitted to humans on at least four occasions, leading to hiv-1 groups m, n, o, and p. to determine the geographic distribution, prevalence, and species association of sivgor, we conducted a comprehensive molecular epidemiologi ...201019906908
lymphocryptovirus phylogeny and the origins of epstein-barr virus.specimens from wild and captive primates were collected and novel members of the genus lymphocryptovirus (subfamily gammaherpesvirinae) were searched for utilizing pcr for the dna polymerase gene. twenty-one novel viruses were detected. together with previous findings, more than 50 distinct lymphocryptoviruses (lcvs) are now known, with hosts from six primate families (hominidae, hylobatidae, cercopithecidae, atelidae, cebidae and pitheciidae). further work extended genomic sequences for 25 lcvs ...201019923263
kinematic parameters inferred from enamel microstructure: new insights into the diet of australopithecus anamensis.the dietary adaptations of australopithecus anamensis are contentious, with suggestions that range from soft fruits to hard, brittle, tough, and abrasive foods. it is unlikely that all propositions are equally valid, however. here we extend recent finite element (fe) analyses of enamel microstructure (shimizu and macho, 2008) to enquire about the range of loading directions (i.e., kinematics) to which a. anamensis enamel microstructure/molars could safely be subjected. the rationale underlying t ...201019783029
morphological and molecular evidence reveals recent hybridization between gorilla taxa.molecular studies have demonstrated a deep lineage split between the two gorilla species, as well as divisions within these taxa; estimates place this divergence in the mid-pleistocene, with gene flow continuing until approximately 80,000 years ago. here, we present analyses of skeletal data indicating the presence of substantial recent gene flow among gorillas at all taxonomic levels: between populations, subspecies, and species. complementary analyses of dna sequence variation suggest that low ...201019804402
toddlers' duration of attention towards putative threat.although individual differences in reactions to novelty in the toddler years have been consistently linked to risk for developing anxious behavior, toddlers' attention towards a novel, putatively threatening stimulus while in the presence of other enjoyable activities has rarely been examined as a precursor to such risk. the current study examined how attention towards an angry-looking gorilla mask in a room with alternative opportunities for play in 24-month-old toddlers predicted social inhibi ...201121373365
timing of ectocranial suture activity in gorilla gorilla as related to cranial volume and dental eruption.research has shown that pan and homo have similar ectocranial suture synostosis patterns and a similar suture ontogeny (relative timing of suture fusion during the species ontogeny). this ontogeny includes patency during and after neurocranial expansion with a delayed bony response associated with adaptation to biomechanical forces generated by mastication. here we investigate these relationships for gorilla by examining the association among ectocranial suture morphology, cranial volume (as a p ...201121385182
probiotic lactobacillus rhamnosus downregulates fcer1 and hrh4 expression in human mast cells.to investigate the effects of four probiotic bacteria and their combination on human mast cell gene expression using microarray analysis.201121390145
inferential reasoning by exclusion in great apes, lesser apes, and spider monkeys.using the cups task, in which subjects are presented with limited visual or auditory information that can be used to deduce the location of a hidden reward, call (2004) found prima facie evidence of inferential reasoning by exclusion in several great ape species. one bonobo (pan paniscus) and two gorillas (gorilla gorilla) appeared to make such inferences in both the visual and auditory domains. however, common chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) were successful only in the visual domain, and bornean ...201121341913
detection and genetic characterization of enteroviruses circulating among wild populations of chimpanzees in cameroon: relationship with human and simian enteroviruses.enteroviruses (evs), members of the family picornaviridae, are a genetically and antigenically diverse range of viruses causing acute infections in humans and several old world monkey (owm) species. despite their known wide distribution in primates, nothing is currently known about the occurrence, frequency, and genetic diversity of enteroviruses infecting apes. to investigate this, 27 chimpanzee and 27 gorilla fecal samples collected from undisturbed jungle areas with minimal human contact in c ...201121345956
individual differences in susceptibility to inattentional blindness.inattentional blindness refers to the finding that people do not always see what appears in their gaze. though inattentional blindness affects large percentages of people, it is unclear if there are individual differences in susceptibility. the present study addressed whether individual differences in attentional control, as reflected by variability in working memory capacity, modulate susceptibility to inattentional blindness. participants watched a classic inattentional blindness video (simons ...201121299325
gorilla success. 201121322173
the magic cup: great apes and domestic dogs (canis familiaris) individuate objects according to their properties.despite current interest in dog (canis familiaris) cognition, very little is known about how dogs represent objects and how they compare with other species, such as the great apes. therefore, we investigated how dogs and great apes (chimpanzees [pan troglodytes], bonobos [pan paniscus], orangutans [pongo pygmaeus], gorillas [gorilla gorilla]) individuate objects in a classical violation of expectation paradigm. we used a container (magic cup) with a double bottom that allowed us to change the ty ...201121574687
nutritional geometry: gorillas prioritize non-protein energy while consuming surplus protein.it is widely assumed that terrestrial food webs are built on a nitrogen-limited base and consequently herbivores must compensate through selection of high-protein foods and efficient nitrogen retention. like many folivorous primates, gorillas' diet selection supports this assumption, as they apparently prefer protein-rich foods. our study of mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei) in uganda revealed that, in some periods, carbohydrate-rich fruits displace a large portion of protein-rich leaves in t ...201121632622
