Coalitions are a specific case of cooperative competition and have been explained by various factors like partner availability, distribution of fighting ability, or cost of coordination. We investigated if age is an important factor influencing coalition formation and, specifically, if males switch from a solo strategy to a cooperative one after reaching post-prime age. We found that older males formed more coalitions than younger ones, stressing the importance of age in cooperative competition.

Transmission of macaque herpes B virus (BV) to humans can induce severe disease. Therefore, diagnostic tests for detecting BV infection are needed. Here, we show that antigens of BV-related non-human primate herpes viruses allow for the detection of antibodies elicited against BV with a higher sensitivity than antigens of human herpes simplex viruses (HSV). Moreover, we provide evidence that using recombinant viral glycoproteins may allow us to discriminate antibody responses against BV and HSV.

Humans and African great apes (AGAs) are naturally infected with several species of closely related malaria parasites. Research on AGA malaria has been driven by the need to understand the origins of human malaria and the risk of transmission of malaria parasites infecting AGAs to humans. The understanding of the ecology of AGA malaria parasites and their impact on AGA health remains relatively poor. We review current knowledge on AGA malaria and identify gaps and future research perspectives.

Forest-living primates are particularly vulnerable to the effects of forest fragmentation. The extent to which they can use the agricultural matrix between fragments can be critical for their long-term survival. This paper provides the first record of the use of a rubber plantation by golden-headed lion tamarins, endangered primates inhabiting the Atlantic Forest of south Bahia, Brazil. The results provide opportunities for reconciling economic rubber production with primate conservation.

We herein report a unique case of granulomatous arteritis in a grey mouse lemur affecting multiple organs, which is not comparable to other disease entities formerly described in nonhuman primates. The features of the entity most closely resemble disseminated visceral giant cell arteritis in humans. A concise description of the disease is given, and the differential diagnoses are discussed. An idiopathic pathogenesis is suspected.

Here we report two encounters between olive baboons (Papio anubis) and crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus), a potential predator, at Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania. On both events, baboons gave alarm calls while infants got close to adults and juveniles ran to cover. Adult males approached the eagles and chased them away. The baboons’ reactions indeed support the assumption that crowned eagles pose a threat, at least for juvenile baboons.

We report observations fur-rubbing with leaves from the spiked pepper plant, Piper aduncum, in the San Martín titi monkey, Callicebus oenanthe. As leaf extracts from this plant include insecticidal compounds, we interpret this behaviour as a defense against ectoparasites. Our observations expand the number of primate species for which this kind of self-medication is reported.