Publications

comparative ocular anatomy of the western lowland gorilla.	to examine the lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) eye and determine similarities to and differences between the mountain gorilla (gorilla gorilla beringei) and the human eye. in addition, we compare our findings of g. g. gorilla to previous reports on the eye of this subspecies.	2007	17970996
legislating delivery system reform: a 30,000-foot view of the 800-pound gorilla.	between 1993 and today, health policy experts have reached consensus that quality assurance, cost discipline, and equitable access depend on delivering health care at times, in places, and in ways much different from those to which we are accustomed. the challenge for the next generation of health reformers is to improve coverage by improving care. this can happen only if reform legislation has a theory for success, collective social meaning, and political champions.	2007	17978373
tool use during display behavior in wild cross river gorillas.	during the course of a 3-year ecological study on cross river gorillas (gorilla gorilla diehli) at the kagwene mountain in cameroon, we observed three cases of tool use which may be unique to the gorillas of this region and possibly learned through interactions with humans. a non-habituated group of cross river gorillas threw fistfuls of grass toward humans in display contexts. an individual gorilla was also observed to throw a detached branch toward researchers during another encounter. the thi ...	2007	17410549
mental rotation of anthropoid hands: a chronometric study.	it has been shown that mental rotation of objects and human body parts is processed differently in the human brain. but what about body parts belonging to other primates? does our brain process this information like any other object or does it instead maximize the structural similarities with our homologous body parts? we tried to answer this question by measuring the manual reaction time (mrt) of human participants discriminating the handedness of drawings representing the hands of four anthrop ...	2007	17334535
tempo and mode of evolution of the rh blood group genes before and after gene duplication.	the rh blood group genes became duplicated in a common ancestor of human-chimpanzee-gorilla. we compared the evolutionary rates of the rh blood group genes for each exon for branches connecting to humans, having duplicated rh loci, and to orangutan, gibbon, and old world monkeys, species having a single rh locus. our results show that evolutionary rates of nonsynonymous substitutions at exon 7 became accelerated in the human lineage. furthermore, we surveyed the sequence variation in the region ...	2007	17334753
full-length sequence analysis of the hla-drb1 locus suggests a recent origin of alleles.	the hla region harbors some of the most polymorphic loci in the human genome. among them is the class ii locus hla-drb1, with more than 400 known alleles. the age of the polymorphism and the rate at which new alleles are generated at hla loci has caused much controversy over the years. previous studies have mostly been restricted to the 270 base pairs that constitute the second exon and represent the most variable part of the gene. here, we investigate the evolutionary history of the hla-drb1 lo ...	2007	17345114
evolutionary genomic remodelling of the human 4q subtelomere (4q35.2).	in order to obtain insights into the functionality of the human 4q35.2 domain harbouring the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (fshd) locus, we investigated in african apes genomic and chromatin organisations, and the nuclear topology of orthologous regions.	2007	17359533
molar crown formation in the late miocene asian hominoids, sivapithecus parvada and sivapithecus indicus.	during the past decade, studies of enamel development have provided a broad temporal and geographic perspective on evolutionary developmental biology in miocene hominoids. here we report some of the first data for molar crown development in one hominoid genus, sivapithecus. the data are compared to a range of extant and extinct hominoids. crown formation times (cfts), daily rates of enamel secretion (dsr), retzius line number and periodicity, and relative enamel thickness (ret) were calculated i ...	2007	17512035
response of captive lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) to different housing conditions: testing the aggression-density and coping models.	several studies have suggested that primates react differently to spatial reduction. in this article, the authors tested some general hypotheses on primate response to spatial reduction by studying the apenheul lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla; apeldoorn, the netherlands). the frequency of conflicts did not greatly change between the 2 housing settings, thus not supporting the density- aggression model. indoor, gorillas performed touching behavior more often and increased their level of ...	2007	17516795
the 800-lb gorilla we all ignore: treatment of nsclc in elderly and ps 2 patients.	patients with non-small cell lung cancer,nsclc, typically have advanced disease on presentation. first-line palliative platinum-based doublet chemotherapy has emerged as the standard of care in fit, younger patients. however, patients with advanced age and/or impaired performance status have been relatively underrepresented in clinical trials. retrospective analyses and the few existing prospective randomized trials in these populations have suggested a poorer overall prognosis, yet also provide ...	2007	17519883
sex-biased dispersal in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	we explored two hypotheses related to potential differences between sexes in dispersal behaviour in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). direct observations suggest that immature females have more opportunities to move between breeding groups than immature males. the distribution of kin dyadic relationships within and between groups does not, however, support this hypothesis. at larger geographical scales, dispersal is likely to be easier for males than females because of the soli ...	2007	17561888
the ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in the facial skeleton of the african apes.	this paper aims to test the contribution of ontogenetic scaling to sexual dimorphism of the facial skeleton in the african apes. specifically, it addresses whether males and females of each species share a common postnatal ontogenetic shape trajectory for the facial skeleton. where trajectories are found to differ, it is tested whether male and female trajectories: 1) diverge early, or 2) diverge later after sharing a common trajectory earlier in the postnatal period. where ontogenetic shape tra ...	2007	17582464
potential for female kin associations in wild western gorillas despite female dispersal.	female philopatry and male dispersal are the norm for most mammals, and females that remain in their natal region often derive foraging or social benefits from proximity to female kin. however, other factors, such as constraints on group size or a shortage of potential mates, may promote female dispersal even when female kin associations would be beneficial. in these cases, female kin associations might develop, not through female philopatry, but through female emigration to the same group. to d ...	2007	17609183
