Diurnal distribution of loud calls in sympatric wild indris ( Indri indri ) and ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata ): implications for call functions

We carried out a short study on the diurnal call distribution of two sympatric lemurs in the Réserve Naturelle Intégrale Zahamena (eastern Madagascar). Whereas indris (Indri) song bouts were clearly concentrated in the early morning hours, the roar/shriek choruses of ruffed lemurs (Varecia) exhibited a much more even distribution throughout the day. These differences in distribution pattern support earlier claims that indri song bouts are more likely to serve territorial functions, whereas ruffed lemur loud calls may serve both spacing and/or alarm call function

Vocal Diversity and Taxonomy of Nomascus in Cambodia

It is usually thought that Nomascus gabriellae is the only Nomascus sp. in Cambodia. We studied vocal diversity among different wild populations of Nomascus in Cambodia to assess their taxonomic relationships and to examine whether their vocal patterns correspond to forms previously described for Nomascus leucogenys siki and Nomascus gabriellae. We tape-recorded crested gibbon songs in southern Mondulkiri Province, in central Rattanakiri Province, and in 2 different districts of the Virachey National Park in northern Rattanakiri. We also tape-recorded typical songs of Nomascus leucogenys siki near the type locality of the taxon in the Bach Ma National Park in central Vietnam. We analyzed 40 song bouts from different gibbon groups, including 151 phrases of 33 females and 235 phrases of 39 males. Discriminant analyses revealed marked separation of the most southern songs (Mondulkiri) from those of all other localities. Vocal differences among the 3 gibbon populations in northeast Cambodia (Rattanakiri) are less pronounced; they do not differ more among each other than each of them differs from the northernmost sample from Bach Ma (Vietnam). Vocal characteristics of the study populations revealed no cline, and populations do not differ significantly in vocal variability. We conclude that Cambodian crested gibbons represent 2 distinct taxa: Those from southern Mondulkiri are Nomascus gabriellae, those from northeast Cambodia (Rattanakiri) closely correspond to the sample from Bach Ma (Vietnam) and, together with the latter, represent a different taxon. We provisionally assign them to Nomascus leucogenys siki because of the close geographic distance between Bach Ma and the type locality of the taxon. We postulate that a taxonal boundary exists between southern Mondulkiri and central Rattanakiri and discuss the possible factors that may have acted as distribution barrier

Hypertrichosis in a gibbon (Hylobates muelleri)

Geissmann, T. Hypertrichosis in a gibbon (Hylobates muelleri). J Med Primatol 1993:22:317-319. A case of facial hypertrichosis in a museum specimen of a Bornean gib bon (Hylobates muelleri) is described. Apparently, hypertrichosis has not previously been reported to occur in non-human primates. Similar patho logical conditions are known to occur in humans, but it is unknown whether any of the numerous forms of human hypertrichosis is equivalent to this case in gibbons

Autogenous modulation of the Bacillus subtilis sacB-levB-yveA levansucrase operon by levB transcript.

Silencing of levB, the second structural gene of the tricistronic levansucrase operon encoding the endolevanase LevB, decreases the level of levansucrase expression. Conversely, independent expression of levB greatly stimulates operon expression in Bacillus subtilis. This autogenous effect is mediated by the levB transcript, which carries an internal sequence (5'-AAAGCAGGCAA-3') involved in the enhancing effect. In vitro, the levB transcript displays an affinity to the N-terminal fragment of SacY (KD 0.2 µM), the regulatory protein that prevents transcription termination of levansucrase operon. This positive feed back loop leads to an increase in the operon expression when B. subtilis is growing in the presence of high sucrose concentrations. Under these conditions, extracellular levan synthesized by the fructosyl polymerase activity of levansucrase can be degraded mainly into levanbiose by the action of LevB. Levanbiose is neither taken up nor metabolized by the bacteria. This work modifies the present view of the status of levansucrase in B. subtilis physiology

Are Hylobates lar Extirpated from China?

The Nangunhe Nature Reserve in Southwest Yunnan (PRC) has long been presumed to be the last stronghold of lar (or white-handed) gibbons (Hylobates lar) in China and the likely last place of occurrence of Hylobates lar yunnanensis. We conducted a comprehensive survey to assess the status of lar gibbons at Nangunhe. We found no visual or auditory evidence of them still residing at the reserve and therefore tentatively conclude that lar gibbons have become extinct in China. It appears that large-scale destruction of primary forests in the 1960s and 1970s brought about an initial decline in their numbers, and subsequent uncontrolled hunting has resulted in their extirpation. The situation for the six Chinese ape taxa is nothing less than disastrous, with 1 taxon assumed to have become extinct during the last few years, 1 taxon not having been confirmed since the 1980s, and 2 species at the very brink of extinction with only tens of individuals remaining in Chin

EXTRACTION OF BACULA FROM TANNED GIBBON SKINS

ABSTRACT. -Bacula or penis bones are thought to be of great potential importance for the classification of gibbons (Hylobatidae), but not enough specimens have been available for study to either support or reject this view. Because we found that bacula are often well preserved in tanned skins of museum specimens, we developed an easy and safe method to extract these fragile bones from such skins. Our method, described here, may be applied to other mammals as well. In addition, the method is of some value for sexing tanned skins of juvenile gibbons of the Hylobates concolor group. Sex determination is difficult in these gibbons and hitherto, there has been no reliable method for sexing tanned skins of these animals

Are Hylobates lar Extirpated from China?

The Nangunhe Nature Reserve in Southwest Yunnan (PRC) has long been presumed to be the last stronghold of lar (or white-handed) gibbons (Hylobates lar) in China and the likely last place of occurrence of Hylobates lar yunnanensis. We conducted a comprehensive survey to assess the status of lar gibbons at Nangunhe. We found no visual or auditory evidence of them still residing at the reserve and therefore tentatively conclude that lar gibbons have become extinct in China. It appears that large-scale destruction of primary forests in the 1960s and 1970s brought about an initial decline in their numbers, and subsequent uncontrolled hunting has resulted in their extirpation. The situation for the six Chinese ape taxa is nothing less than disastrous, with 1 taxon assumed to have become extinct during the last few years, 1 taxon not having been confirmed since the 1980s, and 2 species at the very brink of extinction with only tens of individuals remaining in China