ScienceDaily: Monkey News

Oldest evidence of split between Old World monkeys and apes: Primate fossils are 25 million years old

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Two fossil discoveries from the East African Rift reveal new information about the evolution of primates, according to a new study.

When green means danger: A stunning new species of palm-pitviper from Honduras

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:29 EDT

A remarkable new species of bright green palm-viper has been discovered in a threatened cloud forest in Honduras, and is named to honor grassroots conservationist Mario Guifarro, who was assassinated in 2007. Despite being superficially similar to other Honduran palm pitvipers, the closest relative to the new species lives over 600 km to the south in Costa Rica.

Brain frontal lobes not sole center of human intelligence, comparative research suggests

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Human intelligence cannot be explained by the size of the brain's frontal lobes, say researchers. Research into the comparative size of the frontal lobes in humans and other species has determined that they are not -- as previously thought -- disproportionately enlarged relative to other areas of the brain, according to the most accurate and conclusive study of this area of the brain. It concludes that the size of our frontal lobes cannot solely account for humans' superior cognitive abilities.

Monkey math: Baboons show brain's ability to understand numbers

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:27:27 EDT

Opposing thumbs, expressive faces, complex social systems: it's hard to miss the similarities between apes and humans. Now a new study with a troop of zoo baboons and lots of peanuts shows that a less obvious trait -- the ability to understand numbers -- also is shared by humans and their primate cousins.

Primate hibernation more common than previously thought

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:47:47 EDT

Until recently, the only primate known to hibernate as a survival strategy was a creature called the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, a tropical tree-dweller from the African island of Madagascar. But it turns out this hibernating lemur isn't alone.

'When in Rome': Monkeys found to conform to social norms

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

The human tendency to adopt the behavior of others when on their home territory has been found in non-human primates. Researchers observed 'striking' fickleness in male monkeys, when it comes to copying the behavior of others in new groups. The study has been hailed by leading primate experts as rare experimental proof of 'cultural transmission' in wild primates to date.

Treatment for novel coronavirus shows promise in early lab tests

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:01:01 EDT

Scientists studying an emerging coronavirus have found that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs, ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b, can stop the virus from replicating in laboratory-grown cells. These results suggest that the drug combination could be used to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus, but more research is needed to confirm this preliminary finding.

Eating solid food early sets marmosets on path to obesity

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

Baby marmoset monkeys that began eating solid food earlier than their peers were significantly more likely to be obese at one year of age, scientists have found.

Rare primate's vocal lip-smacks share features of human speech

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:31:31 EDT

The vocal lip-smacks that geladas use in friendly encounters have surprising similarities to human speech, according to a new study. The geladas, which live only in the mountains of Ethiopia, are the only nonhuman primate known to communicate with such a speech-like, undulating rhythm. Calls of other monkeys and apes are typically one or two syllables and lack those rapid fluctuations in pitch and volume.

Scientists develop monkey model to study novel coronavirus infection

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:02:02 EDT

Researchers have developed a model of infection in rhesus macaques that will help scientists around the world better understand how an emerging coronavirus, first identified in Sept. 2012, affects people. The virus has so far infected at least 17 people in the Middle East and Europe, killing 11 of them.

Monkey study reveals why middle managers suffer the most stress

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

A study observing monkeys has found that those in the middle hierarchy suffer the most social stress. Their work suggests that the source of this stress is social conflict and may help explain studies in humans that have found that middle managers suffer the most stress at work.

How diabetes drug delays aging in worms

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

A widely prescribed type 2 diabetes drug slows down the aging process by mimicking the effects of dieting, according to a study using worms to investigate how the drug works.

In solving social dilemmas, vervet monkeys get by with a little patience

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:50:50 EDT

People could learn a lot from vervet monkeys. When vervets need to work together, they don't tell each other what to do or punish uncooperative behavior. But according to new evidence, they do get by, with a little patience.

Tarsiers' bulging eyes shed light on evolution of human vision

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:25:25 EDT

After eons of wandering in the dark, primates developed highly acute, three-color vision that permitted them to shift to daytime living, a new study suggests. The findings challenge the prevailing view that trichromatic color vision, a hallmark of primate evolution, evolved only after they started getting up with the sun, a shift that gave rise to anthropoid (higher) primates, which, in turn, gave rise to the human lineage.

Lemur lookalikes are two new species, DNA says

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

Scientists have identified two new species of mouse lemur, the saucer-eyed, teacup-sized primates native to the African island of Madagascar.

