Vervet monkeys

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Vervet monkeys
Western green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus)

Western green monkey ( Chlorocebus sabaeus )

Systematics
without rank: Old World Monkey (Catarrhini)
Superfamily : Tailed Old World Monkey (Cercopithecoidea)
Family : Vervet monkey relatives (Cercopithecidae)
Subfamily : Cheekbones monkey (Cercopithecinae)
Tribe : Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecini)
Genre : Vervet monkeys
Scientific name
Chlorocebus
Gray , 1870

The green monkeys ( Chlorocebus ) are a genus of primate from the family of the vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae). They are widespread in large parts of Africa south of the Sahara and are partly ground-dwelling. They live in large, mixed groups with a complex hierarchy and are omnivorous . In the past, all animals were grouped into one species; today, six species are differentiated.

features

The fur of the green monkey appears short and gray-green on the upper side, the underside and the hairline around the face is whitish-yellow. The face itself is hairless and black. Vervet monkeys reach a head body length of 40 to 60 centimeters (in addition there is the 30 to 70 centimeter long tail), and a weight of around 3 to 7 kilograms. The males are slightly larger than the females. The males have characteristically colored genitals: the scrotum is usually bright blue and the penis red.

distribution and habitat

This primate genus throughout Africa south of the Sahara is home; their distribution area extends from Senegal via Ethiopia to South Africa . The western green monkey also lives on St. Kitts and other Caribbean islands, where it came through the slave trade in the 16th century . In contrast to the vervet monkeys themselves , the green monkeys are not pronounced forest dwellers, but prefer open terrain such as savannahs . However, they have to drink every day and are therefore dependent on water so that they are never found far from rivers or lakes. They are not very picky about their habitat, but avoid overly dense forests (such as the Congo Basin ) and completely treeless areas.

Way of life

Southern vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ) with easily recognizable brightly colored genitals

Although they can climb well, vervet monkeys are more likely to live on the ground and travel long distances on the earth. They are diurnal, especially in the early morning and later in the afternoon or early evening.

They live in large groups that consist of a few males, many females and their offspring and can contain up to 80 animals. The group hierarchy plays an important role: dominant males and females have privileges in foraging and often let subordinate animals take care of their fur. While young males have to leave their group when they reach sexual maturity, females stay in their group and sometimes take on the role of their mothers. Vervet monkeys are territorial animals, one group claims an area of ​​around 0.1 to 1 km². They know a variety of sounds with which other groups are to be warned of their own territory, to be warned of robbers or other group members to be searched for. Facial expressions and postures also serve for communication , so the male lifts his tail and presents the penis to indicate his own territory. Showing the conspicuously colored genitals also serves to make the hierarchy within the group clear.

food

Vervet monkeys are omnivores . However, the focus of their diet is on grasses and fruits. They also occasionally ingest insects and small vertebrates.

Reproduction

To signal readiness to mate, the female presents her vulva to the male . Since there are more females than males in the groups, each male mates with several females. After the birth, the fathers show no interest in the children, but other females in the group take part in raising the offspring. Here, too, the hierarchy is expressed, since the females tend to take care of young animals of higher-ranking animals. The gestation period is around 160 days, usually a single young animal is born. The birth falls at the beginning of the rainy season, when sufficient food is available. The young animal is weaned after around 6 months and is sexually mature at 2 to 3 years of age. The life expectancy of the green monkey is around 30 years.

Vervet monkeys and humans

Vervet monkeys have a wide range and are also less sensitive to human proximity than other primate species. Sometimes they also plunder plantations and are considered a plague. They are hunted to a small extent for their meat, but overall they are common and not threatened. Their natural predators include big cats , baboons , jackals , hyenas , birds of prey and giant snakes .

Green monkey kidney cells are cultivated as so-called Vero cells and used in medical research, especially in virology .

