Comparative eco-ethology of African Primates

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We have carried out the comparative ethology and ecology of chimpanzees and monkeys at different environment of west Africa. Study fields were Bossou and Monts Nimba at the frontier of Guinea and Ivory Coast for chimpanzees, Tai of Ivory Coast for Cercopithecoid monkeys, and Kalamaloue of Cameroon for patas monkeys. Main results were as follows.1. Behavior of hammer-anvil using for cracking hard-nuts by chimpanzees was analyzed. They begin this behavior at 3-4years old but are keen at about 10. Some are right and others are left hand users, however, at least adults show exclusive laterality in hammer-use.2. Chimpanzees collect and eat aggressive safari-ants using wand. Sixty wands were examined their characteristics and also user's age-sex.3. Leaf-sponge using for drinking water by chimpanzees was analyzed their seasonality, preference of leaf species, and user's age-sex from about 100 episodes.4. Pestle-pounding behavior by chimpanzees using a leaf-stalk of oil-palm at its top was first recorded for making and drinking sap. In a few cases chimpanzees collected sap with "fiber-sponges" as tool-composite.5. Coula edulis is a target for hammer-using at Yeale, Monts Nimba, and absent at Bossou. Some Coula nuts were presented to Bossou chimpanzees. Only an adult female cracked it, juveniles gradually learned but others neglected. Field experiment using "false-nut" suggested that she immigrated from a "Coula forest" .6. Flora of Bossou was listed up and its use by human and chimpanzee was made clear.7. Interspecies vocal communication in a mixed-species group by 7 species of monkeys were analyzed at the rain-forest of Tai.8. Although patas monkeys of dry-savanna have uni-male-group but promiscuous breeding was detected by DNA fingerprinting.