Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University

AIM: To examine the association between food diversity and health status of Han and Tibetan elderly highlanders in Qinghai Plateau, China. METHODS: The study population consisted of 240 community-dwelling elderly subjects aged 60 years or more (176 Han elderly subjects, 64 Tibetan ones). Food diversity was determined using an 11-item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11). Subjects were interviewed on health status including activities of daily living (ADL), screening-based depression and quality of life (QOL). Blood chemical investigation was carried out in association with food diversity. RESULTS: ADL was significantly lower in both Han and Tibetan elderly with lower food diversity than those with higher diversity. In Han elderly with lower food diversity, QOL was significantly lower in the items of subjective sense of health, relationship with family and subjective happiness, but not significant in Tibetan elderly. A close association was found between lower food diversity and lower financial satisfaction in both Han and Tibetan subjects. No association was found between food diversity and age or body mass index. Higher food diversity was associated with lower blood glucose level in Han elderly subjects, but the opposite association was found in Tibetan ones. CONCLUSION: Food diversity was associated with ADL and QOL in highlanders in Qinghai, China. Food assessment is very important as a useful indicator to establish the actual condition of diet and its relation to health status of community-dwelling elderly as well as the change of economic background in the Qinghai highlands.

We tested whether horses (Equus caballus) are sensitive to human attentional states and modify the modality of begging behaviors as a function of human attentional states in a naturalistic food-requesting situation. In Experiment 1, horses tended to produce more auditory or tactile begging behaviors when the human experimenter (E1)’s eyes were covered by her hand than when they were not covered. However, there was no difference in visual begging behaviors between conditions. In Experiment 2, horses produced significantly more auditory or tactile begging behaviors when E1’s eyes were closed than when they were open. In contrast, horses produced significantly more visual begging behaviors when E1’s eyes were open than when they were closed. These results suggest that horses understand the role of eyes as an indicator of human attentional states and show effective and flexible begging behaviors proactively as a function of human attentional states.

Abstract The first analyses of biological components in glaciers of the Chilean lake district are presented based on microalgae biovolume, pollen and other microorganisms detected in shallow (∼10 m) firn/ice cores. Three cores were retrieved, two at Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (39°55′ S, 72°02′ W; summit at 2422 m a.s.l; east glacier at 2000 m a.s.l.), and one at the summit of Volcán Osorno (41°06′ S, 72°30′ W; 2652 m a.s.l.). Microalgae, protozoa and pollen quantified in the samples obtained from the two summit cores show clear fluctuations interpreted as seasonal signs. In contrast, δD and many chemical species from the summit cores show strong dampening at depth, probably due to water percolation. The limited information provided by isotopic and chemical analyses is used to support the seasonal interpretation of biological parameters from the summit cores, with microorganism maxima inferred to occur in summer and pollen maxima in spring. A good comparison is found between mass-balance estimations from the Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco summit core and values obtained near that site by means of the stake method. It is concluded that biological analyses of firn/ice cores provide reliable estimations of annual and seasonal markers from these temperate glaciers.

The community structure of bacteria associated with the glacier ice worm Mesenchytraeus solifugus was analyzed by amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and their transcripts. Ice worms were collected from two distinct glaciers in Alaska, Harding Icefield and Byron Glacier, and glacier surfaces were also sampled for comparison. Marked differences were observed in bacterial community structures between the ice worm and glacier surface samples. Several bacterial phylotypes were detected almost exclusively in the ice worms, and these bacteria were phylogenetically affiliated with either animal-associated lineages or, interestingly, clades mostly consisting of glacier-indigenous species. The former included bacteria that belong to Mollicutes, Chlamydiae, Rickettsiales, and Lachnospiraceae, while the latter included Arcicella and Herminiimonas phylotypes. Among these bacteria enriched in ice worm samples, Mollicutes, Arcicella, and Herminiimonas phylotypes were abundantly and consistently detected in the ice worm samples; these phylotypes constituted the core microbiota associated with the ice worm. A fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that Arcicella cells specifically colonized the epidermis of the ice worms. Other bacterial phylotypes detected in the ice worm samples were also abundantly recovered from the respective habitat glaciers; these bacteria may be food for ice worms to digest or temporary residents. Nevertheless, some were overrepresented in the ice worm RNA samples; they may also function as facultative gut bacteria. Our results indicate that the community structure of bacteria associated with ice worms is distinct from that in the associated glacier and includes worm-specific and facultative, glacier-indigenous lineages.

