Anthony Agbor
A5062994709- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Gut microbiota and health
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
2016-2025
Education Labour Relations Council
2020-2021
University of California, Davis
2021
George Washington University
2021
Hudson Institute
2021
Max Planck Society
2020
Conservation International
2013-2018
Abstract Large brains and behavioural innovation are positively correlated, species-specific traits, associated with the flexibility animals need for adapting to seasonal unpredictable habitats. Similar ecological challenges would have been important drivers throughout human evolution. However, studies examining influence of environmental variability on within-species diversity lacking despite critical assumption that population diversification precedes genetic divergence speciation. Here,...
More than just numbers We often frame negative human impacts on animal species in terms of individuals reduced or regions from which are absent. However, activities likely affecting more complex ways these figures can capture. Kühl et al. studied behavioral and cultural diversity our closest relative, the chimpanzee. They found that human-mediated disturbance is reducing traits. Human influence thus goes well beyond simple loss populations species, leading to change even where persist....
How populations adapt to their environment is a fundamental question in biology. Yet, we know surprisingly little about this process, especially for endangered species, such as nonhuman great apes. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are particularly notable because they inhabit diverse habitats, from rainforest woodland-savannah. Whether genetic adaptation facilitates habitat diversity remains unknown, despite it having wide implications evolutionary biology and conservation. By...
We quantify the impacts of poaching, Ebola, and habitat degradation on western lowland gorillas central chimpanzees.
Abstract The study of the archaeological remains fossil hominins must rely on reconstructions to elucidate behaviour that may have resulted in particular stone tools and their accumulation. Comparatively, tool use among living primates has illuminated behaviours are also amenable examination, permitting direct observations leading artefacts assemblages be incorporated. Here, we describe newly discovered tool-use accumulation sites wild chimpanzees reminiscent human cairns. In addition data...
ABSTRACT Ongoing ecosystem change and biodiversity decline across the Afrotropics call for tools to monitor state of or elements extensive spatial temporal scales. We assessed relationships in co‐occurrence patterns between great apes other medium large‐bodied mammals evaluate whether ape abundance serves as a proxy mammal diversity broad used camera trap footage recorded at 22 research sites, each known harbor population chimpanzees, some additionally gorillas, 12 sub‐Saharan African...
Knowledge on the population history of endangered species is critical for conservation, but whole-genome data chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) geographically sparse. Here, we produced first non-invasive geolocalized catalog genomic diversity by capturing chromosome 21 from 828 samples collected at 48 sampling sites across Africa. The four recognized subspecies show clear genetic differentiation correlating with known barriers, while previously undescribed exchange suggests that these have been...
Wild chimpanzees regularly use tools, made from sticks, leaves, or stone, to find flexible solutions the ecological challenges of their environment. Nevertheless, some studies suggest strong limitations in tool-using capabilities chimpanzees. In this context, we present discovery a newly observed tool-use behavior population (Pan troglodytes verus) living Bakoun Classified Forest, Guinea, where temporary research site was established for 15 months. every age-sex class were fish freshwater...
Abstract Background Metabarcoding of vertebrate DNA found in invertebrates (iDNA) represents a potentially powerful tool for monitoring biodiversity. Preliminary evidence suggests fly iDNA biodiversity assessments compare favorably with established approaches such as camera trapping or line transects. Aims and Methods To assess whether fly‐derived is consistently useful across diversity ecosystems, we compared metabarcoding the mitochondrial 16S gene pool‐derived (range = 49–105 flies/site,...
We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) modelled the influence various ecological predictors on activity.Data were extracted from camera-trap footage surveys 22 chimpanzee study sites participating Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. described videos demonstrating activity, we tested effects percentage forest, abundance predators (lions, leopards hyenas), large mammals (buffalos elephants), average daily...
Herpesviruses are thought to have evolved in very close association with their hosts. This is notably the case for cytomegaloviruses (CMVs; genus Cytomegalovirus) infecting primates, which exhibit a strong signal of co-divergence Some herpesviruses however known crossed species barriers. Based on limited sampling CMV diversity hominine (African great ape and human) lineage, we hypothesized that chimpanzees gorillas might mutually exchanged CMVs past. Here, performed comprehensive molecular...