the origins of hiv and implications for the global epidemic.	hiv type 1 (hiv-1) and type 2 (hiv-2) are the result of several cross-species transmissions from primates to humans. recently, the ancestral strains of hiv-1 groups m and n were shown to still persist in today's wild chimpanzee populations (pan troglodytes troglodytes) in south cameroon. lately, hiv-1 group o-related viruses have been identified in western gorillas (gorilla gorilla), called sivgor, but chimpanzees are most likely the original reservoir of this simian immunodeficiency virus (siv) ...	2007	17618555
scaling of neuron number and volume of the pulvinar complex in new world primates: comparisons with humans, other primates, and mammals.	the lateral posterior nucleus and pulvinar (lp-pulvinar complex) are the principal thalamic nuclei associated with the elaborate development of the dorsal and ventral streams of the parietal cortex in primates. in humans, a novel site of origin for a subpopulation of pulvinar neurons has been observed, the ganglionic eminence of the telencephalon. this additional site of neuron origin has been proposed to contribute to the pulvinar's evolutionary expansion (letinic and rakic [2001] nat neurosci ...	2007	17640049
genetic diversity and phylogeographic clustering of sivcpzptt in wild chimpanzees in cameroon.	it is now well established that the clade of simian immunodeficiency viruses (sivs) infecting west central african chimpanzees (pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) comprises the progenitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1). in this study, we have greatly expanded our previous molecular epidemiological survey of sivcpz in wild chimpanzees in cameroon. the new results confirm a wide but uneven distribution of sivcpzptt in p. t. troglodytes thro ...	2007	17651775
using photogrammetry and color scoring to assess sexual dimorphism in wild western gorillas (gorilla gorilla).	investigating sexual dimorphism is important for our understanding of its influence on reproductive strategies including male-male competition, mate choice, and sexual conflict. measuring physical traits in wild animals can be logistically challenging and disruptive for the animals. therefore body size and ornament variation in wild primates have rarely been quantified. gorillas are amongst the most sexually dimorphic and dichromatic primates. adult males (silverbacks) possess a prominent sagitt ...	2007	17657788
mapping human genetic ancestry.	the human genome is a mosaic with respect to its evolutionary history. based on a phylogenetic analysis of 23,210 dna sequence alignments from human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and rhesus, we present a map of human genetic ancestry. for about 23% of our genome, we share no immediate genetic ancestry with our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. this encompasses genes and exons to the same extent as intergenic regions. we conclude that about 1/3 of our genes started to evolve as human-sp ...	2007	17660505
a comparative volumetric analysis of the amygdaloid complex and basolateral division in the human and ape brain.	the amygdaloid complex functions to facilitate effective appraisal of the social environment and is an essential component of the neural systems subserving social behavior. despite its critical role in mediating social interaction, the amygdaloid complex has not attracted the same attention as the isocortex in most evolutionary analyses. we performed a comparative analysis of the amygdaloid complex in the hominoids to address the lack of comparative information available for this structure in th ...	2007	17661399
lessons from naked apes and their infections.	human infections come from two main sources. our 'family heirlooms' have co-evolved with the host as we diverged from the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, and these are often vertically transmitted. our 'new acquisitions' come from cross-species infections, and these are typically horizontally transmitted. compared with other apes, naked apes harbor a larger variety of pathogens, acquired from the domesticated and commensal non-primate species which share our habitat, as well as from e ...	2007	17669206
replication profile of pcdh11x and pcdh11y, a gene pair located in the non-pseudoautosomal homologous region xq21.3/yp11.2.	in order to investigate the replication timing properties of pcdh11x and pcdh11y, a pair of protocadherin genes located in the hominid-specific non-pseudoautosomal homologous region xq21.3/yp11.2, we conducted a fish-based comparative study in different human and non-human primate (gorilla gorilla) cell types. the replication profiles of three genes from different regions of chromosome x (zfx, xist and atrx) were used as terms of reference. particular emphasis was given to the evaluation of alle ...	2007	17671842
hominoid lineage specific amplification of low-copy repeats on 22q11.2 (lcr22s) associated with velo-cardio-facial/digeorge syndrome.	segmental duplications or low-copy repeats (lcrs) constitute approximately 5% of the sequenced portion of the human genome and are associated with many human congenital anomaly disorders. the low-copy repeats on chromosome 22q11.2 (lcr22s) mediate chromosomal rearrangements resulting in deletions, duplications and translocations. the evolutionary mechanisms leading to lcr22 formation is unknown. four genes, usp18, bcr, ggtla and ggt, map adjacent to the lcr22s and pseudogene copies are located w ...	2007	17675367
resting heart rate and tympanic temperature in operant conditioned western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	the conscious, resting heart rate and body temperature of healthy western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) is not reported in the literature. to obtain this information, two clinically healthy adult male western lowland gorillas in a training program were conditioned to allow auscultation and obtain tympanic temperatures. the mean heart rate was 73.8 +/- 8.96 beats per minute (n = 176), and it was lower than mean heart rate reported in studies on anesthetized gorillas. the mean tympani ...	2007	17679523
spontaneously occurring mother-infant swapping and the relationships of infants with their biological and foster mothers in a captive group of lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	the present study describes spontaneously occurring infant-mother swapping and the relationships of infants with their biological and foster mothers after swapping in a captive social group of lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla). after infant-swapping took place between a primiparous mother with a neonate and a multiparous mother with a 10-month-old infant, the mothers provided appropriate maternal care, including nursing, to their adopted infants, but the older infant still sought refuge ...	2007	17683751
discrete quantity judgments in the great apes (pan paniscus, pan troglodytes, gorilla gorilla, pongo pygmaeus): the effect of presenting whole sets versus item-by-item.	the authors examined quantity-based judgments for up to 10 items for simultaneous and sequential whole sets as well as for sequentially dropped items in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), gorillas (gorilla gorilla), bonobos (pan paniscus), and orangutans (pongo pygmaeus). in experiment 1, subjects had to choose the larger of 2 quantities presented in 2 separate dishes either simultaneously or 1 dish after the other. representatives of all species were capable of selecting the larger of 2 quantities ...	2007	17696650