Chimpanzees were first kept in captivity in Japan in 1926. The Great Ape Information Network (GAIN) collated historical and current data on all chimpanzees housed in Japan between 1926 and 2013 (972 individuals). GAIN has made this information available on an open-access database, with a record for each chimpanzee. Aims of this resource are to promote and inform good scientific research, welfare, care, and management of captive chimpanzees in Japan. This review presents quantitative data on the number of chimpanzees housed in each facility-type, number of individuals per facility, and increases in the number of individuals (imported historically or born in Japan). Facilities were categorized according to purpose: 1) zoo exhibition and/or entertainment, 2) cognitive/behavioral studies, 3) biomedical, and 4) other (animal dealer or privately-owned as pets). By the 1970s, chimpanzees housed in captivity increased with the number of zoos. Many wild chimpanzees were imported from Africa for use in invasive biomedical studies in around 1980. Japan ratified CITES in 1980. The captive population peaked in the 1990s, before decreasing. Field studies and laboratory-based cognitive investigations of chimpanzees in the 1990s and 2000s swayed public opinion against biomedical use. In 2006, invasive study of chimpanzees in Japan was severely limited and, by mid-2012, completely stopped. Ex-biomedical chimpanzees were assigned to cognitive and welfare studies. Since the 1987 peak in number of facilities, number of chimpanzees housed per facility has generally increased. The GAIN database has tried to facilitate increasing awareness of the vital importance, to good welfare, of housing chimpanzees within social groups. On 31st March, 2014, there were 323 chimpanzees in 51 facilities. Data provided by GAIN, and summarized in this paper, will hopefully aid the establishment of an action plan for good welfare, care, management and reproduction strategies to develop a self-sustaining population of captive chimpanzees in Japan.

A new luminescent lignicolous fungal species, Mycena cristinae sp. nov., is proposed from the Central Amazon forest. This is unique and supported by morphological evaluation along with LSU- and ITS-based phylogenetic analyses. The basidiomata have mostly fuscous olivaceous brown pileus, adnate to subdecurrent and distant lamellae, and stipe with slightly bulbous base (basal mycelium absent). It also has inamyloid and/or weakly amyloid basidiospores, ramose cheilocystidia and a pileipellis composed of an aerated tangle of slender, diverticulate hyphae forming a coralloid pellicle overlaying the hypodermium. The luminescence is evident in the basidiomata (especially the stipe) and in the mycelium on the substrate. The LSU phylogenetic trees reveal that M. cristinae is sister to M. coralliformis within the Mycenaceae clade. In the ITS trees, it forms a unique lineage grouping with undetermined Mycena taxa. Morphological data support M. cristinae as a different species compared to previously described taxa.

Selective breeding of domestic dogs has created breeds that have various behavioral characteristics and unique morphologies. However, individual dogs within the same breed still show diversity in behavioral tendencies. Studies have demonstrated that a dog’s personality may be associated with that of the owner. However, most of these studies used a mixed sample of various breeds. Given the potential bias of owners with different personalities to choose different breeds, we should look at this correlation within the same breed. Here we tested whether five personality dimensions (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness) of owners were associated with their dogs’ personality (fearfulness, aggression toward people, activity/excitability, responsiveness to training, and aggression toward animals) in a single breed, Labrador Retrievers. The results showed that dogs’ aggression toward people was negatively associated with owners’ extroversion, and dogs’ responsiveness to training was positively associated with owners’ openness. In contrast, dogs’ fearfulness, activity/excitability, and aggression toward animals were free of the influence of owners’ personality. These results suggested that dogs’ personality is at least partly affected by the owners’ personality.

