Body temperature and thermal environment in a generalized arboreal anthropoid, wild mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).

摘要: Free-ranging primates are confronted with the challenge of maintaining an optimal range body temperatures within a thermally dynamic environment that changes daily, seasonally, and annually. While many laboratory studies have been conducted on primate thermoregulation, we know comparatively little about thermal pressures face in their natural, evolutionarily relevant environment. Such knowledge is critical to understanding evolution adaptations for comparative evaluation humans' unique adaptations. We examined temperature free-ranging, mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) tropical dry forest Guanacaste, Costa Rica. recorded subcutaneous (Tsc) near-animal ambient (Ta) from 11 animals over 1586.5 sample hours during wet seasons. Howlers displayed considerable variation Tsc, which was largely attributable circadian effects. Despite significant seasonal environment, howlers showed relatively evidence Tsc. experienced warm conditions led cooling relative plateaus Tsc at increasingly Ta. They also frequently faced cool (Ta < Tsc) markedly elevated compared These data add growing non-human more labile than humans. Our additionally support hypothesis that, despite inhabiting experience both pressures. This suggests challenges may be prevalent previously thought, even species living nonextreme environments. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:1–10, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.