This research is a companion to the breeding programs from the Primate Foundation of Arizona and University of Texas, Veterinary Resources Division. These two institutions have formed a research consortium that will include data on over 160 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The planned research will investigate the factors influencing the production of successful breeders from captive born animals; seek improvements in the husbandry of captive breeding groups; and determine methods which may allow more precise predictions of productivity from captive breeding programs. The principle thrust is a set of cooperative behavioral research projects to be accomplished at both institutions. By carefully documenting the ontogeny of social and sexual behavior of infants with their mothers, and with other companions in various rearing paradigms, we expect to be able to determine the range of rearing conditions that will produce behaviorally adequate adults. Once these animals are adults, the relationship between their behavioral adequacy as adults and their behavior while immature will be investigated to determine if predictors of adult behavior in young animals can be identified. If so, these would allow early assignment of animals to research programs, replacement breeder pool, or interventional programs to improve their chances to breed. As a corollary to these behavioral projects, studies of physical growth, development and aging will identify the range of normal variability in captive chimpanzees against which individuals suspected of being deviant may be judged. Other behavioral experiments will (1) identify causes and test interventions against aggression resulting in trauma in captive groups, and (2) test the use of videotapes of chimpanzee behavior as environmental enrichment and as a possible socializing tool for singly housed animals. Studies of existing and future colony records from three institutions will provide data on the effects of mother's age, parity and other variables on reproductive success and the length of postpartum infertility. This information will improve the ability to predict productivity in a colony.
| Nash, L T; Fritz, J; Alford, P A et al. (1999) Variables influencing the origins of diverse abnormal behaviors in a large sample of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 48:15-29 |
| Pruetz, J D; Bloomsmith, M A (1995) The effects of paternity on interactions between adult male and immature chimpanzees in captivity. Folia Primatol (Basel) 65:174-80 |
| Bloomsmith, M A; Brent, L Y; Schapiro, S J (1991) Guidelines for developing and managing an environmental enrichment program for nonhuman primates. Lab Anim Sci 41:372-7 |
| Bloomsmith, M A; Finlay, T W; Merhalski, J J et al. (1990) Rigid plastic balls as enrichment devices for captive chimpanzees. Lab Anim Sci 40:319-22 |