Pavlov inverted: Reward linked to image is enough to activate brain's visual cortex

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:29:29 EDT

Once rhesus monkeys learn to associate a picture with a reward, the reward by itself becomes enough to alter the activity in the monkeys' visual cortex.

Hunting for meat impacts on rainforest, fruit tree seed dispersal

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Hunting for meat in the African rainforests has halved the number of primates. However, the hunting also has other negative consequences. The decline in the number of primates causes a reduction in the dispersal of seed by the primates, and this leads to a reduction in the numbers of important fruit trees and changes to the rainforest.

Fluorescent neural cells from monkey skin mature into several types of brain cells in monkeys

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:46:46 EDT

For the first time, scientists have transplanted neural cells derived from a monkey's skin into its brain and watched the cells develop into several types of mature brain cells, according to a new study. After six months, the cells looked entirely normal, and were only detectable because they initially were tagged with a fluorescent protein.

Where the wild things go … when there's nowhere else

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:57:57 EST

The presence of endangered cats and primates in swamp forests might be seriously overlooked. Recent research concludes that swamp forests beg further exploration as places where endangered species have preserved their numbers -- and where humans could potentially preserve them into the future.

Nut-cracking monkeys use shapes to strategize their use of tools

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 EST

Bearded capuchin monkeys deliberately place palm nuts in a stable position on a surface before trying to crack them open, revealing their capacity to use tactile information to improve tool use.

Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:07:07 EST

Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.

Brain prostheses create a sense of touch: Infrared signaling could create sense of touch in artificial limbs

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:41:41 EST

Infrared sensing might be built into a whole-body prosthesis for paraplegics so patients wearing the "exoskeleton" could have sensory information about where their limbs are and how objects feel when they touch them.

Most comprehensive tree of life shows placental mammal diversity exploded after age of dinosaurs

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:14:14 EST

Scientists have generated the most comprehensive tree of life to date on placental mammals, which are those bearing live young, including bats, rodents, whales and humans.

First artificial enzyme created by evolution in a test tube

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:24:24 EST

A wobbly new biochemical structure in one scientist's lab may resemble what enzymes looked like billions of years ago, when life on Earth began to evolve -- long before they became ingredients for new and improved products, from detergents to foods and fuels.

Primates, too, can move in unison

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:19:19 EST

Primates modify their body movements to be in tune with others, just like humans do. Humans unconsciously modify their movements to be in synchrony with their peers. For example, we adapt our pace to walk in step or clap in unison at the end of a concert. This phenomenon is thought to reflect bonding and facilitate human interaction. Researchers report that pairs of macaque monkeys also spontaneously coordinate their movements to reach synchrony.

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:36:36 EST

Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least five million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to new study. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

Owl monkeys who 'stay true' reproduce more than those with multiple partners

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:52:52 EST

Breaking up is hard to do -- and can be detrimental to one's reproductive fitness, according to a new study. Focusing on wide-eyed, nocturnal owl monkeys, considered a socially monogamous species, the research reveals that, when an owl monkey pair is severed by an intruding individual, the mate who takes up with a new partner produces fewer offspring than a monkey who sticks with its tried-and-true partner.

Parasites of Madagascar's lemurs expanding with climate change

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:50:50 EST

Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns in Madagascar could fuel the spread of lemur parasites and the diseases they carry.

Better outlook for dwindling black macaque population in Indonesia

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:34:34 EST

Since at least the 1970s, the population of critically endangered Sulawesi black macaques living in an Indonesian nature reserve has been dropping. But a new study shows that the population has stabilized over the past decade.

Monkeys stressed from longer foraging times

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:21:21 EST

Disturbed habitats are resulting in increasingly poor diets for monkeys, and the additional time required to find food is causing concerning levels of stress in endangered primates.

Bats are reservoir for Ebola virus in Bangladesh

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:38:38 EST

Ebola virus antibodies were circulating in ~4% of the 276 bats scientists screened in Bangladesh.

Scientists identify protective role for antibodies in ebola vaccine study

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:15:15 EST

Researchers have found that an experimental vaccine elicits antibodies that can protect nonhuman primates from Ebola virus infection. Ebola virus causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates, meaning that infection may lead to shock, bleeding and multi-organ failure. According to the World Health Organization, Ebola hemorrhagic fever has a fatality rate of up to 90 percent. There is no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola virus infection.