a new approach to estimate parameters of speciation models with application to apes.	how populations diverge and give rise to distinct species remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology, with important implications for a wide range of fields, from conservation genetics to human evolution. a promising approach is to estimate parameters of simple speciation models using polymorphism data from multiple loci. existing methods, however, make a number of assumptions that severely limit their applicability, notably, no gene flow after the populations split and no intralocus ...	2007	17712021
oldest gorilla ages our joint ancestor.		2007	17713490
a new species of great ape from the late miocene epoch in ethiopia.	with the discovery of ardipithecus, orrorin and sahelanthropus, our knowledge of hominid evolution before the emergence of pliocene species of australopithecus has significantly increased, extending the hominid fossil record back to at least 6 million years (myr) ago. however, because of the dearth of fossil hominoid remains in sub-saharan africa spanning the period 12-7 myr ago, nothing is known of the actual timing and mode of divergence of the african ape and hominid lineages. most genomic-ba ...	2007	17713533
analysis of structure, function, and evolutionary origin of the ob gene product--leptin.	leptin, the ob gene product, is a 167 amino acid polypeptide known to play a key role in regulating the fat stores of the body and is found in all eukaryotes, including mammals, aves, and also in invertebrates. to gain insight into the structure-function relation and origin of leptin, we have analyzed the amino acid sequence of leptin from 23 species by computing the frequency of occurrence of amino acids, their secondary structure, sequence homology, et cetera. extensive conservation is observe ...	2007	17718597
bed and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (gorilla g. gorilla) in moukalaba-doudou national park, gabon.	in this paper we describe bed (nest) and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (gorilla g. gorilla) in moukalaba-doudou national park, south-eastern gabon. during an eight-month study 44 bed sites and 506 beds were found. among these, 38.6% of bed sites and 4.1% of beds were reused. we analyzed the monthly frequency of bed-site reuse in relation to rainfall, fruit abundance, and fruit consumption by the gorillas. the different frequency of bed-site reuse in the rainy and dry seasons was not ...	2007	17106788
plant dna sequences from feces: potential means for assessing diets of wild primates.	analyses of plant dna in feces provides a promising, yet largely unexplored, means of documenting the diets of elusive primates. here we demonstrate the promise and pitfalls of this approach using dna extracted from fecal samples of wild western gorillas (gorilla gorilla) and black and white colobus monkeys (colobus guereza). from these dna extracts we amplified, cloned, and sequenced small segments of chloroplast dna (part of the rbcl gene) and plant nuclear dna (its-2). the obtained sequences ...	2007	17216626
the evolutionary history of human and chimpanzee y-chromosome gene loss.	recent studies have suggested that gene gain and loss may contribute significantly to the divergence between humans and chimpanzees. initial comparisons of the human and chimpanzee y-chromosomes indicate that chimpanzees have a disproportionate loss of y-chromosome genes, which may have implications for the adaptive evolution of sex-specific as well as reproductive traits, especially because one of the genes lost in chimpanzees is critically involved in spermatogenesis in humans. here we have ch ...	2007	17218643
haplotype structure of fshb, the beta-subunit gene for fertility-associated follicle-stimulating hormone: possible influence of balancing selection.	follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh) is essential for human reproduction. the unique functions of this hormone are provided by the fsh receptor-binding beta-subunit encoded by the fshb gene. resequencing and genotyping of fshb in three european, two asian and one african population, as well as in the great apes (chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan), revealed low diversity and significant excess of polymorphisms with intermediate frequency alleles. statistical tests for fshb showed deviations from neutr ...	2007	17227474
another gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) recognizes himself in a mirror.	various attempts have been made to explain why gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla) find it difficult to recognize their mirror image. one of the most oft-cited reasons is aversion to eye contact, which stops gorillas from looking into a mirror and thus prevents them from carrying out a suitable exploration that could lead to self-recognition. in the experimental design used here the subject was first habituated both to observers and to the mirror as an object before being exposed to the latter. t ...	2007	17154375
genetic analysis reveals population structure and recent migration within the highly fragmented range of the cross river gorilla (gorilla gorilla diehli).	recently developed methods of individual-based analysis of genetic data allow an unprecedented opportunity to understand the relationships among fragmented populations. by defining population structure and identifying migrant individuals, such analyses can provide a framework to aid in evaluating the threats posed by inbreeding and reduced genetic variability as a consequence of limited gene flow among fragments. here we investigate population structure in the critically endangered cross river g ...	2007	17257109
new aspects of chromosomal evolution in the gorilla and the orangutan.	it is well-accepted that studies of chromosomal changes which have occurred during the evolution of the great apes and the human provide clues towards the phylogeny of these species. applying recently developed molecular cytogenetic approaches, this study on the chromosomes of the orangutan and the gorilla revealed the presence of cryptic, until now, unrecognized cytogenetic rearrangements mainly within the evolutionary dynamic subcentromeric and subtelomeric regions. on four orangutan chromosom ...	2007	17273792
yaws disease in a wild gorilla population and its impact on the reproductive status of males.	we evaluated the prevalence of skin lesions in a gorilla population in the republic of congo. the observed lesions were typical of yaws, a treponematosis described in gorillas and humans living in tropical regions. among the 377 gorillas identified, 17% presented skin lesions, mainly on their faces. the worst cases presented physical handicaps because of the deep lesions. as in humans, lesions break out when individuals are young. lesions were more prevalent among males than females above 8 year ...	2007	17274014