Abstract Delayed maturation in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with complex cognitive processing, has been proposed to be specific to humans. However, we found, using a longitudinal design, that prefrontal white matter volume in chimpanzees increased gradually with age, and the increase appears to continue beyond the onset of puberty, as in humans. This provides the first evidence for a prolonged period of prefrontal connection elaboration in great apes.

Kyoto City Zoo has collaborated with the Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University according to the partnership agreement on research and education in wildlife conservation since 2008. As a result of this collaboration, Kyoto City Zoo has established a new section, the "Center for Research and Education of Wildlife," to further promote research and education in the zoo. We have continued to run the "Exhibition of Intelligence" for more than seven years, with four species of primates: chimpanzees, western gorillas, white-handed gibbons, and mandrills. We have also observed various types of behaviors in giraffes, red pandas, Brazilian tapirs, and Humboldt penguins to understand the behaviors in each species. In November 2014, four Asian elephants were given to our zoo by Lao P. D. R. We have used this great opportunity to start various types of research on the elephants, collaborating with many university researchers. We also promote environmental education using this theme. I introduce the activities of research and education in the zoo from the perspective of the "four roles of modern zoos."

According to current trends in census size and reproduction, the Japanese golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos japonica) is at risk of extinction this century, leading the Japanese government to recognize the subspecies as endangered. It is now the focus of national conservation efforts, yet gaps remain in our knowledge regarding the reasons for the observed population decline and how best to improve the situation. Over recent decades, scientific research concerning golden eagle conservation in Japan, and in other parts of the world, has established a multi-disciplinary body of evidence that should support plans for species restoration. However, until now, these strands of research have been largely separate, limiting the potential benefits offered by an inter-disciplinary approach. In this paper, we provide an integrated review of Japanese golden eagle conservation science, including studies of ecology, genetics, veterinary health and habitat management. We assess the status and trends in the wild and captive populations; identify current and future conservation management interventions and discuss the opportunities for taking an integrated approach to Japanese golden eagle conservation science through in-situ and ex-situ viewpoint. This review, prepared by national and international experts in golden eagle biology and health, describes outstanding scientific questions alongside potential practical solutions. It sets out a framework for applied research that will provide the information and techniques required to successfully reverse the decline in golden eagle numbers, and hopefully secure the long-term future of the species in Japan.

Unlike nonhuman primates, individual differences between humans in dominance do not appear as broad personality factors. This may be attributable to differences between the questionnaires used to study human and nonhuman primate personality. Alternatively, this may reflect differences in the organization of personality in humans and nonhuman primates. To determine which of these possibilities was most likely, 1,147 participants were recruited and asked to rate their personality and/or that of somebody else on the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire (HPQ), which has been used to study nonhuman primate personality. A large subset of these participants (~80%) also completed self- and/or rater reports of one of three questionnaires used to measure human personality. Exploratory factor analyses of HPQ rater report data yielded five factors. These factors correlated mostly in expected ways with scales from questionnaires used to study human personality. Exploratory factor analyses of HPQ self-report data yielded no clear number of factors and no consistent evidence with respect to the presence of a dominance factor. Subsequent analyses compared HPQ scales that represented dominance factors in chimpanzees, bonobos, mountain gorillas, and orangutans to scales derived from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, including Fearless Dominance, which combined Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion facets, Emotional Stability (the inverse of Neuroticism), and Extraversion's Assertiveness facet. Fearless Dominance and Assertiveness were most like the great ape dominance factors. The absence of human dominance factors, therefore, appears to reflect present or past social conditions of our species. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Great Ape Information Network has collated and archived information on captive chimpanzees within Japan since 2002. As of July 1st, 2014, a total of 323 chimpanzees were housed within 52 facilities across Japan, all registered in the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) studbook. JAZA has recorded information on captive chimpanzees within Japan since the 1980s. However, for individuals unregistered and/or deceased prior to this period, JAZA holds scant information. There are very few surviving reports on living conditions and husbandry of such individuals, particularly for the years preceding the Second World War (WWII) (up to 1945). Here we present the first detailed history of captive chimpanzees in Japan before WWII, following a systematic investigation of disparate records. The first record of any live chimpanzee within Japan was a chimpanzee accompanying an Italian travelling circus in 1921. The history of resident captive chimpanzees in Japan began in 1927 when a chimpanzee, imported into Japan by a visitor, was exhibited in Osaka zoo. In the 1930s, many chimpanzee infants were imported to Japanese zoos until in 1941 imports were halted because of WWII. By the end of WWII, there was only one single chimpanzee still alive within Japan, “Bamboo”, housed in Nagoya. In 1951, importation of wild chimpanzees into Japan resumed. In total, we identified 28 individuals housed within Japan before 1945, none listed previously in the JAZA studbook. Of these 28 individuals: 6 entered Japan as pets and/or circus animals, 21 were imported to zoos, and one was stillborn in zoo. Of the 21 zoo-housed individuals, 7 died within one year and 9 of the remaining 14 were dead within 5 years of arriving in Japan. Four individuals are recorded to have lived 7-8 years. Only one male individual, the aforementioned “Bamboo”, lived notably longer, to about 14 years.