the effect of feeding enrichment methods on the behavior of captive western lowland gorillas.three feeding enrichment treatments were tested in an outdoor yard used by six western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). in "yard-toss," forage was thrown by hand over one third of the yard. in "set-up," forage and browse were hand-scattered throughout the yard. "set-up enriched" was similar with the addition of either a hay- and forage-filled feeder or forage-filled boomer ball(s) suspended from a climbing structure. each treatment was presented on 5 d. behavior was recorded for 30 mi ...201121656848
effects of combination birth control on estrous behavior in captive western lowland gorillas, gorilla gorilla gorilla.combination birth control pills (cbc) are one of the most common birth control methods used for western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) housed in zoos. since zoos are interested in maintaining as many natural behaviors as possible, it is important to know how contraception may affect social and sexual interactions among group members. although some data are available regarding the influence of the pill on sexual behavior in human females, no data are available on its effects on gorill ...201121674603
functional anatomy and adaptation of male gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) with comparison to male orangutans (pongo pygmaeus).great apes diversified during the miocene in old world forests. two lineages, gorillas in africa and orangutans in asia, have sexual dimorphisms of super-sized males, though they presumably diverged from a smaller common ancestor. we test the hypothesis that they increased in body mass independently and convergently, and that their many postcranial differences reflect locomotor differences. whole body dissections of five adult male gorillas and four adult male orangutans allowed quantification o ...201121809463
femoral morphology and femoropelvic musculoskeletal anatomy of humans and great apes: a comparative virtopsy study.the proximal femoral morphology of fossil hominins is routinely interpreted in terms of muscular topography and associated locomotor modes. however, the detailed correspondence between hard and soft tissue structures in the proximal femoral region of extant great apes is relatively unknown, because dissection protocols typically do not comprise in-depth osteological descriptions. here, we use computed tomography and virtopsy (virtual dissection) for non-invasive examination of the femoropelvic m ...201121809454
diversity of microsporidia (fungi: microsporidia) among captive great apes in european zoos and african sanctuaries: evidence for zoonotic transmission?abstract: two hundred and seventeen captive great apes (150 chimpanzees, pan troglodytes; 14 bonobos, pan paniscus; 53 western gorillas, gorilla gorilla) and 20 personnel from thirteen european zoos and two african sanctuaries were sampled and examined in order to determine the occurrence ofenterocytozoon bieneusi and species of encephalitozoon in faecal specimens and to compare the epidemiological situation between zoos and sanctuaries. microsporidia were detected at all sampling sites. sequenc ...201121776888
the limits of endowment effects in great apes (pan paniscus, pan troglodytes, gorilla gorilla, pongo pygmaeus).the endowment effect describes the bias that people often value things that they possess more than things they do not possess. thus, they are often reluctant to trade items in their possession for items of equivalent value. some nonhuman primates appear to share this bias with humans, but it remains an open question whether they show endowment effects to the same extent as humans do. we investigated endowment effects in all four great ape species (pan paniscus, pan troglodytes, gorilla gorilla, ...201121767009
african monkeys are infected by plasmodium falciparum nonhuman primate-specific strains.recent molecular exploration of the plasmodium species circulating in great apes in africa has revealed the existence of a large and previously unknown diversity of plasmodium. for instance, gorillas were found to be infected by parasites closely related to plasmodium falciparum, suggesting that the human malignant malaria agent may have arisen after a transfer from gorillas. although this scenario is likely in light of the data collected in great apes, it remained to be ascertained whether p. f ...201121730135
copy number variation analysis in the great apes reveals species-specific patterns of structural variation.copy number variants (cnvs) are increasingly acknowledged as an important source of evolutionary novelties in the human lineage. however, our understanding of their significance is still hindered by the lack of primate cnv data. we performed intraspecific comparative genomic hybridizations to identify loci harboring copy number variants in each of the four great apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. for the first time, we could analyze differences in cnv location and frequency in ...201121824994
deep trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodelling in the placental bed of the lowland gorilla.in contrast to baboon or rhesus macaque, trophoblast invasion in the human placental bed occurs by the interstitial as well as the endovascular route and reaches as deep as the inner myometrium. we here describe two rare specimens of gorilla placenta. in the light of recent findings in the chimpanzee, we postulated the occurrence of deep invasion in gorilla pregnancy. tissues were processed for histology (pas, orcein), lectin staining (ulex europaeus agglutinin 1) and immunohistochemistry (cytok ...201121705078
extreme conservation leads to recovery of the virunga mountain gorillas.as wildlife populations are declining, conservationists are under increasing pressure to measure the effectiveness of different management strategies. conventional conservation measures such as law enforcement and community development projects are typically designed to minimize negative human influences upon a species and its ecosystem. in contrast, we define "extreme" conservation as efforts targeted to deliberately increase positive human influences, including veterinary care and close monito ...201121687709
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