ontogeny and phylogeny of the pelvis in gorilla, pongo, pan, australopithecus and homo.	to examine the evolutionary differences between hominoid locomotor systems, a number of observations concerning the growth of the pelvis among the great apes as compared to modern and fossil hominids are reported. we are interested in the size and shape of the coxal bones at different developmental stages across species that may elucidate the relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny (i.e., heterochrony) in the hominoid pelvis. our hypotheses are: (1) do rates of absolute growth differ?, (2) d ...	2007	17303939
the shape of the hominoid proximal femur: a geometric morphometric analysis.	as part of the hip joint, the proximal femur is an integral locomotor component. although a link between locomotion and the morphology of some aspects of the proximal femur has been identified, inclusive shapes of this element have not been compared among behaviourally heterogeneous hominoids. previous analyses have partitioned complex proximal femoral morphology into discrete features (e.g. head, neck, greater trochanter) to facilitate conventional linear measurements. in this study, three-dime ...	2007	17310545
genomic relationships and speciation times of human, chimpanzee, and gorilla inferred from a coalescent hidden markov model.	the genealogical relationship of human, chimpanzee, and gorilla varies along the genome. we develop a hidden markov model (hmm) that incorporates this variation and relate the model parameters to population genetics quantities such as speciation times and ancestral population sizes. our hmm is an analytically tractable approximation to the coalescent process with recombination, and in simulations we see no apparent bias in the hmm estimates. we apply the hmm to four autosomal contiguous human-ch ...	2007	17319744
gorilla-like anatomy on australopithecus afarensis mandibles suggests au. afarensis link to robust australopiths.	mandibular ramus morphology on a recently discovered specimen of australopithecus afarensis closely matches that of gorillas. this finding was unexpected given that chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans. because modern humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, and many other primates share a ramal morphology that differs from that of gorillas, the gorilla anatomy must represent a unique condition, and its appearance in fossil hominins must represent an independently derived morphology. t ...	2007	17426152
potential for ebola transmission between gorilla and chimpanzee social groups.	over the past decade ebola hemorrhagic fever has emerged repeatedly in gabon and congo, causing numerous human outbreaks and massive die-offs of gorillas and chimpanzees. why ebola has emerged so explosively remains poorly understood. previous studies have tended to focus on exogenous factors such as habitat disturbance and climate change as drivers of ebola emergence while downplaying the contribution of transmission between gorilla or chimpanzee social groups. here we report recent observation ...	2007	17427138
influence of social and environmental factors on nesting behaviour in captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	field studies on gorilla sleeping sites usually emphasize environmental influences on nest site selection, as individual nesting behaviours are usually not observed directly. in captivity, nesting behaviour and influencing factors are often overlooked. in the present study, the sleeping sites of members of a captive group of 16-21 gorillas were analysed, based on 152 nights over a 5-year period. subadults tended to sleep apart from adults but clustered around the oldest blackback male. full sibl ...	2007	17429209
hla-e polymorphism in amerindians from mexico (mazatecans), colombia (wayu) and chile (mapuches): evolution of mhc-e gene.	human leukocyte antigen (hla)-e is a nonclassical class i (ib) gene with a restricted polymorphism. only eight dna alleles and three proteins of this gene have been described and their frequencies analyzed in caucasian, oriental, asian indian, and negroid populations. in the present study, hla-e polymorphism has been analyzed in six amerindian and mestizo populations from north and south america and compared with previously described populations. hla-e*0101 is the most frequent allele found in a ...	2007	17445187
mhc-f polymorphism and evolution.	the major histocompatibility complex (mhc)-f class ib locus shows a limited polymorphism, and the function of its mainly intracellular protein is not clear. we have identified human leukocyte antigen (hla)-f orthologous dna sequences in pongidae in order to study the mhc-f gene evolution and its products' function. hla-f orthologous complementary dna transcripts are found in chimpanzee and in the new primate species studied (bonobo, gorilla and orangutan). analyses of the predicted amino acid se ...	2007	17445188
hla-g polymorphism and evolution.	six proteins, one null allele and 22 human leukocyte antigen (hla)-g alleles were found in humans. bonobo, chimpanzee and gorilla only show one allele and orangutan shows five alleles. all cercopithecus alleles show stop codons at position 164 (macaca mulatta with seven dna alleles, macaca fascicularis with seven dna alleles and cercopithecus aethiops with three dna alleles). cotton-top tamarin new world monkeys showed 20 dna and protein alleles; the major histocompatibility complex (mhc)-g new ...	2007	17445193
spontaneous adenomyosis in the chimpanzee (pan troglodytes): a first report and review of the primate literature: case report.	adenomyosis is a non-neoplastic condition characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrium in the myometrium with hyperplasia of adjacent smooth muscle. common symptoms in women include debilitating pelvic pain and abnormal uterine bleeding, and the condition has been paradoxically associated with both multiparity and subfertility. adenomyosis spontaneously occurs in humans and some non-human primates, including the baboon and macaque, where it has been associated with primary infertility an ...	2007	17452396
fine-tuning of social play in juvenile lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	social play, which involves cooperation, communication, and learning, may represent a suitable field for the investigation of cognitive ability in a given species. we collected data on a captive group of gorillas in order to evaluate the potential cognitive skill of juveniles in fine-tuning play behavior. this study revealed that juvenile gorillas are able to "place" the play session in a proper spatial/temporal context, thus evaluating a complex net of factors (e.g., play partner, play roughnes ...	2007	17455241
the role of behavioral research in the conservation of chimpanzees and gorillas.	chimpanzees and gorillas are among man's closest living relatives, sharing most of the human genetic code and having many similarities to humans in anatomy, physiology, and behavior. like humans, these apes make and use tools and have strong family bonds. chimpanzees even show population-specific behaviors similar to those of human cultures. however, chimpanzee and gorilla populations are in dramatic decline due to bushmeat hunting, habitat loss, and the varied risks of small, isolated populatio ...	2007	17484681
