MULTIVARIATE COMPARISON OF THE FORELIMB BETWEEN STUMP-TAILED AND RHESUS MACAQUES

Rhesus macaques and stump-tailed macaques are sympatric in western Yunnan (China), coexisting or occupying habitats that show little difference. This paper tests hypotheses based on theoretical expectation from the differing biomechanical demands of terrestrial and arboreal quadrupedalism in stump-tailed macaques and rhesus macaques, respectively. Individuals of these two macaque taxa were markedly separated by the first two principal components and discriminant analyses based on 18 variables of the upper limb. The rhesus macaques appear to be more adapted for arboreal quadruped habits because of elongation of the clavicle and forearm, a larger humeral head and greater midshaft sagittal diameters of the radius and ulna.

Mandibular variation among Chinese macaques

In order to clarify the degree to which mandibular variation among Chinese macaques results from functional adaptation and phylogenetic inertia, 13 mandibular variables were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate techniques. The results indicate, not surprisingly, that the main differences in the mandible are associated with size. The study further implies that the variation between species is not closely associated with differences in functional adaptation even though the dietary and related differences are large compared to the situation in other macaques. The great variety in diet and related factors among Chinese macaques may not have yet resulted in a significant variation in the mandible. This may be because their radiation in Asia, though involving considerably greater differences in habitat, climate, and so on, has occurred more recently than for other macaque species in Southeast Asia. Mandibular variation between these species, therefore, is likely to be more closely tied to their immediate prior phylogenetic history. For example, the two stump-tailed macaques are closely similar and are also closely similar to the Assam species. Function in the mandible in these species is quite different. The results, therefore, seem to support the hypothesis that these three macaque species should be placed in a single species-group (sinica) as proposed by Delson [1980], Pan [1998], and Pan et al. [1998]. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Influence of Age and Sex on the Cell Counts of Peripheral Blood Leukocyte Subpopulations in Chinese Rhesus Macaques

therapeutic drugs, vaccines and mechanisms of human diseases. Little is known about the normal levels of leukocyte subpopulations of Chinese rhesus macaques. To obtain these data, 100 blood samples from Chinese rhesus macaques were collected. The normal range of major leukocyte subpopulations, such as T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, monocytes, myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), were quantitatively analyzed by flow cytometry through BD trucount tubes. The influence of age and sex on the cell counts of leukocyte subpopulations was analyzed. The counts of CD3+ T cells, CD3+CD4+ T cells, CD3+CD8+ T cells and B cells decreased with age, but those of monocytes, mDCs and pDCs had no significant correlation with age. Significant differences existed in the cell counts of most leukocyte subpopulations between the male and female groups except pDCs. Furthermore the values of the females were higher than those of the males. The study provided basic information about the leukocyte subpopulations of Chinese rhesus macaques, and it may be valuable for immunobiological study of Chinese rhesus macaques. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2009;6(6):433-440.

黑白仰鼻猴（Rhinopithecus bieti）的种群现状、云南境内生境退化和藏猕猴（Macaca thibetana）的叫声

黑白仰鼻猴仅分布于滇西北和藏东南境内，金沙江和澜沧江间的一个狭小区域内。根据以前的研究结果，将暗针叶林和针阔混交林定义为其适宜生境（SH）黑白仰鼻猴的适宜生境由于当地人砍树烧树形成夏季高山牧场逐渐被侵蚀。为了解云南省境内黑白仰鼻猴适宜生境的现状，我们比较了1997年卫星图片和1958年以航片为基础绘制的地形图上夏季牧场和适宜生境的面积，得到以下结果：1）1997年黑白仰鼻猴的适宜生境面积为4169平方公里；2）夏季牧场面积为1923平方公里；3）过去的40年中，适宜生境面积减少了31％（1887平方公里），夏季牧场面积增加了204％（1291平方公里）；4）森林斑块的平均面积从15.6平方公．里减小到5.4平方公里。另外，夏季牧场的面积和当地人口成正相关（R2=053），这意味着黑白仰鼻猴生境的减少和破碎化是当地传统生产方式和人口增长共同作用的结果。目前在云南和西藏境内分别尚存11群和2群黑白仰鼻猴。

藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)电刺激采精、精液冻存和精子活力的检测

本文研究中国特有的藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)电刺激采精、精液冻存及精子活力检测。用电刺激方案[(DDR)_(17-c)V]：延搁(delay)17毫秒、间期(duration)17毫秒、刺激频率17脉冲／秒、单方波变电压连续刺激，对笼养藏酋猴进行电刺激采精，测定精液的各种特征参数，包括每次射精量、液化率、精子密度、运动精子的百分率、死活精子以及异常精子比例。并与其它非人灵长类进行了比较。在精液冻存实验中，通过对不同的防冻液、不同的降温程序及防冻液分散系的比较研究，从而确定了适于藏酋猴精液冻存的冻存方案：PSF-4%的甘油-TH-7.5%的小牛血清(PSF-TH/FBS-G)和PSF-MDM。用前一方案冻存藏酋猴精液，复苏运动度为63.58±0.06%；精子的存活率为90.14±0.03%(n=5)。冻存精液用金黄地鼠裸穿透分析法检测，结果表明具有相应新鲜精液穿透力的51.90±0.08%。后一冻存方案能保存88.00±1.03%的运动精子，但运动寿命较短。研究结果表明：1).刺激方案(DDR)_(17-c)V适于藏酋猴的电刺激采精。2).藏酋猴的精液量和精子数在已有过研究的非人灵长类动物中是最多的，藏酋猴有可能成为较理想的精子生物学研究用的非人灵长类动物。3).脂蛋白对维持精子膜的完整可能有重要作用。4).接近生理条件的防冻剂分散系有助于精液的冻存。5).两种冻存方案PSF-TH/FBS-G和PSF-MDM均适于藏酋猴的精液冻存。

Serotonin transporter genotype modulates social reward and punishment in rhesus macaques

Background: Serotonin signaling influences social behavior in both human and nonhuman primates. In humans, variation upstream of the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) has recently been shown to influence both behavioral measures of social anxiety and amygdala response to social threats. Here we show that length polymorphisms in 5-HTTLPR predict social reward and punishment in rhesus macaques, a species in which 5-HTTLPR variation is analogous to that of humans. Methodology/Principal Findings: In contrast to monkeys with two copies of the long allele (L/L), monkeys with one copy of the short allele of this gene (S/L) spent less time gazing at face than non-face images, less time looking in the eye region of faces, and had larger pupil diameters when gazing at photos of a high versus low status male macaques. Moreover, in a novel primed gambling task, presentation of photos of high status male macaques promoted risk-aversion in S/L monkeys but promoted risk-seeking in L/L monkeys. Finally, as measured by a "pay-per-view" task, S/L monkeys required juice payment to view photos of high status males, whereas L/L monkeys sacrificed fluid to see the same photos. Conclusions/Significance: These data indicate that genetic variation in serotonin function contributes to social reward and punishment in rhesus macaques, and thus shapes social behavior in humans and rhesus macaques alike. © 2009 Watson et al.

Convergent differential regulation of parvalbumin in the brains of vocal learners.

Spoken language and learned song are complex communication behaviors found in only a few species, including humans and three groups of distantly related birds--songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds. Despite their large phylogenetic distances, these vocal learners show convergent behaviors and associated brain pathways for vocal communication. However, it is not clear whether this behavioral and anatomical convergence is associated with molecular convergence. Here we used oligo microarrays to screen for genes differentially regulated in brain nuclei necessary for producing learned vocalizations relative to adjacent brain areas that control other behaviors in avian vocal learners versus vocal non-learners. A top candidate gene in our screen was a calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV). In situ hybridization verification revealed that PV was expressed significantly higher throughout the song motor pathway, including brainstem vocal motor neurons relative to the surrounding brain regions of all distantly related avian vocal learners. This differential expression was specific to PV and vocal learners, as it was not found in avian vocal non-learners nor for control genes in learners and non-learners. Similar to the vocal learning birds, higher PV up-regulation was found in the brainstem tongue motor neurons used for speech production in humans relative to a non-human primate, macaques. These results suggest repeated convergent evolution of differential PV up-regulation in the brains of vocal learners separated by more than 65-300 million years from a common ancestor and that the specialized behaviors of learned song and speech may require extra calcium buffering and signaling.

Spatial and temporal scales of neuronal correlation in visual area V4.

The spiking activity of nearby cortical neurons is correlated on both short and long time scales. Understanding this shared variability in firing patterns is critical for appreciating the representation of sensory stimuli in ensembles of neurons, the coincident influences of neurons on common targets, and the functional implications of microcircuitry. Our knowledge about neuronal correlations, however, derives largely from experiments that used different recording methods, analysis techniques, and cortical regions. Here we studied the structure of neuronal correlation in area V4 of alert macaques using recording and analysis procedures designed to match those used previously in primary visual cortex (V1), the major input to V4. We found that the spatial and temporal properties of correlations in V4 were remarkably similar to those of V1, with two notable differences: correlated variability in V4 was approximately one-third the magnitude of that in V1 and synchrony in V4 was less temporally precise than in V1. In both areas, spontaneous activity (measured during fixation while viewing a blank screen) was approximately twice as correlated as visual-evoked activity. The results provide a foundation for understanding how the structure of neuronal correlation differs among brain regions and stages in cortical processing and suggest that it is likely governed by features of neuronal circuits that are shared across the visual cortex.