The gut microbiome is expected to adapt to the varying energetic and nutritional pressures in females of different reproductive states. Changes in the gut microbiome may lead to varying nutrient utilizing efficiency in pregnant and lactating female primates. In this study, we examined variation in the gut bacterial community composition of wild female Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) across different reproductive states (cycling, pregnancy and lactation). Fecal samples (n = 25) were collected from ten adult females harvested across different reproductive states. Gut microbial community composition and potential functions were assessed using 16 S rRNA gene sequences. We found significant changes in gut bacterial taxonomic composition, structure and their potential functions in different reproductive states of our study species. In particular, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased significantly during pregnancy and lactation. In addition, the relative abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Succinivibrio (Succinivibrionaceae) were overrepresented in pregnant females, whereas Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium (Bifidobacteriaceae) were overrepresented in lactating females. Furthermore, the relative abundance of predicted functional genes of several metabolic pathways related to host’s energy and nutrition, such as metabolism of carbohydrates, cofactors and vitamins, glycans and other amino acids, were enriched in pregnancy and lactation. Our findings suggest that changes in the gut microbiome may play an important role in meeting the energetic needs of pregnant and lactating Tibetan macaques. Future studies of the “microbial reproductive ecology” of primates that incorporate food availability, reproductive seasonality, female reproductive physiology and gut inflammation are warranted.

Previous studies have reported the negative impacts of tourism on nonhuman primates (NHPs) and tourists and advocated the improvement of tourism management, yet what constitutes good quality management remains unclear. We explored whether rates of macaque aggression and self-directed behaviors (SDBs) differed under the supervision of two park ranger teams at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys (VWM) in Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. The two ranger teams provisioned and managed a group of macaques on an alternating monthly basis. Monkey, tourist and ranger behaviors were collected from August 16–September 30, 2012. Macaque aggression and SDB rates did not differ significantly under the management of the two teams. Overall, there was little intervention in tourist-macaque interactions by park rangers, and even when rangers discouraged tourists’ undesirable behaviors, tourist interactions with monkeys persisted. Furthermore, only one or sometimes two park rangers managed monkeys and tourists, and rangers established dominance over the monkeys to control them. In order to effectively manage tourists and monkeys by a single park ranger, we recommend that rangers: (1) prohibit tourists from feeding; (2) move around the viewing platform more frequently; and (3) limit the number of tourists each visiting session.

Theories proposed to explain social play have centered on its function in establishing social relationships critical for adulthood, its function in developing motor skills needed to survive, and promoting cognitive development and social learning. In this study, we compared variations in social play among infant and juvenile male and female Macaca thibetana. Given that this species is characterized by female philopatry and male dispersal, we hypothesized that immature females use social play as a mechanism to develop bonds that persist through adulthood whereas immature males use play to develop social skills needed to successfully enter new groups. The results indicated that social play steadily increased during the infant period and peaked at approximately 12 months of age. There were no significant differences in the frequency or types of social play exhibited between infant males and infant females. During the juvenile period, however, social play was found to decrease with age, with males engaging in social play more frequently than juvenile females. Moreover, whereas juvenile males engaged in more aggressive forms of play, juvenile females engaged in more affiliative forms of play. In addition, juvenile females engaged in higher rates of grooming than juvenile males. These results provide evidence of sex-specific differences and imply the functional variation of social play in Tibetan macaques, with immature males using social play to develop skills needed to enter and enhanced their dominance rank in a new social group and immature females using social play to develop long-term same-sex social bonds in their natal group.

Purpose: Because natural resource utilization is a predictor of sustainable development, an evaluation of the efficiency of resource utilization is critical for assessing developmental potentiality. The purpose of this paper is to apply three-dimensional (3D) ecological footprint theory to assess the effects of production and consumption on ecological systems in Hefei, China. Design/methodology/approach: Using data for Hefei for the period 2005-2014, an ecological footprint model (EFM) was developed to calculate the area’s ecological footprint (EF), ecological carrying (EC) capacity and obtain two indices, namely, footprint depth and size. The relationship between economic development and natural resource utilization was subsequently evaluated based on the calculated ecological deficit and the EF demand per Renminbi 10,000 of gross domestic product (GDP). Findings: Over the last decade, Hefei’s EF per capita evidenced a 9.87 percent growth rate, increasing from 1.16 hm²/person in 2005 to 2.70 hm²/person in 2014. EC capacity per capita increased from 0.21 hm²/person in 2005 to 0.36 hm²/person in 2014, evidencing a gradually increasing trend at an average annual growth rate of 6.24 percent. Thus, between 2005 and 2014, the ecological deficit increased annually by three times. The amplification of footprint depth significantly exceeded that of footprint size. Between 2005 and 2014, Hefei’s EF per capita Renminbi 10,000 of GDP decreased annually by 4.68 percent. Thus, energy consumption in Hefei exceeded the natural regeneration capacity of energy resources, with excessive development and resource utilization impacting on the regional ecological system. Practical implications: The application of a 3D EFM sheds light on natural resource utilization within regional development. Moreover, footprint depth and size are significant predictors of the impacts of natural resource utilization. These findings will also benefit other countries or cities. Originality/value: This is one of the first empirical studies to apply a 3D EFM to evaluate the relationship between natural resource utilization and economic development. Adopting a sustainable development framework, it provides insights into the effects of natural resource utilization in relation to the balance between the natural ecological system and economic development. This has far-reaching implications beyond Hefei and China.

During a relatively long period of growth, immature individuals rely on their mothers to obtain nutrition, and a good environment for learning social skills needed to cope with complex environments in adulthood. In this study, we collected the behavioral data of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) to investigate the effects of females’ social rank on the development of social relationships among their immature offspring from November to June 2021. The results show that there was no difference in the rate/type of social play and grooming among infants. However, among juveniles and adolescents, the higher their mother’s social rank, the higher the rate of social play they participated in, and the more aggressive play they engaged in. Immatures with high-ranking mothers initiated more social play among each other. A similar pattern of playmates was found among juveniles/adolescents with middle-ranking and low-ranking mothers. We also found that immatures preferred immatures with higher-ranking mothers as grooming mates and initiated more grooming with immatures with higher-ranking mothers than with those with lower-ranking mothers. Our study suggests that females’ social ranks affect the development of social relationships among their immature offspring. In despotic nonhuman primates, this indicates that the mother’s dominance hierarchy would directly or indirectly influence the processes of participating in social interactions and choosing partnerships among immature individuals with age (i.e., infancy, juvenile, and adolescent periods).