&lt;Note&gt; Ecological Aspects of Chimpanzee Insectivory in the Budongo Forest, Uganda

Hedges, Sophie; McGrew, William C.

doi:10.5134/157937

“…The Bili numbers may be inflated, as in our counts we did not distinguish living, occupied termite mounds from abandoned ones. The contrasting cases of Fongoli (chimpanzees eat termites, high termite encounter rates) [Bogart and Pruetz, 2011], and Budongo [Hedges and McGrew, 2012] and Seringbara [Koops et al, 2013] (chimpanzees do not eat termites, low termite encounter rates) indicate that, per Koops et al [2013Koops et al [ , 2014, the availability of Macrotermes probably has some impact on the likelihood of exploitation. Nevertheless, Macrotermes mound encounter rates were extremely low at Gombe [McGrew et al, 2007], where termite-fishing regularly occurs (but strip widths were narrow, and it is unclear whether only active mounds were counted).…”

Section: Macrotermes Termitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bili-Uéré: A Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo

Hicks¹,

Kühl²,

Boesch³

et al. 2019

IJFP

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To improve our understanding of the evolutionary origins of culture and technology in humans, it is vital that we document the full extent of behavioural diversity in our great ape relatives. About half of the world’s remaining chimpanzees (Pan spp.) live in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yet until now we have known almost nothing about their behaviour. Here we describe the insect-related tool technology of Bili-Uéré chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) inhabiting an area of at least a 50,000-km² area in northern DRC, as well as their percussive technology associated with food processing. Over a 12-year period, we documented chimpanzee tools and artefacts at 20 survey areas and gathered data on dung, feeding remains and sleeping nests. We describe a new chimpanzee tool kit: long probes used to harvest epigaeic driver ants (Dorylus spp.), short probes used to extract ponerine ants and the arboreal nests of stingless bees, wands to dip for D. kohli and stout digging sticks used to access underground meliponine bee nests. Epigaeic Dorylus tools were significantly longer than the other tool types, and D. kohli tools were significantly thinner. Tools classified as terrestrial honey-digging sticks were a significant predictor for brushed and blunted tool ends, consistent with their presumed use. We describe two potential new tool types, an “ant scoop” and a “fruit hammer.” We document an extensive percussive technology used to process termite mounds of Cubitermes sp. and Thoracotermes macrothorax and hard-shelled fruits such as Strychnos, along with evidence of the pounding open of African giant snails and tortoises. We encountered some geographic variation in behaviour: we found honey-digging tools, long driver ant probes and fruit-pounding sites only to the north of the Uele River; there were more epigaeic Dorylus tools to the north and more ponerine ant tools to the south. We found no evidence of termite-fishing, despite the availability of Macrotermes muelleri mounds throughout the region. This lack of evidence is consistent with the results of dung washes, which revealed a substantial proportion of driver ants, but no evidence of Macrotermes or other termites. Our results allow us to describe a new chimpanzee behavioural complex, characterised by a general similarity of multiple behaviours across a large, ecologically diverse region but with subtle differences in prey choice and techniques. We propose that this widespread and related suite of behaviours be referred to as the Bili-Uéré Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm. Possible explanations for this pattern are a recent chimpanzee expansion across the region and the interconnectedness of this population across at least the entirety of northern DRC.

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“…When we encountered an insect nest (termite mounds, Cubitermes ugandensis, and ant 217 nests, Dorylus spp), we took its GPS location, measured its height, determined whether it 218 was active, identified the species (with the help of an experienced field assistant), and 219 assessed surrounding tool availability. Tool availability was assessed by measuring a 5m 220 radius around the mound, scrutinizing a NW (270-360) 90-degree quadrant (or SW (180-221 270) if NW was not available), and counting all plants capable of producing termite-fishing 222 probes or dipping sticks (classified as twigs, vines, or terrestrial herbaceous vegetation 223 (THV) (Hedges and McGrew, 2012). 224…”

Section: Mwera Community (Bugoma Forest) 188mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and dietary differences between Ugandan chimpanzee communities with possible implications on tool use