Networking ability a family trait in monkeys

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:06:06 EST

Two years of painstaking observation on the social interactions of a troop of free-ranging monkeys and an analysis of their family trees has found signs of natural selection affecting the behavior of the descendants.

Decision to give a group effort in the brain

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:27:27 EST

A monkey would probably never agree that it is better to give than to receive, but they do apparently get some reward from giving to another monkey. During a task in which rhesus macaques had control over whether they or another monkey would receive a squirt of fruit juice, three distinct areas of the brain were found to be involved in weighing benefits to oneself against benefits to the other, according to new research.

Disaster map predicts bleak future for mammals

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:41:41 EST

Mammals could be at a greater risk of extinction due to predicted increases in extreme weather conditions, according to a new paper.

Rhesus monkeys cannot hear the beat in music

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:49:49 EST

Beat induction, the ability to pick up regularity -- the beat -- from a varying rhythm, is not an ability that rhesus monkeys possess, researchers have found.

Sexual and social behavior modified by serotonin system drugs

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:30:30 EST

Drugs that bind to specific serotonin receptors in the brain can both improve and impair female sexual function in non-human primates.

Stem cell research provides hope for infertile cancer survivors: Transplanted stem cells could preserve male fertility

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:46:46 EST

A professor has demonstrated in rhesus monkeys that it is possible to remove testicular stem cells prior to chemotherapy, freeze them and later, after cancer treatments, transplant the cells where they can restart sperm production and restore fertility.

Monkey business: What howler monkeys can tell us about the role of interbreeding in human evolution

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:16:16 EST

Did different species of early humans interbreed and produce offspring of mixed ancestry? Recent genetic studies suggest that Neanderthals may have bred with anatomically modern humans tens of thousands of years ago in the Middle East, contributing to the modern human gene pool. But the findings are not universally accepted, and the fossil record has not helped to clarify the role of interbreeding, which is also known as hybridization. Now a study of interbreeding between two species of modern-day howler monkeys in Mexico is shedding light on why it's so difficult to confirm instances of hybridization among primates -- including early humans -- by relying on fossil remains.

Vaginal microbicide gel may offer a promising strategy for prevention and protection against HIV transmission

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:32:32 EST

A new study shows that a microbicide gel is highly effective in block infection by the AIDS virus in a non-human primate model. Scientists have described the gel's key ingredient, which are small peptides engineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the cells of the body.

Impacts of climate change on rare tropical plants expected to vary considerably

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:45:45 EST

New research has found that the impacts of climate change on rare plants in tropical mountains will vary considerably from site to site and from species to species.

Stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons rescue motor defects in Parkinsonian monkeys

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:16:16 EST

Researchers have derived dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys.

How, in the animal world, a daughter avoids mating with her father: Paternal 'voice' recognition

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:26:26 EST

Paternal recognition – being able to identify males from your father’s line – is important for the avoidance of inbreeding, and one way that mammals can do this is through recognizing the calls of paternal kin. This was thought to occur only in large-brained animals with complex social groups, but a new study provides evidence in a tiny, solitary primate that challenges this theory.

More omnivore dilemmas: Seasonal diet changes can cause reproductive stress in primates

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:29:29 EST

When seasonal changes affect food availability, omnivores like blue monkeys adapt by changing their diets, but such nutritional changes may impact female reproduction, according to new research.

Seeing the world through the eyes of an orangutan

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:01:01 EST

A captive bred Sumatran orangutan and a neuroscientist in Malaysia are hoping to explain some of the mysteries of the visual brain and improve the lives of captive bred animals.

Neural interaction in silence: Neurophysiologists study widespread networks of neurons responsible for memory

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:55:55 EST

While in deep dreamless sleep, our hippocampus sends messages to our cortex and changes its plasticity, possibly transferring recently acquired knowledge to long-term memory. But how exactly is this done? Scientists have now developed a novel multimodal methodology called “neural event-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging” and presented the very first results obtained using it in experiments with both anesthetized and awake, behaving monkeys.

Short DNA strands in genome may be key to understanding human cognition and diseases

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:06:06 EST

Previously discarded, human-specific “junk” DNA represents untapped resource in the study of diseases like Alzheimer’s and autism.

Evolution of human intellect: Human-specific regulation of neuronal genes

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:49:49 EST

A new study has identified hundreds of small regions of the genome that appear to be uniquely regulated in human neurons. These regulatory differences distinguish us from other primates, including monkeys and apes, and as neurons are at the core of our unique cognitive abilities, these features may ultimately hold the key to our intellectual prowess (and also to our potential vulnerability to a wide range of 'human-specific' diseases from autism to Alzheimer's).