Comparative studies can help identify selective pressures that contributed to species differences in the number and composition of personality domains. Despite being adapted to an aquatic lifestyle and last sharing a common ancestor with primates some 95 million years ago, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) resemble nonhuman primate species in several behavioral and cognitive traits. For example, like chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), dolphins live in fission-fusion societies, use tools, and have relatively large brains. To determine the extent to which these and other factors contribute to the evolution of dolphin personality, we examined personality structure in 134 bottlenose dolphins. Personality was measured in 49 dolphins using a 42-item questionnaire, and in 85 dolphins using a version of the questionnaire that included 7 additional items. We found four domains. Three-Openness, Sociability, and Disagreeableness-resembled personality domains found in nonhuman primates and other species. The fourth, Directedness, was a blend of high Conscientiousness and low Neuroticism and was unique to dolphins. Unlike other species, but like humans, dolphins did not appear to have a strong Dominance domain. The overlap in personality structure between dolphins and other species suggests that selective pressures, such as those related to group structure, terrestrial lifestyles, morphology, and social learning or tool use are not necessary for particular domains to evolve within a species. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Nearly 60 primate species consume fungi as a part of their diet, where some species are heavily dependent on fungi, while others use them as minor food resources. Three methods have been used to study mycophagy (fungus-eating behavior) among primates: stomach content analysis, direct observation, and fecal analysis. Direct observation is the most widely used but provides only limited information regarding fungi species eaten by animals. DNA analysis or stable isotope analysis can complement such behavioral data to reveal new insights into mycophagy. Fungi play an important role in maintaining healthy forest by forming mycorrhiza with plant species. Mycophagous primates disperse fugal spores therefore might also contribute to the forest ecosystems. Regardless of their potential as spore dispersers, far fewer studies focus on primates compared with those on other mycophagous mammals such as rodents and marsupials. Studies show that primates generally consume above-ground fungi, while rodents and marsupials use subterranean truffles. Considering the facts that some terrestrial fungi are highly poisonous and that primates build a food repertoire based on feeding experiences, we are confronted with a question of whether they learn how to avoid poisonous fungi. New perspectives and approaches will allow us to explore the animal-fungus relationship in the ecosystem.

Primatology in Japan after the World War II began in the late 1940s with the observation of shy wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) from more than 100 m. Depending on artificial feeding students succeeded to observe macaques within a short distance and identified each individual. Individual identification of calm free-ranging macaques within a short distance made it possible to record individual and social behavior of each identified individual in detail; long-lasting kin-recognition between a mother and her offspring, dominance relations among individuals and kin-groups, and then, social organization. Artificial feeding is a form of semi-experimental manipulation introduced into the wild monkey groups. This paper showed how students contributed to the primate studies under such a condition at Koshima, Takasakiyama and Katsuyama. Some behaviors, particularly cultural ones, were found only in the artificially-fed groups. Some other exceptional or uncommon phenomena or behaviors seen in non-artificially-fed groups were recorded, with many episodes sufficient for statistical analysis at artificially-fed groups. As far as we are cautious that artificial feeding is semi-experimental manipulation on the wild monkey groups, we can find out more about the important nature of human and non-human primates and evolutionary relations of them.

