Cognitive dimensions of orangutan ranging in east borneo

该项目旨在探索东婆罗洲猩猩(Pongo Pygmaeus Morio)活动灵活性的认知和社会生态学基础。关于猩猩地理变异的新发现将莫里奥确定为猩猩适应的极端：莫里奥面临着最恶劣的生态条件，相应地在身体、发育和行为上也是截然不同的。然而，大多数莫里奥数据都是20-25年前的数据，虽然与这些发现一致，但大多数数据并不具备验证它们所需的质量，它们还表明了其他区别。这些数据也可能反映了不再存在的状况。自那以后，莫里奥的栖息地因自然灾害和人类发展而发生了变化，所以许多人现在生活在支离破碎和受损的栖息地，或者被重新安置到新的地区，居住着陌生的猩猩。需要新的研究来解决这些限制，而测距的灵活性，即空间的使用，是一个很好的起点。首先，猩猩的活动范围是由它们适应的基石决定的：食物、社会性、发育、学习和认知。其次，为了应对它们在时间和空间上极其参差不齐的食物供应，范围的灵活性是必不可少的。这种灵活性在很大程度上归功于认知，但认知对猩猩活动范围的贡献很少被研究。最近对灵长类空间认知的研究可能会丰富近程测距的研究：它提供了评估灵活性基础的模型和方法，例如，心理地图的性质和如何处理旅行路线。该项目的主要目标是通过将研究延长到整整五年，并使用认知和标准方法，更新对相对完整栖息地中正常莫里奥岛范围灵活性的理解。随着机会的出现，它还可能有助于通过对生活在受损栖息地并重新安置到新地区的莫里奥人进行平行研究，来评估它们的范围灵活性的限制。这些发现应该会加强对猩猩和大猩猩的空间认知、莫里奥本身以及猩猩地理变异的理解。调查结果还应有助于保护，例如澄清莫里奥岛议程、栖息地利用和重新安置的有效性。

This project aims to explore cognitive and socio-ecological bases of ranging flexibilities in east Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio). New findings on geographic variation in orangutans identify morio as the extreme of orangutan adaptation: morio faces the harshest ecological conditions and is correspondingly distinct physically, developmentally, and behaviorally. However, most morio data date from 20-25 years ago and while consistent with these findings, most are not of the quality needed to verify them and they suggest other distinctions. These data may also reflect conditions that no longer exist. Morio's habitat has since been transformed by natural disasters and human development, so many now survive in fragmented and damaged habitat or have been relocated into new areas inhabited by unfamiliar orangutans. New studies are needed to address these limitations, and flexibility in ranging, i.e., the use of space, is a good place to start. First, orangutan ranging is determined by cornerstones of their adaptation: food, sociality, development, learning, and cognition. Second, ranging flexibility is essential to cope with their food supply, which is extremely patchy in time and space. This flexibility owes much to cognition but cognitive contributions to orangutan ranging have rarely been studied. Recent research on primate spatial cognition could then enrich the study of morio ranging: it offers models and methods for assessing bases for the flexibilities possible, e.g., the nature of mental maps and how travel routes are handled. This project's main goal is to update understanding of normal morio ranging flexibility in relatively intact habitat, by extending study over five full years and by using cognitive as well as standard methods. As opportunities arise, it may also contribute to assessing the limits of their ranging flexibilities via parallel studies of morio living in damaged habitat and relocated to new areas. Findings should enhance understanding of orangutan and great ape spatial cognition, of morio itself, and of geographic variation in orangutans. Findings should also assist conservation by, e.g., clarifying morio agendas and habitat use and the effectiveness of relocations.