Abstract Much like humans, chimpanzees occupy diverse habitats and exhibit extensive behavioural variability. However, are recognized as a discontinuous species, with four subspecies separated by historical geographic barriers. Nevertheless, their range-wide degree of genetic connectivity remains poorly resolved, mainly due to sampling limitations. By analyzing geographically comprehensive sample set amplified at microsatellite markers that inform recent population history, we found...
Abstract Noninvasive samples as a source of DNA are gaining interest in genomic studies endangered species. However, their complex nature and low endogenous content hamper the recovery good quality data. Target capture has become productive method to enrich fraction noninvasive samples, such faeces, but its sensitivity not yet been extensively studied. Coping with faecal an below 1% is common problem when prior selection from large collection possible. classified unfavourable for target...
Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis with reference to strontium landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving 87Sr/86Sr particularly Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for largest parts continent. Here, we measure ratios 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries combine this data published model a bioavailable isoscape sub-Saharan Africa using random forest...
Hunting is one of the main driving forces behind large mammal density distribution in many regions world. In tropical Africa, urban demand for bushmeat has been shown to dominate over subsistence hunting and its impact often overrides spatial-ecological species characteristics. To effectively protect remaining populations factors that influence their need be integrated into conservation area prioritisation management plans. This information lacking Río Muni, Equatorial Guinea, as prior...
Abstract How populations adapt to their environment is a fundamental question in biology. Yet we know surprisingly little about this process, especially for endangered species such as non-human great apes. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are particularly interesting because they inhabit diverse habitats, from rainforest woodland-savannah. Whether genetic adaptation facilitates habitat diversity remains unknown, despite having wide implications evolutionary biology and...
Abstract Paleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates shaped present‐day biodiversity. We hypothesize that the geographic extent Pleistocene forest refugia and suitable habitat fluctuated significantly in time during late Quaternary for chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ). Using bioclimatic variables representing monthly temperature precipitation estimates, human population density data, an extensive database georeferenced presence points, we built a model...
Gut microbial communities are drivers of primate physiology and health, but the factors that influence gut microbiome in wild populations remain largely undetermined. We report data from a continent-wide survey chimpanzee microbiota highlight effects genetics, vegetation, potentially even tool use at different spatial scales on microbiome, including bacteria, archaea, eukaryotic parasites.
The manual processing and analysis of videos from camera traps is time-consuming includes several steps, ranging the filtering falsely triggered footage to identifying re-identifying individuals. In this study, we developed a pipeline automatically analyze identify individuals without requiring interaction. This applies animal species with uniquely identifiable fur patterns solitary behavior, such as leopards (Panthera pardus). We assumed that same individual was seen throughout one video...
Stable isotope analysis is an increasingly used molecular tool to reconstruct the diet and ecology of elusive primates such as unhabituated chimpanzees. The consumption C 4 plant feeding termites by chimpanzees may partly explain relatively high carbon values reported for some chimpanzee communities. However, modest availability termite data well diversity cryptic potentially consumed obscures our ability assess plausibility these a resource. Here we report nitrogen from 79 Macrotermes...
Many non-human primate species in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue , the bacterium causing yaws humans. In humans, is often characterized by lesions of extremities and face, while T. causes venereal syphilis typically primary on genital, anal or oral mucosae. It remains unclear whether other subspecies found humans also occur primates how genomic diversity lineages distributed across hosts space. We observed orofacial genital sooty mangabeys (...
Abstract Aim Paleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates may shaped present-day biodiversity. We hypothesize that habitat stability in historical Afrotropical refugia played a major role the suitability and persistence chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) during late Quaternary. aimed to build dynamic model changing for at fine spatio-temporal scales provide new resource their ecology, behaviour evolution. Location Afrotropics. Taxon Chimpanzee ), including...
Abstract The question of how behavioural diversity in humans and other animals is shaped by the combined influence demography, genetics, culture, environment receives much research attention. We take a macro-ecological approach to evaluate chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) spatially structured associated with genetic (i.e. heterozygosity as proxy for effective population size) contemporary historic environmental context. integrate largest available genomic datasets apply explicit Bayesian...