Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Papua appears to have greater resistance to colonization by exotic species as
evidenced by the fact that Papua has fewer exotic species than many other island
habitats. The island is even resistant to highly effective invasive species, such
as cane toads (
Bufo marinus
) and Rusa deer (
Cervus timorensis
), which like
macaques, have also had limited success in colonizing the island (Heinsohn,
2003
). Consistent with our hypothesis, Papua has had lower levels of anthropo-
genic habitat alteration than has occurred in Mauritius and Palau, partly the
result of the mountainous terrain of Papua that is difficult for humans to develop.
Moreover, Papua is noted for having a limited crop base in their farmlands,
compared to other regions in the Indonesian Archipelago (Diamond,
1997
). The
combination of decreased habitat disturbance and decreased athropogenic food
sources may explain why the macaque population remains small in Papua.
Overall, future investigation will be needed to better understand the pro-
cess of macaque ethnophoresy and the factors that lead them to be considered
invasive. Understanding what allows long-tailed macaques to proliferate in
new environments will help prevent future introductions and will give wildlife
managers in these island habitats a basis for alleviating their own macaque
problems. Where macaques are unwanted aliens, protective actions are impera-
tive, as it is important not to let monkeys overtake sensitive island ecologies
with unique flora and fauna. With that in mind, it is also important to consider
where exotic macaques have become integrated into their new environments,
and where their presence is benefiting humanity.
Research approaches for studying
the human-macaque interface
Humans have shared ecosystems with other primates for millennia, and thus
represent important biotic components of the ecology that has impacted each
other's evolutionary path. Researchers who have focused on understanding
human-primate relationships have come to the conclusion that the sympatric
relationships between humans and primates are central to the ecology, evolution,
and conservation/management of many primate species (Paterson and Wallis,
2005
; Riley,
2007
, Wolfe and Fuentes,
2007
; Fuentes and Hockings,
2010
; Riley
and Fuentes,
2010
). Moreover, it is becoming clearer that it is not fully accurate
to consider primates affected by human activity as unnatural or unimportant sys-
tems for studying primate evolution. Because of this, it has been suggested that
the interface between humans and other primates needs to be more elaborately
documented and systematically studied in order to build more complete models
of the behavior and evolution of primate societies (Fuentes,
2006a
,
2007a
; Lane
et al
.,
2010
).