habituation of western gorillas: the process and factors that influence it.	habituation of western gorillas to human presence is generally an expensive, lengthy and difficult process. here we describe the habituation process for two groups of western gorillas at the mondika research center, with the hope that the lessons we learned will facilitate future gorilla studies. we expand upon earlier studies by describing the process through complete habituation for both males and females, and for more than one group. the major obstacle to habituation was developing sufficient ...	2007	17486627
evolutionary history of chromosome 11 featuring four distinct centromere repositioning events in catarrhini.	panels of bac clones used in fish experiments allow a detailed definition of chromosomal marker arrangement and orientation during evolution. this approach has disclosed the centromere repositioning phenomenon, consisting in the activation of a novel, fully functional centromere in an ectopic location, concomitant with the inactivation of the old centromere. in this study, appropriate panels of bac clones were used to track the chromosome 11 evolutionary history in primates and nonprimate boreoe ...	2007	17490852
the role of pleistocene refugia and rivers in shaping gorilla genetic diversity in central africa.	the role of pleistocene forest refugia and rivers in the evolutionary diversification of tropical biota has been the subject of considerable debate. a range-wide analysis of gorilla mitochondrial and nuclear variation was used to test the potential role of both refugia and rivers in shaping genetic diversity in current populations. results reveal strong patterns of regional differentiation that are consistent with refugial hypotheses for central africa. four major mitochondrial haplogroups are e ...	2007	18077351
[the first ray of the hand and the foot of the primates (i). descriptive anatomy].	dissection of the first ray and the connecting structures of the hand and the foot of simian primates, conserved by freezing or embalming and observation of 325 skeletal pieces of specimens of the museum of natural history of paris. the trapezometacarpal articulation is a saddle joint with a trapezial concavity according to its great oblique axis directed at 45 degrees with respect to a sagittal plan for the whole of the simian primates, with a trapezoidal concavity according to a great axis dir ...	2007	18061502
isolated lung perfusion, is it time to deal with the 800 pound gorilla?		2007	17999390
maintenance of imprinting and nuclear architecture in cycling cells.	dynamic gene repositioning has emerged as an additional level of epigenetic gene regulation. an early example was the report of a transient, spatial convergence (< or =2 microm) of oppositely imprinted regions ("kissing"), including the angelman syndrome/prader-willi syndrome (as/pws) locus and the beckwith-wiedemann syndrome locus in human lymphocytes during late s phase. it was argued that kissing is required for maintaining opposite imprints in cycling cells. employing 3d-fish with a bac cont ...	2007	17848516
interspecies hybridization on dna resequencing microarrays: efficiency of sequence recovery and accuracy of snp detection in human, ape, and codfish mitochondrial dna genomes sequenced on a human-specific mitochip.	iterative dna "resequencing" on oligonucleotide microarrays offers a high-throughput method to measure intraspecific iodiversity, one that is especially suited to snp-dense gene regions such as vertebrate mitochondrial (mtdna) genomes. however, costs of single-species design and microarray fabrication are prohibitive. a cost-effective, multi-species strategy is to hybridize experimental dnas from diverse species to a common microarray that is tiled with oligonucleotide sets from multiple, homolo ...	2007	17894875
mobile dna elements in primate and human evolution.	roughly 50% of the primate genome consists of mobile, repetitive dna sequences such as alu and line1 elements. the causes and evolutionary consequences of mobile element insertion, which have received considerable attention during the past decade, are reviewed in this article. because of their unique mutational mechanisms, these elements are highly useful for answering phylogenetic questions. we demonstrate how they have been used to help resolve a number of questions in primate phylogeny, inclu ...	2007	18046749
manipulating decay time for efficient large-mammal density estimation: gorillas and dung height.	large-mammal surveys often rely on indirect signs such as dung or nests. sign density is usually translated into animal density using sign production and decay rates. in principle, such auxiliary variable estimates should be made in a spatially unbiased manner. however, traditional decay rate estimation methods entail following many signs from production to disappearance, which, in large study areas, requires extensive travel effort. consequently, decay rate estimates have tended to be made inst ...	2007	18213978
phylogeny of primate t lymphotropic virus type 1 (ptlv-1) including various new asian and african non-human primate strains.	to further unravel intra- and interspecies ptlv-1 evolution in asia and africa, we phylogenetically analysed 15 new stlv-1 ltr and env sequences discovered in eight different asian and african non-human primate species. we show that orang-utan stlv-1s form a tight, deeply branching monophyletic cluster between asian stlv-1 macaque species clades, suggesting natural cross-species transmission. novel viruses of macaca maura, macaca nigra and siamang cluster with other sulawesian stlv-1s, demonstra ...	2007	16931175
repeat expansion in spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 alleles of the tata-box binding protein gene: an evolutionary approach.	the variability and mutational changes of the cag microsatellite in the tata-box binding protein gene (tbp) were studied. we sequenced the microsatellite of the tbp gene of 25 unrelated individuals from northern germany (10 sca17 patients and 15 unaffected control individuals). in addition, the microsatellites were sequenced from individuals of 10 northern german families with at least one family member affected by sca17. to study also the evolutionary history of this cag/caa microsatellite in n ...	2007	17033685
relationship of bone utilization and biomechanical competence in hominoid mandibles.	this investigation explores regional variation in bone mass in the mandibles of large-bodied hominoids with respect to the masticatory biomechanical environment. cortical area, subperiosteal area, mandibular length, maximum and minimum area moments of inertia are sampled at 7 sections along the mandibular corpus in 20 specimens each of homo sapiens, pan troglodytes, pongo pygmaeus and gorilla gorilla. the null hypothesis is that bone is utilized similarly among species, between sexes and among c ...	2007	17045235
variations of the mandibular shape in extant hominoids: generic, specific, and subspecific quantification using elliptical fourier analysis in lateral view.	while a number of studies have documented the mandibular variations in hominoids, few focused on evaluating the variation of the whole outline of this structure. using an efficient morphometrical approach, i.e. elliptical fourier analysis, mandibular outlines in lateral view from 578 adult hominoids representing the genera hylobates, pongo, gorilla, pan, and homo were quantified and compared. this study confirms that elliptical fourier analysis provides an accurate characterization of the shape ...	2007	17063462
