Environmental psychology must better integrate local cultural and sociodemographic context to inform conservation

UID/ANT/04038/2013 EXPL/IVC-ANT/0997/2013publishersversionpublishe

current research and future directions

SFRH/BPD/38595/2007 PPCDT/ANT/57434/2004 PEst-OE/SADG/UI4038/2011Increasing human populations and the rapid conversion of forest to agricultural land increase the likelihood of interactions and conflict between humans and nonhuman primates. Understanding such interactions requires a broad cross-disciplinary approach that assesses the implications of sympatry for primate conservation and human social, cultural and economic needs. Although chimpanzees were declared extinct in Guinea-Bissau in 1988, recent reports estimate that between 600 and 1,000 individuals are currently present, with the largest population occupying the Cantanhez National Park (105,700 ha; northeast limit: 11°22′58″N,14°46′12″W; southwest limit: 11°2′18″N,15°15′58″W). These heavily fragmented coastal forests have been identified as one of seven priority areas in West Africa for urgent chimpanzee conservation efforts (Kormos et al. 2003. West African Chimpanzees. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, Gland. 2003). Here we set the context for human-chimpanzee sympatry in Guinea-Bissau, and provide a platform from which further studies can expand. We review past findings that might affect current and future sympatric relationships, and integrate preliminary data on resource competition from one hitherto unstudied chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) community inhabiting a forested-agricultural matrix in Caiquene and Cadique, central Cantanhez National Park. While local human cultural traditions provide a degree of tolerance and protection to chimpanzees in Cantanhez National Park, which is beneficial for long-term conservation initiatives, human-chimpanzee interactions have the potential to grow increasingly negative in character, especially as human populations expand and further pressure is exerted on the land.publishersversionpublishe

Mixed-ethnicity face shape and attractiveness in humans

Many studies show agreement within and between populations and cultures for general judgments of facial attractiveness. Studies that have examined the attractiveness of specific traits have also highlighted cross-cultural differences for factors such as symmetry, averageness, and masculinity. One trait that should be preferred across cultures is heterozygosity. Indeed, several studies suggest that mixed ethnicity, in terms of appearing to possess a mixture of traits from different human population groups, may be found attractive, which could reflect preferences for heterozygosity. We examined preferences for manipulated face shape associated with different populations in both Europeans (Britain) and Africans (Guinea-Bissau). We found that mixed-ethnicity face shapes were more attractive than enhanced single-ethnicity face shape across both populations. These results are consistent with evolutionary theories suggesting individuals should prefer heterozygosity in partners because facial cues to mixed-ethnicity are likely to indicate diverse genes compared to cues that indicate a face belongs to a single particular culture or population

using a systematic literature review to highlight the next conservation steps

UID/ANT/04038/2013; EXPL/IVC-ANT/0997/2013Background West African landscapes are largely characterised by complex agroforest mosaics. Although the West African forests are considered a nonhuman primate hotspot, knowledge on the distribution of many species is often lacking and out-of-date. Considering the fast-changing nature of the landscapes in this region, up-to-date information on primate occurrence is urgently needed, particularly of taxa such as colobines, which may be more sensitive to habitat modification than others. Understanding wildlife occurrence and mechanisms of persistence in these human-dominated landscapes is fundamental for developing effective conservation strategies. Methods In this paper, we aim to review current knowledge on the distribution of three threatened primates in Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring regions, highlighting research gaps and identifying priority research and conservation action. We conducted a systematic literature review of primate studies from 1976 to 2016 in Guinea-Bissau, southern Senegal and western Guinea (Boké Region). We mapped historical observation records of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus), Temminck’s red colobus (Pilicolobus badius temminckii) and king colobus (Colobus polykomos), including our preliminary survey data from Dulombi, a newly established National Park (NP) in Guinea-Bissau. Results We found 151 documents, including 87 journal articles, that contained field data on primates in this region. In Guinea-Bissau, nearly all studies focussed south of the Corubal River, including mainly Cantanhez, Cufada, and Boé NP’s. In Senegal, most of the data came from Fongoli and Niokolo-Koba NP. In Boké (Guinea) studies are few, with the most recent data coming from Sangarédi. In Dulombi NP we recorded eight primate species, including chimpanzees, red colobus and king colobus. Across the selected region, chimpanzees, red colobus and king colobus were reported in eleven, twelve and seven protected areas, respectively. Discussion Our study demonstrates large geographical research gaps particularly for the two colobines. For the first time after more than two decades, we confirm the presence of red colobus and king colobus north of the Corubal River in Guinea-Bissau. The little information available from large parts of the red colobus range raises questions regarding levels of population fragmentation in this species, particularly in Casamance and across northern Guinea-Bissau. There are still no records demonstrating the occurrence of king colobus in Senegal, and the presence of a viable population in north-eastern Guinea-Bissau remains uncertain. While the occurrence of chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal is well documented, data from Boké (Guinea) are sparse and out-of-date. Our approach—the mapping of data gathered from a systematic literature review—allows us to provide recommendations for selecting future geographical survey locations and planning further research and conservation strategies in this region.publishersversionpublishe

Socioecological adaptations by chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, inhabiting an anthropogenically impacted habitat

Despite the spread of human-impacted wildlife habitats, few studies have examined how animals adapt their socioecology in agricultural-forest ecotones. Anthropogenic processes such as agricultural development directly affect the ecological challenges that species face. In agricultural-forest ecotones cultivated foods that are palatable, energy-rich, easily digestible, and that often occur as large, clumped and spatially abundant orchards or fields may offer foraging advantages over natural foods. However, crop raiding can be risky: harassment, injury or even death may arise from confrontations with people. The factors that affect grouping decisions and activity budgets within anthropogenic environments are unknown. Twelve months of focal data were collected from direct observations of one chimpanzee community inhabiting a forest-farm mosaic at Bossou, Guinea. Wild fruit abundance did not directly influence daily party size. Instead, cultivated resource consumption, in combination with other social factors, provided chimpanzees with an alternative to fissioning. Chimpanzee party size did not differ between crop raids and wild feeds, but party cohesiveness did increase during raids. Furthermore, males and females adapted their activity budgets in different ways to integrate cultivated resources into their broader ecological strategy. As species are increasingly forced into anthropogenically impacted habitats, models of fission-fusion dynamics and other socioecological adaptations need to take into account exploitation of cultivated, energy-rich crops

Flexible feeding on cultivated underground storage organs by rainforest-dwelling chimpanzees at Bossou, West Africa

It has been proposed that exploitation of underground storage organs (USOs) played an important role in the evolution of the genus Homo, these items serving as ‘fallback foods’ during periods of low food availability. The use of USOs as food by wild chimpanzees is infrequent and seen mostly in populations inhabiting relatively arid environments, such as the savanna. Here, we specifically test the hypothesis that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) inhabiting tropical wet forest at Bossou (Republic of Guinea, West Africa) exploit USOs as a fallback food during periods of fruit scarcity. Chimpanzees were never observed feeding on wild USOs, that is, those that were never cultivated, and rarely on other underground plant parts. However, direct observations revealed regular consumption of the USOs of cultivated cassava (Manihot esculenta), a spatially abundant and continuously available plant, although the chimpanzees did not use tools when acquiring and feeding on cassava. In agreement with the fallback foods hypothesis, our results show that chimpanzees exploited cassava USOs more frequently when both wild and cultivated fruits were scarce, and consumption patterns of cassava paralleled those of wild fallback foods. These seasonal extractive USO foraging strategies by chimpanzees can strengthen attempts to construct a clearer picture of the importance of USO feeding in hominoid evolution