Papers by Melissa J Remis
American Journal of Primatology, 1997
The gorillas studied at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic, between August 1990 and October 1992... more The gorillas studied at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic, between August 1990 and October 1992 consumed 239 kinds of foods from 138 species of plants and invertebrates, including the fruits of 77 species. Seeds were present in 99% of all fecal samples (n = 859). Although gorillas ate fleshy fruit whenever it was available, herbaceous plants and fibrous fruits were consumed year-round and were important during times of fleshy fruit scarcity. At Bai Hokou and across their range, resources are temporally discontinuous, and western gorilla diet exhibits marked seasonal and interannual variation. Although their large body size lends them dietary flexibility relative to chimpanzees, seasonal fruit-eating shapes the foraging and ranging patterns of western lowland gorillas.
REVIEW ARTICLE Western Gorilla Diet: A Synthesis From Six Sites
The objective of this paper is to collate information on western gorilla diet from six study site... more The objective of this paper is to collate information on western gorilla diet from six study sites throughout much of their current range, including preliminary information from two sites (Afi and Lossi), where studies of diet have begun only recently. Food lists were available from each site, derived from indirect signs of gorilla feeding (such as feces), with some observational data. Important staple, seasonal, and fallback foods have been identified, and a number of striking similarities across sites have been revealed based on a much larger data set than was previously available. It was confirmed that the western gorilla diet is always eclectic, including up to 230 items and 180 species. The greatest diversity is found among the fruit species eaten, fruit being included in western gorilla diets from all sites and throughout most or all of the year. Eight plant families provide important foods at five, or all six, sites, suggesting that it may be possible in the future to predict...
mSphere, 2021
The following sentence should be added to the end of the first paragraph of the Acknowledgments s... more The following sentence should be added to the end of the first paragraph of the Acknowledgments section: "Collection and export of fecal samples was also facilitated by the Filoha Hamadryas Project with the generous permission of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority."
Traditionally, gorillas were classified as folivores, yet 15 years of data on western lowland gor... more Traditionally, gorillas were classified as folivores, yet 15 years of data on western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) show their diet to contain large quantities of foliage and fruit, and to vary both seasonally and annually. The consumption of fruit by gorillas at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic, is correlated with rainfall and ripe fruit availability (Remis, 1997a). We investigated the nutritional and chemical content of gorilla foods consumed at Bai Hokou during two seasons of fruit scarcity as measured by phenological observations and compared our findings with the nutrient content of gorilla foods at other African sites. We conclude that during lean times, Bai Hokou gorillas consumed fruits with higher levels of fiber and secondary compounds than those of other populations of western lowland or mountain gorillas. Conversely, leaves consumed by Bai Hokou gorillas were relatively low in fiber and tannins. Bai Hokou gorillas appeared to meet their nutritional needs by eating a combination of fruit and foliage. They ate fruits comparatively high in secondary compounds and fiber when necessary. While gorillas are selective feeders, wherever and whenever preferred foods are scarce, their large body
Shaping Life in the Shadows
Women and Wildlife Trafficking, 2022
Number of Grooming Partners Is Associated with Hookworm Infection in Wild Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops)
Folia Primatologica, 2016
There are many known benefits of social grooming among primates, including maintenance of social ... more There are many known benefits of social grooming among primates, including maintenance of social relationships, removal of ectoparasites, and improved physiological condition. Recently, however, researchers have noted that social grooming and social contact may also present a significant cost by facilitating transmission of some parasites and pathogens. We investigated whether the number of social grooming partners varied based on infection status for gastrointestinal parasites. We used focal animal sampling and continuous recording to collect data on the number of grooming partners for known individual vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops). We collected non-invasive faecal samples and examined them using faecal flotation, faecal sedimentation, and immunofluorescence microscopy. We detected 6 parasites: Trichuris sp. (92%), hookworm (71%), spirurids (68%), Oesophagostomum sp. (84%), Strongyloides sp. (24%), and Entamoeba coli (92%). The number of grooming partners varied significant...