the complex evolutionary history of gorillas: insights from genomic data.	relatively little is known about the evolutionary and demographic histories of gorillas, one of our closest living relatives. in this study, we used samples from both western (gorilla gorilla) and eastern (gorilla beringei) gorillas to infer the timing of the split between these geographically disjunct populations and to elaborate the demographic history of gorillas. here we present dna sequences from 16 noncoding autosomal loci from 15 western gorillas and 3 eastern gorillas, including 2 noninv ...	2007	17065595
the orang-utan mating system and the unflanged male: a product of increased food stress during the late miocene and pliocene?	the orang-utan is unique among apes in having an unusually long male developmental period and two distinct adult male morphs (flanged and unflanged), which generally, but not exclusively, employ different reproductive strategies (call-and-wait vs. sneak-and-rape). both morphs have recently been shown to have roughly similar levels of reproductive success in the one site where such a study has been conducted. this is in stark contrast to the unimale polygynous gorilla, in which dominant males sir ...	2007	17083968
distinguishing gorilla mitochondrial sequences from nuclear integrations and pcr recombinants: guidelines for their diagnosis in complex sequence databases.	nuclear integrations of mitochondrial dna (numts) are widespread in many taxa and if left undetected can confound phylogeny interpretation and bias estimates of mitochondrial dna (mtdna) diversity. this is particularly true in gorillas, where recent studies suggest multiple integrations of the first hypervariable (hv1) domain of the mitochondrial control region. problems can also arise through the inadvertent incorporation of artifacts produced by in vitro recombination between sequence types du ...	2007	17084645
conservation. scientists say ebola has pushed western gorillas to the brink.		2007	17872416
functional morphology of the first cervical vertebra in humans and nonhuman primates.	the cervical vertebral column bears or balances the weight of the head supported by the nuchal muscles that partly originate from the cervical vertebrae. the position of the head relative to the vertebral column, and consequently locomotion and posture behavior, could thus be associated with the form of the cervical vertebrae. in spite of this assumption and some empirical indications along these lines, primate vertebral morphologies have been reported to be very similar and not clearly related ...	2006	16955497
differential use of attentional and visual communicative signaling by orangutans (pongo pygmaeus) and gorillas (gorilla gorilla) in response to the attentional status of a human.	in this study we investigated the communicative abilities of 10 orangutans (pongo pygmaeus) and seven western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla), and particularly focused on their sensitivity to the attentional state of a human experimenter when choosing from a repertoire of both auditory and visual communication strategies. in experiment 1 a banana was placed in front of the subject's cage and a human experimenter was either present or absent. the subject's behavior was recorded for 60 ...	2006	16967515
genomic structure of swine taste receptor family 1 member 3, tas1r3, and its expression in tissues.	taste receptor family 1 member 3, tas1r3, is shown to be involved in sweet and umami tastes in mouse, and the nucleotide sequence of the gene has been reported in rat, gorilla, and human. pigs are frequently used as models for human diseases, and are also considered to be source animals for xenotransplantation to humans due to their anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. therefore, in the present study, the genomic structure of the swine tas1r3 gene was determined, and tas1r3 expre ...	2006	16974084
a juvenile early hominin skeleton from dikika, ethiopia.	understanding changes in ontogenetic development is central to the study of human evolution. with the exception of neanderthals, the growth patterns of fossil hominins have not been studied comprehensively because the fossil record currently lacks specimens that document both cranial and postcranial development at young ontogenetic stages. here we describe a well-preserved 3.3-million-year-old juvenile partial skeleton of australopithecus afarensis discovered in the dikika research area of ethio ...	2006	16988704
focusing on comparative ape population genetics in the post-genomic age.	the initial human and chimpanzee genome sequences have been published, and additional primate genomes, including those of gorilla and orang-utan, are in progress. with these new resources, we can now address what makes our species unique, by focusing on the underlying genetic differences associated with phenotypes. comparative primate population genomics, including studies of structural changes, mobile elements, gene expression and functional analyses, will shed light on how natural selection an ...	2006	17010600
the behavioral ecology of sympatric african apes: implications for understanding fossil hominoid ecology.	the behavioral ecology of the great apes is key evidence used in the reconstruction of the behavior of extinct ape and hominid taxa. chimpanzees and gorillas have been studied in detail in the wild, and some studies of their behavioral ecology in sympatry have also been been carried out. although the two ape species have divergent behavior and ecology in important respects, recent studies have shown that the interspecific differences are not as stark as previously thought and subsequently urge n ...	2006	16283423
commentary: culture in epidemiology--the 800 pound gorilla?		2006	16303802
expansion of gaa trinucleotide repeats in mammals.	we have previously shown that gaa trinucleotide repeats have undergone significant expansion in the human genome. here we present the analysis of the length distribution of all 10 nonredundant trinucleotide repeat motifs in 20 complete eukaryotic genomes (6 mammalian, 2 nonmammalian vertebrates, 4 arthropods, 4 fungi, and 1 each of nematode, amoebozoa, alveolate, and plant), which showed that the abundance of large expansions of gaa trinucleotide repeats is specific to mammals. analysis of human ...	2006	16316739
identification by full-coverage array cgh of human dna copy number increases relative to chimpanzee and gorilla.	duplication of chromosomal segments and associated genes is thought to be a primary mechanism for generating evolutionary novelty. by comparative genome hybridization using a full-coverage (tiling) human bac array with 79-kb resolution, we have identified 63 chromosomal segments, ranging in size from 0.65 to 1.3 mb, that have inferred copy number increases in human relative to chimpanzee. these segments span 192 ensembl genes, including 82 gene duplicates (41 reciprocal best blast matches). syno ...	2006	16365383
identification of large-scale human-specific copy number differences by inter-species array comparative genomic hybridization.	copy number differences (cnds), and the concomitant differences in gene number, have contributed significantly to the genomic divergence between humans and other primates. to assess its relative importance, the genomes of human, common chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan and macaque were compared by comparative genomic hybridization using a high-resolution human bac array (acgh). in an attempt to avoid potential interference from frequent intra-species polymorphism, pooled dna samples were us ...	2006	16395594
