Surveillance of Arboviruses in Primates and Sloths in the Atlantic Forest, Bahia, Brazil.

From 2006 through 2014, we conducted seroepidemiological surveys on non-human primates and sloths to investigate the possible circulation of arboviruses in Bahia Atlantic Forest, Brazil. We collected a total of 196 samples from 103 Leontopithecus chrysomelas, 7 Sapajus xanthosternos, 22 Bradypus torquatus and 7 Bradypus variegatus. Serum samples were tested using neutralization test and hemagglutination inhibition test to detect total antibodies against 26 different arboviruses. The overall prevalence of arboviruses was 36.6% (51/139), with the genus Flavivirus having the highest prevalence (33.1%; 46/139), followed by Phlebovirus (5.0%; 7/139), Orthobunyavirus (4.3%; 6/139) and Alphavirus (0.7%; 1/139). Monotypic reactions suggest that the wild animals were exposed naturally to at least twelve arboviruses. Added results from the neutralization test, animals were exposed to thirteen arboviruses. Most of these viruses are maintained in transmission cycles independent of human hosts, although antibodies against dengue virus serotypes 1, 2 and 3 were found in this study. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting exposure to arboviruses in L. chrysomelas, S. xanthosternos and B. torquatus. Our results also highlight that the Southern Bahia Atlantic Forest has a variety of vertebrate hosts and potential vectors, which may support the emergence or re-emergence of arboviruses, including those pathogenic to humans.

Blank-comparison matching-to-sample reveals a false positive symmetry test in a capuchin monkey.

A positive symmetry test result was obtained with a capuchin monkey that had previously exhibited virtually errorless AB and BA arbitrary matching-to-sample (MTS) with different stimuli. The symmetry test (BA) followed the acquisition of a new AB relation. It seemed possible, however, that the positive result could have occurred through the exclusion of previously defined comparison stimuli and not because the new AB and BA relations had the property of symmetry. To assess this possibility, a blank-comparison MTS procedure was implemented that permitted the separate assessment of select and reject (i.e., exclusion) control with both baseline and BA matching relations. In this assessment, the monkey did not exhibit reliable BA matching when exclusion was not possible, thus showing that the symmetry result was a false positive. However, the study demonstrated the feasibility of using a blank comparison MTS procedure with capuchins. The present results may set the stage for more successful methodology for establishing desired forms of relational stimulus control in capuchins and ultimately improving the assessment of relational learning capacity in that species, other nonhuman species, and nonverbal humans.

Blank-comparison matching-to-sample reveals a false positive symmetry test in a capuchin monkey

A positive symmetry test result was obtained with a capuchin monkey that had previously exhibited virtually errorless AB and BA arbitrary matching-to-sample (MTS) with different stimuli. The symmetry test (BA) followed the acquisition of a new AB relation. It seemed possible, however, that the positive result could have occurred through the exclusion of previously defined comparison stimuli and not because the new AB and BA relations had the property of symmetry. To assess this possibility, a blank-comparison MTS procedure was implemented that permitted the separate assessment of select and reject (i.e., exclusion) control with both baseline and BA matching relations. In this assessment, the monkey did not exhibit reliable BA matching when exclusion was not possible, thus showing that the symmetry result was a false positive. However, the study demonstrated the feasibility of using a blank comparison MTS procedure with capuchins. The present results may set the stage for more successful methodology for establishing desired forms of relational stimulus control in capuchins and ultimately improving the assessment of relational learning capacity in that species, other nonhuman species, and nonverbal humans...

Blank-comparison matching-to-sample reveals a false positive symmetry test in a capuchin monkey

A positive symmetry test result was obtained with a capuchin monkey that had previously exhibited virtually errorless AB and BA arbitrary matching-to-sample (MTS) with different stimuli. The symmetry test (BA) followed the acquisition of a new AB relation. It seemed possible, however, that the positive result could have occurred through the exclusion of previously defined comparison stimuli and not because the new AB and BA relations had the property of symmetry. To assess this possibility, a blank-comparison MTS procedure was implemented that permitted the separate assessment of select and reject (i.e., exclusion) control with both baseline and BA matching relations. In this assessment, the monkey did not exhibit reliable BA matching when exclusion was not possible, thus showing that the symmetry result was a false positive. However, the study demonstrated the feasibility of using a blank comparison MTS procedure with capuchins. The present results may set the stage for more successful methodology for establishing desired forms of relational stimulus control in capuchins and ultimately improving the assessment of relational learning capacity in that species, other nonhuman species, and nonverbal humans.(AU)

Estudo da motivação para manipulação e para brincadeira social em macacos-prego (Sapajus SP)

