A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania
IntroductionInvestigation into chimpanzee termite-fishing behavior has provided invaluable insights into the evolution of animal tool use and culture. However, research to date often overlooks how the ecology of termites may shape the nature of this predator–prey interaction. Though anecdotal links...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1289433/full |
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| author | Seth Phillips Alex K. Piel Alex K. Piel Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Vicky M. Oelze |
| author_facet | Seth Phillips Alex K. Piel Alex K. Piel Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Vicky M. Oelze |
| author_sort | Seth Phillips |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionInvestigation into chimpanzee termite-fishing behavior has provided invaluable insights into the evolution of animal tool use and culture. However, research to date often overlooks how the ecology of termites may shape the nature of this predator–prey interaction. Though anecdotal links between meteorological factors, termite dispersal flights and the ability of chimpanzees to termite-fish have been made, these relationships were never empirically tested. In this study, we examined if and how the reproductive ecology of mound building termites (Macrotermes subhyalinus) affects the availability of this resource to termite-fishing chimpanzees in the Issa Valley, Tanzania.MethodsWe utilized in-person termite-fishing experiments, remote camera trap footage, as well as meteorological data to model both the availability of termite prey across seasons for chimpanzees as well as the timing of dispersal flights of the termite reproductive caste (alates). Additionally, we describe the predator diversity that characterizes alate swarming events during their seasonal dispersal flights.ResultsWe identify strong relationships between meteorological factors, Macrotermes alate dispersal flights and vulnerability of the colony to predation. As rainfall accumulates, Macrotermes become more abundant in their flight holes and are thus more vulnerable to researcher termite-fishing experiments. This increased accessibility to Macrotermes continues until alate dispersal flights which we also find are linked to cumulative rainfall as well as negatively correlated to wind speed.DiscussionThis type of baseline data on Macrotermes ecology is fundamental when forming hypotheses and designing studies into topics such as chimpanzee culture, tool-use, and foraging cognition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:42:31Z |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:42:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-2247e135a77148bc835426fd29e1fbbd2023-11-17T10:27:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2023-11-011110.3389/fevo.2023.12894331289433A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, TanzaniaSeth Phillips0Alex K. Piel1Alex K. Piel2Fiona A. Stewart3Fiona A. Stewart4Fiona A. Stewart5Vicky M. Oelze6Anthropology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, University College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Human Origins, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Anthropology, University College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Human Origins, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, GermanySchool of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomAnthropology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United StatesIntroductionInvestigation into chimpanzee termite-fishing behavior has provided invaluable insights into the evolution of animal tool use and culture. However, research to date often overlooks how the ecology of termites may shape the nature of this predator–prey interaction. Though anecdotal links between meteorological factors, termite dispersal flights and the ability of chimpanzees to termite-fish have been made, these relationships were never empirically tested. In this study, we examined if and how the reproductive ecology of mound building termites (Macrotermes subhyalinus) affects the availability of this resource to termite-fishing chimpanzees in the Issa Valley, Tanzania.MethodsWe utilized in-person termite-fishing experiments, remote camera trap footage, as well as meteorological data to model both the availability of termite prey across seasons for chimpanzees as well as the timing of dispersal flights of the termite reproductive caste (alates). Additionally, we describe the predator diversity that characterizes alate swarming events during their seasonal dispersal flights.ResultsWe identify strong relationships between meteorological factors, Macrotermes alate dispersal flights and vulnerability of the colony to predation. As rainfall accumulates, Macrotermes become more abundant in their flight holes and are thus more vulnerable to researcher termite-fishing experiments. This increased accessibility to Macrotermes continues until alate dispersal flights which we also find are linked to cumulative rainfall as well as negatively correlated to wind speed.DiscussionThis type of baseline data on Macrotermes ecology is fundamental when forming hypotheses and designing studies into topics such as chimpanzee culture, tool-use, and foraging cognition.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1289433/fulltermite-fishingtool-useswarming behavioropportunistic predationexperimental primatologyPan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| spellingShingle | Seth Phillips Alex K. Piel Alex K. Piel Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Fiona A. Stewart Vicky M. Oelze A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution termite-fishing tool-use swarming behavior opportunistic predation experimental primatology Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| title | A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania |
| title_full | A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania |
| title_short | A chimpanzee’s time to feast: seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania |
| title_sort | chimpanzee s time to feast seasonality of macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite fishing experiments and camera traps in the issa valley tanzania |
| topic | termite-fishing tool-use swarming behavior opportunistic predation experimental primatology Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1289433/full |
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