diet and seasonal changes in sympatric gorillas and chimpanzees at kahuzi-biega national park.	based on 8 years of observations of a group of western lowland gorillas (gorilla beringei graueri) and a unit-group of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living sympatrically in the montane forest at kahuzi-biega national park, we compared their diet and analyzed dietary overlap between them in relation to fruit phenology. data on fruit consumption were collected mainly from fecal samples, and phenology of preferred ape fruits was estimated by monitoring. totals of 231 plant foods (116 ...	2006	16142424
the role of taste in food selection by african apes: implications for niche separation and overlap in tropical forests.	ripe fruit eating shapes the behavior of most of the apes. gorillas (gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are very different sizes and, consequently, have been traditionally viewed as ecologically distinct, but few studies have explored the behavioral and physiological foundations of their diets. debate continues on the extent that large-bodied gorillas may be less selective and more opportunistic fruit eaters than chimpanzees. taste responses have been predicted to relate to body ...	2006	16151604
size and shape dimorphism in great ape mandibles and implications for fossil species recognition.	sexual dimorphism is an important source of morphological variation, and species differences in dimorphism may be reflected in magnitude, pattern, or both. while the extant great apes are commonly used as a reference sample for distinguishing between sexual dimorphism and intertaxic variation in the fossil record, few studies have evaluated mandibular dimorphism in these taxa. in this study, percentage, degree, and pattern of mandibular dimorphism are evaluated in pongo, gorilla, and pan. mandib ...	2006	16161147
dental microwear and diets of african early homo.	conventional wisdom ties the origin and early evolution of the genus homo to environmental changes that occurred near the end of the pliocene. the basic idea is that changing habitats led to new diets emphasizing savanna resources, such as herd mammals or underground storage organs. fossil teeth provide the most direct evidence available for evaluating this theory. in this paper, we present a comprehensive study of dental microwear in plio-pleistocene homo from africa. we examined all available ...	2006	16226788
lumbar diskectomy in a human-habituated mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei).	the authors report a case of a human-habituated mountain gorilla, alvila, resident at the san diego zoo, who was found to have a herniated intervertebral lumbar disc after being attacked by the gorilla troop's silverback male gorilla. ultimately, the gorilla required surgical intervention for her disease and made a full recovery. to our knowledge, this is the only known case of spine surgery. a 36-year-old female human-habituated mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei), resident at the san ...	2006	16412845
metric variation and sexual dimorphism in the dentition of ouranopithecus macedoniensis.	the fossil sample attributed to the late miocene hominoid taxon ouranopithecus macedoniensis is characterized by a high degree of dental metric variation. as a result, some researchers support a multiple-species taxonomy for this sample. other researchers do not think that the sample variation is too great to be accommodated within one species. this study examines variation and sexual dimorphism in mandibular canine and postcanine dental metrics of an ouranopithecus sample. bootstrapping (resamp ...	2006	16413596
fetal ultrasonography: biometric data from four african primate species.	nonhuman primates are raised in large numbers in research centers and zoos. reproductive monitoring is required to improve breeding performances. ultrasonography is a safe method to determine gestational age and to estimate the date of parturition. however only few data are available in nonhuman primates.	2006	16430494
how the great apes (pan troglodytes, pongo pygmaeus, pan paniscus, and gorilla gorilla) perform on the reversed contingency task: the effects of food quantity and food visibility.	s. t. boysen and g. g. berntson (1995) found that chimpanzees performed poorly on a reversed contingency task in which they had to point to the smaller of 2 food quantities to acquire the larger quantity. the authors compared the performance of 4 great ape species (pan troglodytes, pongo pygmaeus, pan paniscus, and gorilla gorilla) on the reversed contingency task while manipulating food quantity (0-4 or 1-4) and food visibility (visible pairs or covered pairs). results showed no systematic spec ...	2006	16435965
structural variation of the monoamine oxidase a gene promoter repeat polymorphism in nonhuman primates.	by conferring allele-specific transcriptional activity on the monoamine oxidase a (maoa) gene in humans, length variation of a repetitive sequence [(variable number of tandem repeat (vntr)] in the maoa promoter influences a constellation of personality traits related to aggressive and antisocial behavior and increases the risk of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. here, we have analyzed the presence and variability of this maoa promoter repeat in several species of nonhuman primates. ...	2006	16436187
a contact algorithm for density-based load estimation.	an algorithm, which includes contact interactions within a joint, has been developed to estimate the dominant loading patterns in joints based on the density distribution of bone. the algorithm is applied to the proximal femur of a chimpanzee, gorilla and grizzly bear and is compared to the results obtained in a companion paper that uses a non-contact (linear) version of the density-based load estimation method. results from the contact algorithm are consistent with those from the linear method. ...	2006	16439233
human endogenous retrovirus (herv)-r family in primates: chromosomal location, gene expression, and evolution.	hitherto, full-length endogenous retrovirus (herv)-r has been located at human chromosome 7q11.2, and mrna and envelope proteins have been detected in placenta and a variety of other cell types. in the present study, using a probe derived from the gorilla fosmid library, we detected the paralogous locus (7q31.3) of the herv-r env gene in human chromosome 7q11.2, and also determined the chromosomal location in apes and old world monkeys. the herv-r gene was not detected in new world monkeys or pr ...	2006	16443335
captive female gorilla agonistic relationships with clumped defendable food resources.	minimal feeding competition among female mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla beringei) has resulted in egalitarian social relationships with poorly defined agonistic dominance hierarchies. thus, gorillas are generally viewed as non-competitive egalitarian folivores that have had little need to develop effective competitive strategies to access food resources. however, this generalization is inconsistent with more recent research indicating that most gorillas are frugivorous, feeding on patchily d ...	2006	16467958