Environmental Conservation, 2011
SUMMARYCommercialized hunting and trade of wildlife are the largest threats to mammal populations... more SUMMARYCommercialized hunting and trade of wildlife are the largest threats to mammal populations and human livelihoods in the Congo Basin. It is widely recognized that the lives of humans and wildlife in this region are inextricably intertwined. However, few studies have attempted to integrate both human and wildlife dimensions using ethnographic data to better contextualize the trade and its ecological impacts. This paper outlines a methodological approach that combines ethnographic research, ecological line transects and market surveys in the Dzanga Sangha Reserve (Central African Republic). Results from each research component are reported separately in order to provide examples of how each would answer specific questions about the status of wildlife populations and the scale of hunting within a protected area. The integrated analysis of ethnographic, market and ecological datasets clarifies synergistic impacts operating in the region and provides a more nuanced understanding of...
Helminths of Vervet Monkeys,Chlorocebus aethiops, from Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa
Comparative Parasitology, 2015
ABSTRACT Fecal samples from 38 individually recognized vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) from... more ABSTRACT Fecal samples from 38 individually recognized vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) from Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa, were examined for helminths. Analysis of 272 fecal samples revealed that all individuals were infected. Eggs of 5 helminth species were recovered. Prevalence of infection for Trichuris sp. was 92%, Oesophagostomum sp. was 84%, an indeterminate hookworm was 71%, an indeterminate spirurid was 68%, and Strongyloides sp. was 24%. Social group membership, age, and sex were not predictors of infection with any of the parasites detected. Monthly prevalence of parasites was not significantly correlated with mean monthly precipitation, minimum temperature, or maximum temperature, although some variables were correlated. Monthly prevalence of Oesophagostomum sp. was positively correlated with mean monthly minimum temperature (r = 0.7152, n = 12, P = 0.013), mean monthly maximum temperature (r = 0.6012, n = 12, P = 0.050), and mean monthly precipitation (r = 0.6216, n = 12, P = 0.041). Monthly prevalence of Strongyloides sp. was positively correlated with mean monthly precipitation (r = 0.7005, n = 12, P = 0.016). These are the first data on the parasitic infections of wild C. aethiops in Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
RESEARCH ARTICLES Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) as Seasonal Frugivores: Use of Variable Resources
species of plants and invertebrates, including the fruits of 77 species. Seeds were present in 99... more species of plants and invertebrates, including the fruits of 77 species. Seeds were present in 99 % of all fecal samples (n = 859). Although goril-las ate fleshy fruit whenever it was available, herbaceous plants and fibrous fruits were consumed year-round and were important during times of fleshy fruit scarcity. At Bai Hokou and across their range, resources are temporally discontinuous, and western gorilla diet exhibits marked seasonal and interannual variation. Although their large body size lends them dietary flexibility relative to chimpanzees, seasonal fruit-eating shapes the foraging and ranging patterns of western lowland gorillas.
Digesta passage, digestibility and behavior in captive gorillas under two dietary regimes
Gorilla adaptation has been debated in recent years given the wide variation among diets of goril... more Gorilla adaptation has been debated in recent years given the wide variation among diets of gorillas in different habitats. Gorillas are the largest of living primates, have large colons and should be capable of processing tough foods. Preliminary captive studies have suggested that they may well have long aver-age gut retention times relative to smaller hominoids, which should facilitate digestive efficiency in their wild counterparts. Indeed, wild gorillas consume large amounts of fibrous foods as staples or fall-back foods across their range, in response to habitat-related or seasonal changes in fruit availability. Fluctu-ations in diet might be matched by changes in digesta passage and digestibility, with possible selective retention of harder to digest items. We further studied digestive processes via chemical cobalt and chromium markers to track liquid and solids, as they passed through the guts of gorillas at the San Francisco Zoo (SFZ). In addition, we examined the effects o...