Leprosy is suspected to develop after a long period of latency following infection with Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) during infancy, but definitive proof has been lacking. We found a rare case of leprosy in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) born in West Africa (Sierra Leone) and brought to Japan around 2 years of age. At 31, the ape started exhibiting pathognomic signs of leprosy. Pathological diagnosis, skin smear, serum anti-phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) antibody, and by PCR analysis demonstrated lepromatous leprosy. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis verified the West African origin of the bacilli. This occurrence suggests the possibility of leprosy being endemic among wild chimpanzees in West Africa, potentially posing a zoonotic risk.

Here, we have reported two cases of diurnal stillbirths in free-ranging groups of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), Arashiyama and Koshima groups. One infant was born prematurely and in breech position, while the other seemed to be a full-term infant born in front position. The two mothers had little interaction with other members of the group throughout parturition. The group members, except for juveniles, also showed little interest in the mothers. The mother of the infant born in the breech position licked the body of the infant, as in the case of live births. Moreover, both mothers carried the infants ventrally. However, the two mothers also showed behaviors that were different from those usually observed after a live birth. The mother of the infant born in breech position tore parts of the infant's skin and ate them. The other mother dragged the infant by grabbing the umbilical cord. Previous studies have reported that mothers carry infants that died after birth, but it was unclear whether interactions with live infants were required for such maternal behavior. Our observations suggest that some maternal behaviors can be observed even when the infants die before parturition. At the same time, the cases reported by us show the possibility that infants born dead may influence the expression of certain unusual behaviors.

We observed 4 cases of aggressive response of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) toward a Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys) at the feeding site of the Katsuyama group.When a Japanese giant flying squirrel glided over to a tree at the feeding site, almost all the adult and subadult monkeys resting around the tree mobbed the flying squirrel with threatening sounds. Immature monkeys aged ≤ 2 years screamed, and the mothers retrieved their infants immediately on spotting the flying squirrel. Several peculiar high-rank adult males and females chased, threatened, and attacked the flying squirrel for 25-114 minutes, but mothers with infants seldom approached the flying squirrel. High-ranking adult males had a greater tendency to perform agonistic displays toward the flying squirrel than low-ranking adult males and females.Our observation and previous reports about interspecific encounters suggest that Japanese macaques recognize the Japanese giant flying squirrel as being in the same category as raptors, which prey on Japanese macaques. This explains why the monkeys respond aggressively, which is typical of antipredator behavior, to the common behavioral features of the flying squirrel and raptor-gliding and descending nearby. However, this aggressive response does not seem to benefit monkeys in terms of avoiding predators because the flying squirrel is not actually a predator. There are 2 other possible benefits. Their sensitivity to behavioral features that resemble those of the raptors may improve their efficiency in terms of antipredator behavior towards actual predators such as raptors. In addition, adult or subadult male monkeys may display their fitness to potential mates by performing agonistic displays in response to the Japanese giant flying squirrel.In order to better understand the relationship between Japanese macaques and other species, it is necessary to establish a system for collecting and sharing data on rarely observed cases.

日本の動物園でキリンなどに一般的に給餌されている4樹種（ニセアカシア，シラカシ，トウネズミモチ，ヤマモモ）を対象に，1）葉重量と枝切断面直径の関係から樹葉給餌量推定法の確立を行い，2）樹葉の栄養含量とその季節変化を評価し，飼料としての有効性を明らかにすることを目的とした．回帰分析の結果，枝切断面直径（X）から葉重量（Y）を推定することが可能であることが示された（全樹種を合わせた回帰式：Y＝0.819X2.028，R2＝0.784，P<0.001）．樹葉の栄養含量については樹種ごとに異なる季節変化が認められ，葉の更新・加齢だけでなく，冬季および越冬後の環境変化の影響が示唆された．結合性タンパク質（BP）は，すべての樹種で極めて高い値となり（23.5-79.8%CP），採食量や消化率の低下に注意が必要であることが示唆された．

The purpose of this survey was to further enhance the academic and social contributions that primatology in Japan has made to date by identifying the current needs of Primate Society of Japan (PSJ) members and what is needed to create an environment in which members can have open discussion.