Lab 4 – Primate
Behavior
Lab 6 – Primate Behavior
Today’s Class:
- Quiz
- Lab &
Lecture
- Review
Taxonomy - Review
Taxonomy - Cladogram
Homo
Pan
Gorilla
Pongo
Hylobatidae
Cercopithecoidea
Atelidae
Cebidae
Pitheciidae
Tarsiiformes
Lemuroidea
Lorisoidea
Primate Behavior - Ethograms
Family Trees (the capuchins of Lomas
Barbudal)
• http://www.prehensileproductions.com/fam
ilytrees/index.html
Ethogram
Ethogram: An inventory of behaviors of a species.
•
the behaviors are organized into categories
Here are some examples:
• Self directed behaviors
o Self groom, yawn, solo play, sleep, rest
• Social behaviors
o Social peep (vocalization), friendly touch, approach, follow
• Aggressive behaviors
o Aggressive bite, vocal threat, hit, aggressive display
• Sexual behavior
o Sex vocalization, sex dance, mount, thrust, ejaculate
• Play behavior
o Play bite, play bounce, play invite
• Locomotor behavior
o Run, jump, run up, run down
• Foraging behavior
o Handle fruit, ingest, tap stick, bite
Sampling Protocols
• SCAN SAMPLING
Instantaneous scans = one method of recording behavior where you just record
the general category of what is happening at one moment in time
• Usually done at regular intervals; every 30 seconds, or 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc)
•
• FOCAL SAMPLING
•
In focal animal sampling all the behaviors of one individual are recorded during a
predetermined sample period (e.g., one hour, full day). This method can provide an
unbiased set of data relevant to a wide variety of questions, but is often very
difficult and time consuming.
• ALL OCCURRENCE SAMPLING:
This type of sample focuses on a particular behavior rather than a particular
individual. This is useful for providing the rate of a behavior or for studying
synchrony of behaviors within groups.
• Example) Counting all alarm calls given in a group of monkeys.
•
• AD LIBITUM SAMPLING:
•
This sampling involves recording as much as possible. It is informal, nonsystematic, and often used in field notes. Usually low reliability, precision. Main
value is in research planning.
Ethogram for a tamarin at a zoo
http://gargoyle.arcadia.edu/biology/tamarin/
Methods/Ethogram/ethogram.htm
Short title: Measuring chimpanzee feeding
behaviour by Ian Gilby
In press in Folia
Primatologica
Focal sampling is the most accurate method for measuring primate activity budgets,
but is sometimes impractical. An alternative is scan sampling, in which the
behaviour of the group is recorded at regular intervals. The simplest technique is to
record whether at least one animal is engaged in the behaviour of interest. By direct
comparison with focal data collected simultaneously on the same population, we
assess the validity of this simple group-level sampling method for studying
chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) feeding behaviour. In a 13-month study
at Kanyawara, Kibale National Park, Uganda, group-level scan sampling provided
statistically similar measures of broad diet composition to those produced by focal
data, despite considerable seasonal variation. Monthly means of the percentage of
time spent consuming non-fig fruit calculated from group-level scan sampling were
highly correlated with those from focal sampling. This validates previous
methodology used to identify periods of high energy availability. However, group-level
scans tended to overestimate the percentage of observation time spent feeding,
particularly for adult males. We conclude that this method of group-level scan
sampling provides valuable data for characterising broad diet choice in chimpanzees
and other species, but may be of limited use for estimating individual feeding time.
Primate Behaviors
• Foraging/Feeding
• Communication
• http://www.arkive.org/born
• http://www.arkive.org/indri
ean-gibbon/hylobatesmuelleri/video-08b.html
• Aggression/Vigilance
• http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=pSif5MR
9nq8
/indri-indri/video-13a.html
Activity Budgets
Activity Budgets are used to determine the percentage of time spent
engaged in particular activity categories.
Focal Animal Sampling – Elmo
Use this video to record the behaviors of Elmo (as your focal
animal) on your handout.
http://vimeo.com/album/1701057/video/29444657
Password: m_ _ _ _ _ _
Video: AA – Elmo sleeping with others in background
Time will start at 4:00m and run through 6:00m – try to
record the time on the video when activities occur if you can.
Scan Sampling Video – Chimps at Zoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=tM4si1ZO4Ns