Metrical dental analysis on golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)

Dental variation in the Chinese golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is here evaluated by univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Allometric analyses indicate that canines and P3s are positively, but other dimensions negatively scaled to mandible and maxilla, and to body size. With the exception of the mesiodistal dimensions of I-1 and M-3, and the buccolingual dimension of Pq, mandibular dental variables show similar scaling relative to body size. Analysis of residuals shows that males have significantly larger canine, P-3 and buccolingual dimensions of the postcanine teeth (M-2 and M-3) than females. A significant difference in shape between the sexes is found in the buccolingual dimension of the upper teeth, but not in the mandible. Unlike the situation in some other species, Female golden monkeys do nor exhibit relatively larger postcanine teeth than males, in fact, the reverse is true, especially for M(2)s and M(3)s. The fact that most of the dental variables show low negative allometry to body size might be related a cold environment that has led to the development of larger body size with I-educed energy loss. When the raw data are examined by Discriminant Function Analysis the sexes are clearly distinguishable.

Improved suppression of circulating complement does not block acute vascular rejection of pig-to-rhesus monkey cardiac transplants

At present, acute vascular rejection (AVR) remains a primary obstacle inhibiting long-term graft survival in the pig-to-non-human primate transplant model. The present study was undertaken to determine whether repetitive injection of low dose Yunnan-cobra venom factor (Y-CVF), a potent complement inhibitor derived from the venom of Naja kaouthia can completely abrogate hemolytic complement activity and subsequently improve the results in a pig-to-rhesus monkey heterotopic heart transplant model. Nine adult rhesus monkeys received a heterotopic heart transplant from wild-type pigs and the recipients were allocated into two groups: group 1 (n = 4) received repetitive injection of low dose Y-CVF until the end of the study and group 2 (n = 5) did not receive Y-CVF. All recipients were treated with cyclosporine A (CsA), cyclophosphamide (CyP) and steroids. Repetitive Y-CVF treatment led to very dramatic fall in CH50 and serum C3 levels (CH50 < 3 units/C3 remained undetectable throughout the experiment) and successfully prevented hyperacute rejection (HAR), while three of five animals in group 2 underwent HAR. However, the continuous suppression of circulating complement did not prevent AVR and the grafts in group 1 survived from 8 to 13 days. Despite undetectable C3 in circulating blood, C3 deposition was present in these grafts. The venular thrombosis was the predominant histopathologic feature of AVR. We conclude that repetitive injection of low dose Y-CVF can be used to continuously suppress circulating complement in a very potent manner and successfully prevent HAR. However, this therapy did not inhibit complement deposition in the graft and failed to prevent AVR. These data suggest that using alternative pig donors [i.e. human decay accelerating factor (hDAF)-transgenic] in combination with the systemic use of complement inhibitors may be necessary to further control complement activation and improve survival in pig-to-non-human primate xenotransplant model.

Establishment of AIDS Animal Model with SIVmac239 Infected Chinese Rhesus Monkey

In the present research, two Chinese rhesus monkeys were inoculated intravenously with 5000 TCID50 of SIVmac239. The changes in the numbers of CD4+ T lymphocyte in peripheral blood, plasma viral loads, proviral DNA and humoral antibodies against virus were periodically monitored during 121 days. At the early stage of infection, proviral DNA had been detected in PBMCs, and infectious SIVmac239 virus had been isolated from PBMCs. At the same period, the numbers of CD4+ T lymphocytes were significantly decreased, and maintained at low level during the 121-day period of infection. Plasma viral loads reached the peak at week 2 post-inoculation and kept at a steady state subsequently. Moreover, antibodies against viral proteins were detected from plasma. All the results showed that the two Chinese rhesus monkeys had been infected with SIVmac239 successfully. This animal model can be applied for further AIDS researches.

Spider monkey home ranges: A comparison of radio telemetry and direct observation

The ranging patterns of two male and five female spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) were studied with the use of radio telemetry in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. The average size of a spider monkey home range was 62.4 hectares; however, range size varied with sex, and, for females, with the presence of a dependent infant. The probability of encountering a radio‐collared spider monkey in a three‐hour search using radio telemetry (0.91) was much greater than using a visual search (0.20), and telemetric data resulted in a larger estimate of mean home range size than did observational data, when all subjects were compared. However, the difference appeared to be owing to the presence of male ranges in the telemetric, but not the observational, data. When the size of home ranges derived from radio‐tracking data for adult females was compared to size of ranges for adult females derived from observations, the results were not significantly different. Adult males had larger home ranges than adult females, thus lending support to the hypothesis that males have adapted to the dispersion of females by occupying a large home range that overlaps the ranges of several adult females. The smallest home ranges were occupied by low‐weight females with dependent infants, perhaps reflecting social and energetic constraints. Copyright © 1988 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company

Field methods for capture and measurement of three monkey species in Costa Rica.