Impacts of dietary modifications on the behaviour of captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 2020
Behavioural profiles of captive and wild Gorilla gorilla gorilla have been shown to differ greatl... more Behavioural profiles of captive and wild Gorilla gorilla gorilla have been shown to differ greatly, with captive gorillas moving and foraging much less than their wild counterparts and often experiencing high levels of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Captive gorillas are typically fed an energy dense diet and housed in relatively small enclosures compared to wild gorillas that forage for large quantities of fibrous fruits and foliage over expansive home ranges. These differences could be one of the leading factors in behavioural and health problems observed among captive gorillas. This study examined behavioural profiles of captive gorillas fed experimental diets more nutritionally similar in both nutrient content and volume to those seen in the wild, particularly with the addition of woody browse and tamarind seed. We predicted that when gorillas ate the experimental diets, they would display behavioural patterns more similar to their wild counterparts. We found that feedi...
Nonhuman Primates and “Others” in the Dzanga Sangha Reserve: The Role of Anthropology and Multispecies Approaches in Ethnoprimatology
Elephants, Hunters, and Others: Integrating Biological Anthropology and Multispecies Ethnography in a Conservation Zone
Social contact behaviors are associated with infection status for whipworm (Trichuris sp.) in wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
Social grooming in the animal kingdom is common and serves several functions, from removing ectop... more Social grooming in the animal kingdom is common and serves several functions, from removing ectoparasites to maintaining social bonds between conspecifics. We examined whether time spent grooming with others in a highly social mammal species was associated with infection status for gastrointestinal parasites. Of six parasites detected, one (Trichuris sp.) was associated with social grooming behaviors, but more specifically with direct physical contact with others. Individuals infected with Trichuris sp. spent significantly less time grooming conspecifics than those not infected, and time in direct contact with others was the major predictor of infection status. One model correctly predicted infection status for Trichuris sp. with a reliability of 95.17% overall when the variables used were time spent in direct contact and time spent grooming others. This decrease in time spent grooming and interacting with others is likely a sickness behavior displayed by individuals with less energ...
mSphere
The gut microbiome of primates, including humans, is reported to closely follow host evolutionary... more The gut microbiome of primates, including humans, is reported to closely follow host evolutionary history, with gut microbiome composition being specific to the genetic background of its primate host. However, the comparative models used to date have mainly included a limited set of closely related primates. To further understand the forces that shape the primate gut microbiome, with reference to human populations, we expanded the comparative analysis of variation among gut microbiome compositions and their primate hosts, including 9 different primate species and 4 human groups characterized by a diverse set of subsistence patterns (n = 448 samples). The results show that the taxonomic composition of the human gut microbiome, at the genus level, exhibits increased compositional plasticity. Specifically, we show unexpected similarities between African Old World monkeys that rely on eclectic foraging and human populations engaging in nonindustrial subsistence patterns; these similarit...
International Journal of Primatology
Studying the human-alloprimate interface requires researchers to simultaneously examine multiple ... more Studying the human-alloprimate interface requires researchers to simultaneously examine multiple axes in the lives of organisms across zones of interaction. Such a multiscalar interface creates challenges for ethnoprimatological researchers who must situate their work within ecological, social, or anthropological paradigms. We argue that more explicit incorporation of multispecies ethnography and attention to the distinct practices of Japanese primatology help to realize and promote the potential of ethnoprimatology among a broader peer group of primatologists. Despite the utility of multispecies ethnography, the challenge is not in making multispecies theory applicable to our studies; it is in operationalizing it and making it more accessible by reframing how we view human-alloprimate entanglements. Current examinations of humanalloprimate interactions are limited in their ability to bring to bear the relational histories and futures of organisms in shared landscapes. Interactions draw attention to momentary encounters rather than to the extended entanglements and holistic properties that emerge from intra-actions within a multispecies assemblage. Using primate hunting in the Central African Republic as a locus of intra-action, we advocate for the expanded promise and future of an ethnoprimatology that can better address human-alloprimate entanglements, improve conservation efforts, and further anthropology's growing attention to more than human worlds. This is a future that draws heavily from the complexity of the ethnographic moment to more broadly examine the nuanced, intersubjective relationships among those present at the human-alloprimate interface.