A Brincadeira e a Manipulação Exploratória ativam o Sistema de Recompensa. Por meio de comportamentos exploratórios, das percepções sensoriais e ações motoras, o animal aprende sobre as propriedades e potencialidades do meio, como anuncia a Teoria da Percepção e Ação. Extrapolamos esse raciocínio para explicar que a aprendizagem acerca do ambiente social dá-se por meio de brincadeiras sociais, que são oportunidades de se explorar, perceber, agir e aprender potencialidades e características sobre outro membro do grupo. Nosso objetivo foi verificar se indivíduos imaturos que manipulam mais são também aqueles que estão mais envolvidos em brincadeiras sociais, por serem mais exploradores em relação a objetos e ao meio social. Nós estudamos dois grupos: um selvagem, na Fazenda Boa Vista (Estado do Piauí, região de Cerrado) em duas estações: um mês de estação seca (11 indivíduos) e um mês de estação chuvosa (12 indivíduos); um grupo semilivre no Parque Ecológico do Tietê, região urbana de São Paulo, capital, por cinco meses (19 indivíduos). Não pudemos estabelecer vínculo direto e universal entre brincadeiras sociais e comportamentos manipulativos, inclusive o de quebra de cocos, em todos os indivíduos. Observamos aumento de brincadeiras sociais e comportamentos manipulativos entre os machos e observamos que machos brincaram mais que fêmeas quando havia maior disponibilidade de alimento. Explorar o meio social gera respostas mais complexas do que explorar o meio físico, portanto, outras habilidades são necessárias para viver em grupo, mas isso não exclui a possibilidade de compartilhamento de motivação para explorar os ambientes físico e social.(AU)

Play and Exploratory Behaviour activate the Rewarding System. By exploratory behaviour, sensory perceptions and motor actions, the animal learn about properties and affordances of the environment, according to the Perception and Action Theory Extrapolating it, we suggest that social play is a means for learning about the social environment because it generates opportunities to explore, perceive, act and learn potentialities and characteristics from conspecifics. Our aim was to verify if immature individuals who manipulate more objects and food are also individuals that are more involved in social play behaviour, because they are more explorative in relation to objects and social surrounding. We studied two groups: a wild one, in Boa Vista Farm (State of Piauí, Brazilian Savanna area), in two seasons: a month in dry season (11 individuals) and a month in wet season (12 individuals); a semi-free ranging troop in Tietê Ecological Park, urban zone of São Paulo City, by five months (19 individuals). We cannot establish a direct and universal link between Social Play and Manipulation, including nut cracking, for all individuals. We observed an increase in social play and manipulative behaviors in males and we observed that males played more than females when there was greater availability of food. The exploration of the social surrounding generates more complexes responses than the exploration of the physical environment, therefore, other skills are necessary to live in social life, but it does not exclude the possibility of shared motivation to explore the physical and social surroundings.(AU)

Avaliação de visão de cores em um indivíduo albino de Sapajus sp (Cebus sp) / Evaluation of the color vision in an albino subject of Sapajus sp (Cebus sp)

O albinismo é um conjunto de alterações fenotípicas caracterizadas pela incapacidade de produzir melanina, fazendo com que a pigmentação de alguns órgãos seja reduzida ou ausente. Discutem-se quais efeitos esta redução ou ausência de pigmentação, na retina, poderia ter sobre a capacidade visual do indivíduo. A visão de cores apresenta um papel muito importante para a sobrevivência e desenvolvimento de primatas. A capacidade de discriminar visualmente o alvo de um fundo apenas pela diferença de matiz pode ser o diferencial tanto para a busca de alimentos, como para a fuga de predadores. Estudos sobre a visão de cores auxiliam a fazer inferências sobre suas bases biológicas e utilidade funcional. Pretendeu-se com esse estudo elucidar a discriminação de cores de um indivíduo albino de Sapajus sp, por meio de uma avaliação psicofísica utilizando-se de uma versão modificada do teste computadorizado Cambridge Colour Test (CCT), e uma análise genética de DNA, para identificar os genes que codificam as opsinas. Os arranjos genótipo/fenótipo inferidos do indivíduo a partir das elipses foram comparados à composição dos genes que codificam opsina, obtida por análise independente de DNA. Buscou-se, assim, identificar possíveis prejuízos à visão de cores causados pelo albinismo, em relação a Sapajus normais. Apesar dos vários problemas decorrentes do albinismo, o sujeito experimental aprendeu a tarefa com sucesso e apresentou, nos testes, limiares de discriminação de cores característicos de dicromacia do tipo deuterânope com valores dentro dos esperados para o gênero Sapajus. Os resultados comportamentais foram condizentes com o fenótipo inferido a partir da análise genética(AU)

São Paulo Albinism is a set of phenotypic traits, characterized by the inability to produce melanin, that way the pigmentation of some organs are either reduced or absent. There is no consent on what effects this lower or none pigmentation on retina could lead on subject vision. The color vision represents a major role on primates survival and development. The capacity of visually discriminate targets only by hue differences from the background can be used either to search for food or to avoid predators. Studies on color vision help to make inference on their biological bases and functional utility. This study aimed to elucidate the color vision discrimination of an albino subject of Sapajus sp, through a psychophysical evaluation using a modified version of Cambridge Colour Test (CCT) and a genetic analyses of DNA in order to identify genes that codify the opsin. The correlation between genotype and phenotype were inferred by comparison between discrimination ellipses and genetic composition of genes that code opsin. Thus seeking to identify possible color vision losses caused by albinism comparing those analyses with healthy Sapajus. Despite many problems associated to albinism, the test subject successfully learn the task and his test showed color discrimination thresholds of a deuteranope dichromacy with values within the expected to subjects of Sapajus genera. Those behavioral results where consistent with the phenotype predicted by the genetic analyses(AU)