International audienceThis paper first reviews data collected from 1976 to 2013 regarding the life histories of members of the main E1 study group of bonobos (Pan paniscus) in Wamba. The E1 group exhibited strong tendencies toward female dispersal and male residence during the entire study period, thereby exemplifying the typical characteristics of a male-philopatric and female-dispersal society. This pattern did not change after the abandonment of artificial provisioning. We then present two new cases of immigrant females, focusing especially on social association patterns, dominance relationships, and affiliative interactions during the approximate 2.5 years from the time of their immigration to their first birth. These females began engaging in social grooming with resident females immediately after their arrival but rarely did so with adult males, suggesting that they regard social bonding with females as more important than that with males. They also emigrated at a young age and frequently engaged in social play. Indeed, social bonding established through frequent social play may be related to the development of socially symmetrical relationships, which are the basis for the egalitarian bonobo society. Intragroup competition for food and mates was unlikely explanations for the tendency toward female dispersal. However, male residence and the risk of father–daughter incest may encourage female transfer among bonobo

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Humans have an irrational desire for medicines. The authors explain that this ‘pharmophilia’ could have evolutionary roots and may have a profound impact for public health policies.

Lack of dietary iodine is associated with thyroid insufficiency and its dire consequences including cretinism, yet territories severely deficient in iodine are home to many species of wild animals. The premise of our work is that an adaptation must be in place in order to allow these animals to thrive. We collected phyllotine rodents of the genus Auliscomys from the Altiplanic region of North Chile, an area historically associated with goitre and other manifestations of iodine deficiency disorders. The iodide concentration in the stream water in this locality, at <1 micro g l(-1) would undoubtedly result in widespread thyroidal insufficiency in humans and domestic livestock. The animals we collected, identified as Auliscomys boliviensis, showed no evidence of thyroidal insufficiency. There was no enlargement of the thyroid glands; the serum concentrations of thyroid hormone (measured as T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone were comparable to laboratory rats. Serum iodide concentration was about 40% of that measured in laboratory rats. We conclude that these animals have established a specialised adaptive mechanism, most probably at the level of the Na(+)/I(-) symporter, that acts to enhance the uptake of dietary iodide into the gut and again from the serum into the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.