Impressive Arboreal Gap-Crossing Behaviors in Wild Bonobos, Pan paniscus
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Impressive Arboreal Gap-Crossing Behaviors in Wild Bonobos, Pan paniscus François Druelle 1,2 & Peter Aerts 2,3 & Jean Christophe Bokika Ngawolo 4 & Victor Narat 5 Received: 6 September 2019 / Accepted: 31 January 2020/ # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Most primates are arboreal, and the current context of habitat fragmentation makes gap- and road-crossing behaviors more and more common. Great apes may try to avoid behaviors such as arboreal leaping because given their size such behaviors are risky. Here, we report impressive gap-crossing by wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, induced by human disturbance and habitat fragmentation. We quantify the basic mechanics of leaps and arboreal landing performance in two individuals. The bonobos climbed a tree, 15 m high, and performed pronograde leaps between thin flexible branches, to grasp landing branches ca. 4 m further and below their starting point. They reached an instantaneous velocity of about 9 m · s−1. The bonobos used pendular swinging of landing branches to dissipate the kinetic energy built up during falling, requiring a grip force of about 2.5× body weight. Moreover, our results show that bonobos might be able to modulate the drag experienced during falling (up to 20% of body weight) by adjusting their posture. Apparently, bonobos evaluate the structural context to perform the best possible leap and balance the risks against the extra energetic costs involved. Further study of locomotor performance is needed to inform conservation planning, owing to the extent of habitat fragmentation due to human activities. Keywords Fieldwork . Habitat fragmentation . Hominoid . Leaping . Locomotion
Introduction Many primates travel in trees, because a substantial amount of their food is located in the arboreal niche (Fleagle 2013; Hunt 2016). This habitat implies discontinuity, variability, Handling Editor: Joanna M. Setchell Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-02000140-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
* François Druelle [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Druelle F. et al.
compliance and instability of the substrates. Huge horizontal and vertical gaps are very common between trees. To negotiate such obstacles, primates can climb down to the ground, use tree-swaying behaviors, or leap (Channon et al. 2011; Demes et al. 1995; Thorpe et al. 2007). For instance, orangutans (Pongo spp.) practice cautious suspensory behaviors (Thorpe and Crompton 2006; Thorpe et al. 2007), while other species perform impressive leaping performances, such as gibbons (Hylobates spp., Symphalangus syndactylus) and bonobos (Pan paniscus; e.g. Fan et al. 2013; Fleagle 1976; Scholz et al. 2006; Susman et al. 1980). Gibbons can leap across gaps exceeding 10 m horizontally when traveling through the forest canopy (Channon et al. 2011; Fleagle 1976). Bonobos ca
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