Estrogenic plants linked to altered hormones, possible behavior changes in monkeys

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:14:14 EST

Male red colobus monkeys that ate more of an estrogen-containing plant not only had higher levels of the hormones estradiol and cortisol in their systems, they were more aggressive, had more sex and groomed less. The finding that the consumption of plant-based hormones may have affected primate behavior suggests that it could have played an important role in primate evolution.

Probiotic worm treatment may improve symptoms of colitis by restoring gut bacteria to healthy state

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:20:20 EST

A new study on monkeys with chronic diarrhea that were treated by microscopic parasite worm (helminth) eggs has provided insights on how this form of therapy may heal the intestine. This condition in monkeys is similar to the inflammatory bowel diseases that affects up to 1.4 million Americans.

Humans, chimpanzees and monkeys share DNA but not gene regulatory mechanisms

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:11:11 EST

Up to 40 percent of the differences in the expression or activity patterns of genes between humans, chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys can be explained by regulatory mechanisms that determine whether and how a gene's recipe for a protein is transcribed to the RNA molecule that carries the recipe instructions to the sites in cells where proteins are manufactured.

Clever cockatoo with skilled craftmanship

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:20:20 EST

The use and fashioning of objects as tools has rarely been seen in the animal kingdom. Cognitive biologists have for the first time observed this skill in a Goffin's Cockatoo: It makes and uses wooden tools to retrieve toys and food. The results are a piece of the puzzle in the development of intelligent behavior.

New study shows effects of prehistoric nocturnal life on mammalian vision

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:10:10 EDT

Since the age of dinosaurs, most species of day-active mammals have retained the imprint of nocturnal life in their eye structures. Humans and other anthropoid primates, such as monkeys and apes, are the only groups that deviate from this pattern, according to a new study. The findings are the first to provide a large-scale body of evidence for the "nocturnal bottleneck theory," which suggests that mammalian sensory traits have been profoundly influenced by an extended period of adaptation to nocturnality during the Mesozoic Era.

Monkeys put off sex by bystanders

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:28:28 EDT

Monkeys shy away from bystanders during copulation, irrespective of the bystanders' gender or rank. The new study also suggests that sneaky sex is opportunistic rather than a tactical deception i.e. intentional hiding of sexual behavior.

Primates' brains make visual maps using triangular grids

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:23:23 EDT

Scientists have identified grid cells, neurons that fire in repeating triangular patterns as the eyes explore visual scenes, in the brains of rhesus monkeys. This is the first time grid cells have been detected directly in primates. The finding has implications for understanding how humans form and remember mental maps of the world, as well as how neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's erode those abilities.

Local wildlife is important in human diets in central Africa, experts say

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:12:12 EDT

Animals like antelope, frogs and rodents may be tricky to catch, but they provide protein in places where traditional livestock are scarce. According to the authors of a new paper, meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa.

Ebola antibody treatment, produced in plants, protects monkeys from lethal disease

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:20:20 EDT

A new Ebola virus study has shown promising preliminary results, preventing disease in infected nonhuman primates using monoclonal antibodies. When treatment was administered one hour after infection, all animals survived. Two-thirds of the animals were protected even when the treatment, known as MB-003, was administered 48 hours after infection.

Primates in peril: Conservationists reveal the world's 25 most endangered primates

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:08:08 EDT

Humankind's closest living relatives -- the world's apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates -- are on the brink of extinction and in need of urgent conservation measures, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The report, announced by some of the world's leading primate experts every two years, reveals those species most in danger of becoming extinct from destruction of tropical forests, illegal wildlife trade and commercial bush meat hunting.

New research reveals more about how the brain processes facial expressions and emotions

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:50:50 EDT

Research is helping reveal how human and primate brains process and interpret facial expressions, and the role of facial mimicry in everything from deciphering an unclear smile to establishing relationships of power and status.

Diverse intestinal viruses may play a role in AIDS progression

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:39:39 EDT

In monkeys and humans with AIDS, damage to the gastrointestinal tract is common. How this gastric damage occurs has remained a mystery, but now researchers provide new clues, implicating the presence of potentially pathogenic virus species other than the main virus that causes AIDS. The findings could provide an opportunity to explain and eventually intervene in the processes that lead to AIDS progression.