Investigating factors of metabolic bone disease in baboons (Papio spp.) using museum collections

Abstract

Objectives: To assess manifestations of metabolic bone disease (MBD) and their potential environmental and phenotypic factors in captive and non-captive baboon (Papio spp.) specimens. Materials and methods: Our sample consisted of 160 baboon specimens at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History accessioned from 1890 to 1971. Combining cranial indicators of MBD and the museum's historical data, we examined factors contributing to likely instances of MBD. We used binomial-family generalized linear models to assess differences in MBD frequency by environment (captive, noncaptive), specimen accession year, and skin color (light, medium, dark). Results: Indicators of MBD were most frequently observed in captive baboons, with a decrease in MBD frequency over time. Fifteen non-captive individuals showed indicators of MBD, which are the first published cases of MBD in non-captive nonhuman primates (NHPs) to our knowledge. The most common MBD indicators were bone porosity (n = 35) and bone thickening/enlargement (n = 35). Fibrous osteodystrophy was observed frequently in our sample, likely relating to nutritional deficiencies. We found no association between exposed facial skin color variation and MBD. Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with historical accounts of MBD prevalence in captive facilities, especially earlier in the 20th century. A decrease in MBD prevalence later in the 20th century likely reflects improvements in housing, diet, and veterinary care in captive settings. Causes of MBD development in non-captive baboons should be further explored, as understanding the potential health impacts that anthropogenic environments impose on NHPs is imperative as humans increasingly alter the natural world in the 21st century.

Specimens as individuals: Four interventions and recommendations for great ape skeletal collections research and curation

“…However, outliers, pathological, and captive individuals still often remain excluded from analyses. 37,117,132…”

“…While some researchers do this, 117 for the most part captive and pathological individuals are excluded from analyses out of an assumption that they poorly reflect the "natural" biology occurring in the wild. 37,117,132 The body adapts in different ways and over varying periods of time to stimuli. The decision to exclude captives from a sample should be based on both the study question (i.e., is the anatomical feature of interest likely to change over the course of a lifetime, a decade, or a century) and the captive sample's actual experience (e.g., was the animal collected from a 19th-century menagerie or was it a recent accession from a naturalistic habitat).…”

“…Normal variation is an essential part of human biology and primatology, and this range of variation is crucial to consider. However, outliers, pathological, and captive individuals still often remain excluded from analyses 37,117,132 …”

“…Researchers may wish to integrate those who were formerly captive. While some researchers do this, 117 for the most part captive and pathological individuals are excluded from analyses out of an assumption that they poorly reflect the “natural” biology occurring in the wild 37,117,132 . The body adapts in different ways and over varying periods of time to stimuli.…”

Environmental change drives multi-generational shifts in the gut microbiome that mirror changing animal fitness

“…Gut microbiota, in particular, play many vital roles in host physiology (20)(21)(22)(23), and environmental change may lead to an imbalance in the microbiome, which can have negative outcomes for hosts. Specifically, captivity has been shown to alter the gut microbiome, as observed by the reduction in microbial community richness and shifts in composition (24), as well as increased associations with detrimental effects on host health including gastrointestinal disease and metabolic disorders (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32). It is the cumulative effect of these captivity-associated perturbations on both the host and its microbial community which can ultimately shape the health and survival of animals with the potential to impact the success of breeding programs.…”