American Journal of Human Biology, 2015
Objectives: Using ethnographic interviews and biological measures, this article investigates chan... more Objectives: Using ethnographic interviews and biological measures, this article investigates changing health and nutrition of a hunter-gatherer population transitioning from a forest-based subsistence system to a horticultural and market-driven lifestyle. Methods: This study represents biological and dietary recall data for adult female foragers (181; n 5 60) across two villages, Mossapoula (MS) and Yandoumb e (YDBE), in the Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas (APDS), Central African Republic (CAR). Standard anthropometric measurements (height, weight, skinfolds) and hemoglobin values were collected to assess short-term nutritional status. Results: BMI was similar across all three age classes in YDBE, but differed amongst women of MS (ANOVA; F 5 6.34, df 5 30, P 5 0.005).Values were lowest among the older women in older age class 3 who also had the greatest number of dependents. Overall SS values were significantly negatively correlated with the number of biological children (r 5 20.33, P 5 0.01) in both villages. Conclusions: Here, we identify older BaAka women, caring for their own children and grandchildren, as particularly vulnerable to economic changes and food insecurity. We found older women, especially those in a community with greater restrictions on access to forest resources to have more dependents, reduced market integration, and low BMI relative to younger women in the population. Am.
The gut microbiome provides access to otherwise unavailable metabolic and immune functions, likel... more The gut microbiome provides access to otherwise unavailable metabolic and immune functions, likely affecting mammalian fitness and evolution. To investigate how this microbial ecosystem impacts evolutionary adaptation of humans to particular habitats, we explore the gut microbiome and metabolome of the BaAka rainforest hunter-gatherers from Central Africa. The data demonstrate that the BaAka harbor a colonic ecosystem dominated by Prevotellaceae and other taxa likely related to an increased capacity to metabolize plant structural polysaccharides, phenolics, and lipids. A comparative analysis shows that the BaAka gut microbiome shares similar patterns with that of the Hadza, another hunter-gatherer population from Tanzania. Nevertheless, the BaAka harbor significantly higher bacterial diversity and pathogen load compared to the Hadza, as well as other Western populations. We show that the traits unique to the BaAka microbiome and metabolome likely reflect adaptations to hunter-gather...
Monkeys on the menu? Reconciling patterns of primate hunting and consumption in a central African Village
The bushmeat crisis is often portrayed as a serious threat to primates, especially slow-reproduci... more The bushmeat crisis is often portrayed as a serious threat to primates, especially slow-reproducing ape species. And yet, most bushmeat markets in Central and West Africa are dominated by ungulates, rodents, and carnivores. While markets are a measure of hunters’ off-take, they may not adequately capture information on species consumed in households or traded locally. Comparing changes in prey availability at markets, households, and other trading points can assist efforts to assess the magnitude of faunal extraction. Overall, subsistence needs of local human populations combined with the transnational demand for bushmeat results in the amplification of hunter catchments. What remains unclear is how the availability of nonhuman primates is reconciled with cultural preferences and market values to determine what appears in cooking pots. This study examines this question using market (n = 157 days) and hunter preference surveys (n = 290), in addition to semi-structured interviews with market women (n = 10) and hunters (n = 210) in the rural town of Bayanga, Central African Republic (2008–2009) located within the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (APDS). Integrating multiple approaches, we were able to reconcile and contextualize discrepancies between market data, hunter surveys, and interviews with market women and community members. We found that the sale and consumption of primate meat at APDS was more likely related to a decline in preferred ungulate species along with an increase in the availability of firearms. These results suggest nuanced avenues for increasing the protection of vulnerable and endangered primate species with the introduction of well-priced, alternative protein sources.
Nutrition of the captive western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): A dietary survey
The successful management of captive animals requires attention to multiple interconnected factor... more The successful management of captive animals requires attention to multiple interconnected factors. One critical aspect of the daily life of a captive animal is the recommended and/or provisioned diet. This study focuses on the diets of zoo-housed gorillas. A national survey of diets among zoo-housed gorillas was conducted to examine diets being offered to captive gorillas in the United States and Canada. This survey serves as a follow-up to a 1995 dietary survey of zoo-housed gorillas and goes further to quantify nutritional profiles at responding institutions. Results are encouraging, as zoos have made clear improvements in dietary nutrient profiles offered over the past 15 years. However, we suggest that zoological and sanctuary institutions follow Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendations and work to continuously improve diets provided, which could improve gorillas' health and well-being.
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Papers by Melissa J Remis