The cao vit gibbon is a critically endangered species.Only approximately 110 individuals remain in degraded karst forest along the China-Vietnam border.Karst forest is unusual gibbon habitat.Currently,the canopy heigh...The cao vit gibbon is a critically endangered species.Only approximately 110 individuals remain in degraded karst forest along the China-Vietnam border.Karst forest is unusual gibbon habitat.Currently,the canopy height of cao vit gibbon habitat is approximately 10 m.Research on the locomotor behavior of gibbons living in this particular forest type might provide important insight into locomotor stability and variability of gibbons.We used 5 min scan samples to record the locomotion mode,support use and canopy strata of gibbons in 3 groups for 2096 h between January 2008 and December 2009.Although cao vit gibbon habitat has a lower canopy in comparison to that of other forests inhabited by gibbons,cao vit gibbons displayed a similar overall locomotor pattern to other gibbon species(Symphalangus syndactylus,Hylobates lar and Hylobates agilis)in which brachiation dominate their locomotor behavior.Cao vit gibbons spent most of their time travelling on inclined branches(2-10 cm)in the middle stratum through the forest canopy.Adult females appear to more often employ safer modes of locomotion(bridging more often and brachiation less),while adult males choose riskier modes(leaping more and climbing less).As gibbons increased in body weight,as they grew from infant to adult,they tended to use larger supports.This research documented that locomotor behavior in Hylobatidae is strongly determined by anatomical characters,but cao vit gibbons also show the ability to use various supports,enabling them to survive in karst forest.展开更多
Postural origin theory predicts that body postures are related to hand preference in nonhuman primates due to hemispheric specialization.Foot preference,especially in manipulating objects,is also a good predictor of h...Postural origin theory predicts that body postures are related to hand preference in nonhuman primates due to hemispheric specialization.Foot preference,especially in manipulating objects,is also a good predictor of hemispheric specialization in humans.We studied limb(hand and foot)preferences in 11 captive adult black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus bieti)to see how limb preference is influenced by postures and foot manipulation.Hand preference was significantly different for this group between quadrupedal standing and clinging postures,and sitting and clinging postures,but not between bipedal standing and clinging postures.Individuals were significantly more likely to use the right hand in the clinging posture than in quadrupedal standing or sitting postures.In the sitting posture,individuals maintained their respective hand preference even when the food was on the other side of the body.There was a gender difference in the sitting posture,where females preferred their right hand but males preferred their left.Individuals who did not routinely use their feet to manipulate objects,compared to those who did,shifted to greater right hand use from the clinging posture to the bipedal posture.One male individual and his offspring were more likely to use their feet to manipulate objects than the rest of the monkeys.In the present study,we reveal the first evidence of a postural effect on hand preference in R.bieti as well as a foot preference in this species.Our results mostly agree with the postural origin theory and hemispheric specialization.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(#30900169)the International Foundation for Science+1 种基金the Conservation Leadership ProgrammeFauna and Flora International.
文摘The cao vit gibbon is a critically endangered species.Only approximately 110 individuals remain in degraded karst forest along the China-Vietnam border.Karst forest is unusual gibbon habitat.Currently,the canopy height of cao vit gibbon habitat is approximately 10 m.Research on the locomotor behavior of gibbons living in this particular forest type might provide important insight into locomotor stability and variability of gibbons.We used 5 min scan samples to record the locomotion mode,support use and canopy strata of gibbons in 3 groups for 2096 h between January 2008 and December 2009.Although cao vit gibbon habitat has a lower canopy in comparison to that of other forests inhabited by gibbons,cao vit gibbons displayed a similar overall locomotor pattern to other gibbon species(Symphalangus syndactylus,Hylobates lar and Hylobates agilis)in which brachiation dominate their locomotor behavior.Cao vit gibbons spent most of their time travelling on inclined branches(2-10 cm)in the middle stratum through the forest canopy.Adult females appear to more often employ safer modes of locomotion(bridging more often and brachiation less),while adult males choose riskier modes(leaping more and climbing less).As gibbons increased in body weight,as they grew from infant to adult,they tended to use larger supports.This research documented that locomotor behavior in Hylobatidae is strongly determined by anatomical characters,but cao vit gibbons also show the ability to use various supports,enabling them to survive in karst forest.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31260149,31160422,31260145 and 30960085)West Yunnan Biodiversity Innovation Team Program of Yunnan Education Department.
文摘Postural origin theory predicts that body postures are related to hand preference in nonhuman primates due to hemispheric specialization.Foot preference,especially in manipulating objects,is also a good predictor of hemispheric specialization in humans.We studied limb(hand and foot)preferences in 11 captive adult black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus bieti)to see how limb preference is influenced by postures and foot manipulation.Hand preference was significantly different for this group between quadrupedal standing and clinging postures,and sitting and clinging postures,but not between bipedal standing and clinging postures.Individuals were significantly more likely to use the right hand in the clinging posture than in quadrupedal standing or sitting postures.In the sitting posture,individuals maintained their respective hand preference even when the food was on the other side of the body.There was a gender difference in the sitting posture,where females preferred their right hand but males preferred their left.Individuals who did not routinely use their feet to manipulate objects,compared to those who did,shifted to greater right hand use from the clinging posture to the bipedal posture.One male individual and his offspring were more likely to use their feet to manipulate objects than the rest of the monkeys.In the present study,we reveal the first evidence of a postural effect on hand preference in R.bieti as well as a foot preference in this species.Our results mostly agree with the postural origin theory and hemispheric specialization.