living in nonbreeding groups: an alternative strategy for maturing gorillas.	the one-male reproductive strategy implies that maturing males are temporarily excluded from reproduction. in gorillas, these excluded males live either solitarily or in nonbreeding groups (nbgs) that are devoid of adult females. the dynamics of nbgs are not well known. in this study, which was conducted on a gorilla population (gorilla gorilla gorilla) of 377 individuals that visited the lokoué clearing in the republic of congo, we detail how the nbgs formed, and analyze their dynamics accordin ...	2006	16477595
comparison of different enzyme-immunoassays for assessment of adrenocortical activity in primates based on fecal analysis.	most studies published to date that used fecal glucocorticoid measurements to assess adrenocortical activity in primate (and many nonprimate) species applied a specific cortisol or corticosterone assay. however, since these native glucocorticoids are virtually absent in the feces of most vertebrates, including primates, the validity of this approach has recently been questioned. therefore, the overall aim of the present study was to assess the validity of four enzyme-immunoassays (eias) using an ...	2006	16477600
plant choice in the construction of night nests by gorillas in the bwindi impenetrable national park, uganda.	we investigated the choice of plants in nest sites and individual night nests of a group of gorillas (gorilla beringei) in bwindi impenetrable national park, uganda. most of the nests were built on the ground in secondary forest or canopy gaps. the gorillas used 62 plant genera in their nests out of a possible 108 plant genera available in the immediate environment. this group of bwindi gorillas chose nest sites nonrandomly with respect to habitat type and selected nest sites in which pteridium ...	2006	16534805
nutritional chemistry of foods eaten by gorillas in bwindi impenetrable national park, uganda.	foods eaten by gorillas (gorilla beringei) in bwindi impenetrable national park (binp), uganda, were analyzed for their nutrient content. the goal of the study was to assess the amounts of fiber, protein, and sugars in the foods eaten by the bwindi gorillas, and to determine whether condensed tannins and cyanide are present in these foods. a total of 127 food plant parts representing 84 plant species eaten by two groups of bwindi gorillas were collected, processed, and analyzed for their chemica ...	2006	16550527
patterns of craniofacial integration in extant homo, pan, and gorilla.	brain size increased greatly during pleistocene human evolution, while overall facial and dentognathic size decreased markedly. this mosaic pattern is due to either selective forces that acted uniquely on each functional unit in a modularized, developmentally uncoupled craniofacial complex, or alternatively, selection that acted primarily on one unit, with the other responding passively as part of a coevolved set of ontogenetically and evolutionarily integrated structures. using conditional inde ...	2006	16552733
natural selection and molecular evolution in primate pax9 gene, a major determinant of tooth development.	large differences in relation to dental size, number, and morphology among and within modern human populations and between modern humans and other primate species have been observed. molecular studies have demonstrated that tooth development is under strict genetic control, but, the genetic basis of primate tooth variation remains unknown. the pax9 gene, which codes for a paired domain-containing transcription factor that plays an essential role in the development of mammal dentition, has been a ...	2006	16585527
food transfers in immature wild western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	the transfer of food items between individuals has been described in primates as serving an informative purpose in addition to supplementing the diet of immature individuals. this behaviour has yet to be described in western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla), and results are presented here of observations of food transfers in immature gorillas at mbeli bai, republic of congo. the frequency of food transfers decreased with increasing immature age, while the frequency of independent feedi ...	2006	16596463
application of an image-based weighted measure of skeletal bending stiffness to great ape mandibles.	traditional measures of structural stiffness in the primate skeleton do not consider the heterogeneous material stiffness distribution of bone. this assumption of homogeneity introduces an unknown degree of error in estimating stiffness in skeletal elements. measures of weighted stiffness can be developed by including heterogeneous grayscale variations evident in computed tomographic (ct) images. since gray scale correlates with material stiffness, the distribution of bone quality and quantity c ...	2006	16596598
how great apes perform on a modified trap-tube task.	to date, neither primates nor birds have shown clear evidence of causal knowledge when attempting to solve the trap tube task. one factor that may have contributed to mask the knowledge that subjects may have about the task is that subjects were only allowed to push the reward away from them, which is a particularly difficult action for primates in certain problem solving situations. we presented five orangutans (pongo pygmaeus), two chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), two bonobos (pan paniscus), and ...	2006	16612632
a fossil hominoid proximal femur from kikorongo crater, southwestern uganda.	the external morphology of a fragmentary right proximal femur from southwestern uganda is described here. discovered in the kikorongo crater of queen elizabeth national park in 1961, this specimen was informally assigned to homo sapiens (although never described) and tentatively dated to the late pleistocene. however, because aspects of the external morphology of the femur align the fossil with the african great apes, we suggest that the kikorongo femur may be the first postcranial fossil of the ...	2006	16620913
fecal bacterial diversity in a wild gorilla.	we describe the bacterial diversity in fecal samples of a wild gorilla by use of a 16s rrna gene clone library and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-rflp). clones were classified as firmicutes, verrucomicrobia, actinobacteria, lentisphaerae, bacteroidetes, spirochetes, and planctomycetes. our data suggest that fecal populations did not change temporally, as determined by t-rflp.	2006	16672537
sequencing and haplotype analysis of the activator of crem in the testis (act) gene in populations of fertile and infertile males.	camp-responsive element modulator (crem) is a key transcription factor in the differentiation of round spermatids into mature spermatozoa. during spermiogenesis, crem is regulated in part by activator of crem in the testis (act), which activates crem in a phosphorylation-independent fashion. we hypothesized that the act gene, which is expressed exclusively in the testis, could be involved in male factor infertility in patients with idiopathic-impaired spermatogenesis. to test this hypothesis, we ...	2006	16687568