Biomedical model

Vervet monkeys form an important model in the study of AIDS, neurodegenerative processes, neurobiology, metabolism, and obesity. The scientists succeeded in sequencing the green monkey genome; the reference sequence of the genome is available via two genome browsers. Research on the genomes of vervet monkeys in Africa and on the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts, Nevis and Barbados has shown that the Caribbean vervet monkeys originate from West Africa.

Scientific research has also shown that the vervet monkey genome has been strongly influenced by natural selection, particularly viruses, including simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), which is related to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and contributes to it If left untreated, it leads to AIDS, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Vervet monkeys also form a model for recognizing natural development mechanisms. In the brain and in a number of peripheral tissues of the green monkeys, gene regulation was studied in the individual development of both sexes, and genetic regulators of gene expression were identified in the tissues.

Systematics

Southern vervet monkey in Hluhluwe / Umfolozi National Park, South Africa

In earlier times the green monkeys were placed in the genus of the actual monkeys ( Cercopithecus ). Differences in body structure and lifestyle have led to their own genus, Chlorocebus , today. In the past, all animals were combined into a single species, the green monkey ( Chlorocebus aethiops , Syn . : Cercopithecus aethiops ), today six species are distinguished:

  • The Ethiopian green monkey ( Chlorocebus aethiops ) is native to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.
  • The Malbrouck vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus cynosuros ) lives in southwest Africa.
  • The bale green monkey ( Chlorocebus djamdjamensis ) is characterized by its longer, thicker fur, which is mostly dark in color. The species is endemic to Ethiopia.
  • The southern vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ) is widespread in large parts of eastern and southern Africa.
  • The western green monkey ( Chlorocebus sabaeus ) lives in western Africa, from Senegal to Burkina Faso and Ghana.
  • The tantalus green monkey ( Chlorocebus tantalus ) is native to central Africa, from Ghana to Kenya.

literature

  • Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Chris Stuart, Tilde Stuart: South, Central and East African Mammals in Pictures and Text. Struik Publishers, Cape Town 1992, ISBN 1-86825-396-1 .

Web links

Commons : Vervet monkeys ( Chlorocebus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Anna J. Jasinska, Christopher A. Schmitt, Susan K. Service, Rita M. Cantor, Ken Dewar: Systems biology of the vervet monkey . In: ILAR journal . tape 54 , no. 2 , 2013, ISSN  1930-6180 , p. 122–143 , doi : 10.1093 / ilar / ilt049 , PMID 24174437 , PMC 3814400 (free full text).
  2. ^ Wesley C. Warren, Anna J. Jasinska, Raquel García-Pérez, Hannes Svardal, Chad Tomlinson: The genome of the vervet (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) . In: Genome Research . tape 25 , no. December 12 , 2015, ISSN  1088-9051 , p. 1921–1933 , doi : 10.1101 / gr.192922.115 , PMID 26377836 , PMC 4665013 (free full text).
  3. Hannes Svardal, Anna J Jasinska, Cristian Apetrei, Giovanni Coppola, Yu Huang: Ancient hybridization and strong adaptation to viruses across African vervet monkey populations . In: Nature genetics . tape 49 , no. December 12 , 2017, ISSN  1061-4036 , p. 1705-1713 , doi : 10.1038 / ng.3980 , PMID 29083404 , PMC 5709169 (free full text).
  4. Hannes Svardal, Anna J Jasinska, Cristian Apetrei, Giovanni Coppola, Yu Huang: Ancient hybridization and strong adaptation to viruses across African vervet monkey populations . In: Nature genetics . tape 49 , no. December 12 , 2017, ISSN  1061-4036 , p. 1705-1713 , doi : 10.1038 / ng.3980 , PMID 29083404 , PMC 5709169 (free full text).
  5. Jump up ↑ Anna J. Jasinska, Ivette Zelaya, Susan K. Service, Christine B. Peterson, Rita M. Cantor: Genetic variation and gene expression across multiple tissues and developmental stages in a non-human primate . In: Nature genetics . tape 49 , no. December 12 , 2017, ISSN  1061-4036 , p. 1714–1721 , doi : 10.1038 / ng.3959 , PMID 29083405 , PMC 5714271 (free full text).