Social Dynamics of Primates

这笔赠款为Wrangham博士及其同事在乌干达南部Kibale森林进行为期两年的实地研究提供支持。这个地区的灵长类动物密度极高，研究人员将把注意力集中在普通黑猩猩>,Pan>, >, troglodytes>上。在研究的两个相关方面，他们将研究黑猩猩群体社会化的过程，并研究这些动物发出的食物叫声。为了实现这些目标，他们将对研究区域内遇到的成年人进行重点观察。他们会记录每只动物的活动，也会记录这只动物所属的群体的组成。一系列这样的观察将使这些基团的组成、裂变和聚变得以重建。该团队还将进行焦点树。观察果树，这将使他们能够研究不同的群体和个人如何共享宝贵的有限资源。他们将记录整个研究区域的生态信息，以确定资源的密度和分布。最后，他们将记录黑猩猩的发声，并通过实验室和情境分析相结合，试图确定不同叫声的数量以及每种叫声的目的或含义。这项研究的目的是了解决定黑猩猩如何利用环境的因素以及这种策略与群体组成之间的关系。先前的研究已经清楚地表明，在非洲的不同地区，这些动物的组织结构不同，环境似乎起了作用。然而，还没有详细的研究来回答这个问题。与群体组织问题密切相关的是个体之间的合作问题。由于发声有时是用来宣布食物的存在，通过对叫声的研究，我们有望对发生的合作类型有所了解。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。首先，它为理解人类的行为设定了背景。其次，收集的数据可能有助于保护这些在非洲许多地方濒临灭绝的稀有动物。最后，由于乌干达学生和科学家的参与，它应该有助于加强乌干达的科学机构，并有助于建立乌干达和美国科学家之间的联系。

This grant provides support for two years of field research by Dr. Wrangham and his colleagues in the Kibale Forest which is located in southern Uganda. This area has an extremely high density of primates and the reseachers will focus their attention on the common chimpanzee >Pan> >troglodytes>. In the two related aspects of the study they will study the process of chimpanzee group socialization and also examine the food calls made by these animals. To accomplish these goals, they will make focal observations on adults encountered within the study area. They will record both activities of individual animals and will also note the composition of the group of which this animal is a member. A series of such observations will allow the reconstruction of the composition, fission and fusion of such groups. The team will also conduct focal tree.watches on fruiting trees and this will allow them to study how different groups and individuals share valuable limited resources. They will record information on the ecology of the entire study area to determine both density and distribution of resources. Finally they will record chimpanzee vocalizations and through a combination of laboratory and situational analysis attempt to determine the number of different calls and the purpose or meaning of each. The goal of this study is to understand the factors which determine how chimpanzees utilize the environment and the relationship between this strategy and group composition. Previous research has made it clear that in different parts of Africa these animals are organized differently and it seems likely that environment plays a role. However no detailed studies have been conducted to answer this question. Closely related to the question of group organization is the issue of cooperation between individuals. Since vocalization sometimes serves to announce the presence of food, through a study of calls, insight will, hopefully, be gained into the kinds of cooperation which take place. This research is important for several reasons. First it sets the context for understanding how humans act. Secondly data collected may help to preserve these rare animals which are endangered in many parts of Africa. Finally, because of the participation of Ugandian students and scientists it should help strengthen the Ugandian scientific establishment and help forge links between Ugandian and U.S. reseachers.