A total of 54 free-ranging monkeys were captured and marked in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, during May 1985, and an additional 17 were captured during March 1986. The animals were darted using a blowpipe or a CO2 gun. The drugs used were Ketaset, Sernylan and Telazol. Ketaset was effective for Cebus capucinus but unsuccessful for Alouatta palliata and Ateles geoffroyi. Sernylan was successful for A. geoffroyi and A. palliata but is no longer commercially available. Telazol proved to be an excellent alternative capture drug for both A. palliata and A. geoffroyi.

Group takeover by a natal male howling monkey (Alouatta palliata) and associated disappearance and injuries of immatures

As part of a long-term study on howling monkey behavior and social dynamics, a known natal male was observed taking over his group from his putative sire. Due to the accidental death of one of the adult males, this natal male had matured in a one-male group and had never observed juvenile male emigration nor adult male immigration and associated behaviors. Nevertheless, the behaviors associated with the takeover were indistinguishable from those of an immigrant male, including disappearance of immatures, one of whom was found with extensive injuries. While it cannot be said that the natal male inherited these behaviors from his presumed father, it can be said that he exhibited species-typical behaviors associated with male takeover in the absence of observational learning. © 1994 Japan Monkey Centre.

Oldest known cranium of a juvenile New World monkey (Early Miocene, Patagonia, Argentina): implications for the taxonomy and the molar eruption pattern of early platyrrhines.

A juvenile cranium of Homunculus patagonicus Ameghino, 1891a from the late Early Miocene of Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) provides the first evidence of developing cranial anatomy for any fossil platyrrhine. The specimen preserves the rostral part of the cranium with deciduous and permanent alveoli and teeth. The dental eruption sequence in the new specimen and a reassessment of eruption patterns in living and fossil platyrrhines suggest that the ancestral platyrrhine pattern of tooth replacement was for the permanent incisors to erupt before M(1), not an accelerated molar eruption (before the incisors) as recently proposed. Two genera and species of Santacrucian monkeys are now generally recognized: H. patagonicus Ameghino, 1891a and Killikaike blakei Tejedor et al., 2006. Taxonomic allocation of Santacrucian monkeys to these species encounters two obstacles: 1) the (now lost) holotype and a recently proposed neotype of H. patagonicus are mandibles from different localities and different geologic members of the Santa Cruz Formation, separated by approximately 0.7 million years, whereas the holotype of K. blakei is a rostral part of a cranium without a mandible; 2) no Santacrucian monkey with associated cranium and mandible has ever been found. Bearing in mind these uncertainties, our examination of the new specimen as well as other cranial specimens of Santacrucian monkeys establishes the overall dental and cranial similarity between the holotype of Killikaike blakei, adult cranial material previously referred to H. patagonicus, and the new juvenile specimen. This leads us to conclude that Killikaike blakei is a junior subjective synonym of H. patagonicus.

Partial structure of the phylloxin gene from the giant monkey frog, Phyllomedusa bicolor: parallel cloning of precursor cDNA and genomic DNA from lyophilized skin secretion

Phylloxin is a novel prototype antimicrobial peptide from the skin of Phyllomedusa bicolor. Here, we describe parallel identification and sequencing of phylloxin precursor transcript (mRNA) and partial gene structure (genomic DNA) from the same sample of lyophilized skin secretion using our recently-described cloning technique. The open-reading frame of the phylloxin precursor was identical in nucleotide sequence to that previously reported and alignment with the nucleotide sequence derived from genomic DNA indicated the presence of a 175 bp intron located in a near identical position to that found in the dermaseptins. The highly-conserved structural organization of skin secretion peptide genes in P. bicolor can thus be extended to include that encoding phylloxin (plx). These data further reinforce our assertion that application of the described methodology can provide robust genomic/transcriptomic/peptidomic data without the need for specimen sacrifice.

Dermatoxin and phylloxin from the waxy monkey frog, Phyllomedusa sauvagei: cloning of precursor cDNAs and structural characterization from lyophilized skin secretion

Amphibian skin is a morphologically, biochemically and physiologically complex organ that performs the wide range of functions necessary for amphibian survival. Here we describe the primary structures of representatives of two novel classes of amphibian skin antimicrobials, dermatoxin and phylloxin, from the skin secretion of Phyllomedusa sauvagei, deduced from their respective precursor encoding cDNAs cloned from a lyophilized skin secretion library. A degenerate primer, designed to a highly conserved domain in the 5'-untranslated region of analogous peptide precursor cDNAs from Phyllomedusa bicolor, was employed in a 3'-RACE reaction. Peptides with molecular masses coincident with precursor-deduced mature toxin peptides were identified in LC/MS fractions of skin secretion and primary structures were confirmed by MS/MS fragmentation. This integrated experimental approach can thus rapidly expedite the primary structural characterization of amphibian skin peptides in a manner that circumvents specimen sacrifice whilst preserving robustness of scientific data.