Berger

¹

,

Hobaiter

²

,

Bell

³

et al. 2019

Preprint

1

0

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20To advance our knowledge of the role of ecological factors in the emergence of tool use in 21 chimpanzees, a nuanced understanding of the ecological conditions different chimpanzee 22 communities experience is needed. We studied four Ugandan chimpanzee communities in 23 two forests. One of these communities, Sonso, in the Budongo Forest, is well-known for its 24 restricted range of tool types, including a total absence of stick use. Food diversity and 25 2 abundance were highest, and stick tool use opportunities (abundance of sticks and insect 26 nests) were lowest for the core-habitat of the Sonso chimpanzees in contrast to the other 27 communities. We argue that ecological factors play a role in their unusual pattern of tool use, 28and make predictions about the expected types of tool use in the other communities based 29 on their ecology. Thus, our study provides information that may help advance our 30 understanding of how tool use arises under varied socioecological circumstances. 31 32 AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS 33 TG and IB formulated the idea. DM and IB conducted the transects. IB did the feeding 34 observations and faecal analyses. MB and IB analysed the data. IB, TG, CH and MB wrote 35 the manuscript. 36 37 ABSTRACT 38 Some East African chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) communities, such as the 39 Sonso chimpanzees, display an unusually limited range of tool-use, but it remains unclear 40 whether this is due to ecological and/or cultural factors. Information on ecological conditions 41 and the diet of the Sonso chimpanzees in relation to neighbouring communities is needed. 42Here, we studied three adjacent communities in Budongo Forest (Sonso, Waibira, and 43 Kamira), and the presumed core area of an undescribed community (Mwera), in the 44 neighbouring Bugoma Forest. Through line-transects, we investigated (i) whether there were 45 differences in food diversity and abundance between the communities' home ranges; (ii) 46 whether the home ranges differed in abundance of sticks and insect nests; and (iii) whether 47 availability may partially explain the Sonso chimpanzees' lack of stick-tool-use, and low 54 levels of insectivory. The tool repertoire of the other communities is currently unknown; 55 however, we make predictions based on our ecological data. More detailed knowledge of 56 small-scale variation in ecology within and between forest habitats may be important to 57 advancing our understanding of the drivers of tool-use. 58 KEYWORDS 59 Tool use; chimpanzee; food availability; diversity; ecological influence on behaviour 60 61

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“…The Bili numbers may be inflated, as in our counts we did not distinguish living, occupied termite mounds from abandoned ones. The contrasting cases of Fongoli (chimpanzees eat termites, high termite encounter rates) [Bogart and Pruetz, 2011], and Budongo [Hedges and McGrew, 2012] and Seringbara [Koops et al, 2013] (chimpanzees do not eat termites, low termite encounter rates) indicate that, per Koops et al [2013Koops et al [ , 2014, the availability of Macrotermes probably has some impact on the likelihood of exploitation. Nevertheless, Macrotermes mound encounter rates were extremely low at Gombe [McGrew et al, 2007], where termite-fishing regularly occurs (but strip widths were narrow, and it is unclear whether only active mounds were counted).…”

Section: Macrotermes Termitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bili-Uéré: A Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm in Northern Democratic Republic Congo

2019

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To improve our understanding of the evolutionary origins of culture and technology in humans, it is vital that we document the full extent of behavioural diversity in our great ape relatives. About half of the world's remaining chimpanzees (Pan spp.) live in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yet until now we have known almost nothing about their behaviour. Here we describe the insect-related tool technology of Bili-Uéré chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) inhabiting an area of at least a 50,000-km 2 area in northern DRC, as well as their percussive technology associated with food processing. Over a 12-year period, we documented chimpanzee tools and artefacts at 20 survey areas and gathered data on dung, feeding remains and sleeping nests. We describe a new chimpanzee tool kit: long probes used to harvest epigaeic driver ants (Dorylus spp.), short probes used to extract ponerine ants and the arboreal nests of stingless bees, wands to dip for D. kohli and stout digging sticks used to access underground meliponine bee nests. Epigaeic Dorylus tools were significantly longer than the other tool types, and D. kohli tools were significantly thinner. Tools classified

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<Note> Ecological Aspects of Chimpanzee Insectivory in the Budongo Forest, Uganda

Cited by 14 publications

References 12 publications

Bili-Uéré: A Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo

Bili-Uéré: A Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo

Ecological and dietary differences between Ugandan chimpanzee communities with possible implications on tool use

Bili-Uéré: A Chimpanzee Behavioural Realm in Northern Democratic Republic Congo

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