Nonhuman Primates: Taxonomy, Conservation, and Research Use

1
Nonhuman Primates Taxonomy, Conservation, and
Research Use
Patricia V. Turner University of Guelph
2
Outline

• Characteristics of primates
• Taxonomy
• Origin, importation, regulation
• Conservation
• Use of nonhuman primates in research

3
Primates - Characteristics

• Unguiculate and claviculate
• Eye orbits encircled in bone
• Innermost digit of at least 1 pair of extremities
  opposable
• Well developed cecum
• Pendulous penis and scrotal testes
• Two pectoral mammae

4
Primates - Taxonomy
5
Suborder Prosimians

• Natural habitat Southeast Asia, Africa, India
• Naked, moist snout rhinarium
• Most are nocturnal
• Toilet claw for scratching
• Toothcomb for grooming
• Sublingual structure for cleaning toothcomb
• Scent glands (genital)
• Mandible in 2 parts

6
Napier Napier, 1994
7
Suborder Tarsioidea

• Found in Philippines and southeast Asia (3
  species of Tarsius)
• Rat-sized, nocturnal, 120 g
• Large eyes, long tail, toilet claw (2/foot),
  fused fibula and tibia
• No rhinarium, no dental comb
• Rarely used in research

8
Suborder Platyrrhine primates

• Natural habitat South and Central America
• Muzzle flattened with widely spaced nares
• Prehensile or pseudoprehensile tail
• No cheek pouches or ischial callosities
• Require Vitamin C and D3 in diet, ingested D2 not
  bioavailable
• All have estrus cycles except Cebus
• All arboreal
• All diurnal except Aotus

9
Suborder Catarrhine primates

• Natural habitat Africa, Asia, extreme Southern
  Europe
• Muzzle elongate with narrow-spaced, turned-down
  nares
• Some species possess cheek pouches and/or ischial
  callosities
• All can utilize vitamin D2 in diet, require
  vitamin C
• Menstrual cycles
• Terrestrial/arboreal
• All diurnal

10
Napier Napier, 1994
11
Captive Primates Where do they come from?

• Importation of feral animals from countries of
  origin
• Indigenous breeding colonies
• Domestic breeding colonies
• Recycling

12
Importation

• Import s declined gt80 since 1973 because of
  export restrictions or outright prohibition of
  export, changing patterns of use (including ),
  end of polio vaccine program, increased domestic
  breeding, better health of new imports

13
(No Transcript)
14
Importation contd

• M fascicularis now imported in greatest numbers
  (24,904 imported in 2007)
• Some South American countries have reopened trade
  in S sciureus (via Pan American Health
  Organization)

15
Protection and Regulation

• Importation regulated by CDC (CFIA CWS in
  Canada) because of CITES classification
• All importers must be registered with CDC
• http//law.justia.com/us/cfr/title42/42-1.0.1.6.57
  .6.19.3.html

16
Protection and Regulation contd

• Importation influenced by endangered species
  legislation (CITES), US Endangered Species Act
  (CWS)
• CITES, Appendix I animals deemed threatened
  with extinction, movement requires importation
  and exportation license (eg, lemurs,
  cotton-topped tamarins, gibbons, Great Apes)
• CITES, Appendix II species less threatened,
  movement requires export license only

17
Breeding Colonies

• Indigenous China, Mauritius, Vietnam, Indonesia,
  Peruvian Primate Program, etc
• Domestic breeding colonies U.S.A.
• Regional Primate Research Centers, domestic
  commercial breeders, other
• Domestic Breeding Colonies Canada
• Health Canada (M fascicularis)

18
Biodiversity Conservation

• Biodiversity total of all life on Earth
• Need to understand what is out there
• Value of biodiversity?
• Closest living relatives, Human Genome Project
  and evolution
• Threats habitat destruction (logging!), bushmeat
• Requires heightened public awareness zoos,
  research, ecotourism

19
Bushmeat Trade

• Primary source animal protein for majority Congo
  Basin families open access resource
• Cheap protein source (0.32-0.75/kg vs 1.75/kg
  for chickens vs 3.65/kg for caterpillars)
• Issues have been created by demand from urban
  consumers (unsustainable levels of hunting)
• Large-bodied animals with low reproduction rates
  most at risk from over-exploitation
• Encourage rearing of alternatives, eg, cane rats

20
Primates in Zoos Conservation

• Mission to save near extinct species
• If wild habitat does not exist, should we be
  keeping in captivity?
• Which species can be held as captive species?
• Ethics of keeping in captivity longterm for
  entertainment purposes
• Regulation of breeding
• Dealing with funding cuts and bankruptcy

21
Primates in Research Species
22
Primates in research Models

• Uses studies in which anatomic or physiologic
  similarities to humans are important, studies in
  which behavior or intelligence are important
• Examples safety testing, vaccines (cell lines),
  behavior, neurophysiology, dentistry,
  reproductive physiology, cardiovascular disease,
  cloning, osteoporosis, AIDs

23
Research animal oversight

• Highly regulated environment
• Federal, state, and provincial laws and
  regulations, eg, Animal Welfare Act (US), Animals
  for Research Act (Ontario)
• Federal guidelines, eg, ILAR Guide (US), CCAC
  Guidelines (Canada)
• Local oversight requirement for Animal Care
  Committee, research protocols, ethical review of
  research, evidence of scientific merit,
  veterinary care, facility inspection and
  certification, protocol monitoring

24
Numbers of animals used Canada, 2007

• Species Numbers
• Cats 4,243?
• Dogs 11,483 ?
• Fish 424,510?
• Mice 956,661??
• Rats 310,594 ?
• Rabbits 8,838 ?
• NHPs 3,509 ??
• Total 2,054,909 ??

0/16 are nonhuman primates gt83 are mice, rats,
and fish
www.ccac.ca
25
Primates - Considerations for use in research

• Morality Great Ape Project
• Difficulty of housing/husbandry requirements
• Psychological well-being
• Safety
• Ecological - source
• High cost of purchase and maintenance
• Lifespan

26
Advantages of Nonhuman Primates as Models of
Human Disease

• 1. Close phylogenetic proximity to humans offer
  close homology to humans in terms of
  reproduction, metabolism, embryologic
  development, anatomy, and physiology
• 2. Susceptible to many human diseases
• 3. Highly intelligent and trainable

AWI
27
Disadvantages of Nonhuman Primates as Models of
Human Disease

• 1. Costly and often difficult to obtain
• 2. Difficult to maintain in the laboratory
  many facilities are not set up to handle some or
  all species of primates
• 3. Many species are difficult to work with
  and cannot be handled safely by untrained,
  inexperienced personnel
• 4. Potential carriers of a wide variety of
  zoonotic diseases
• 5. Use of nonhuman primates in research is
  likely to attract the interest of various animal
  protection groups
• 6. Ecological impact

AWI
28
Alternatives to the use of animals in research

• 3 Rs Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement
• -Refinement modification of procedures to
  improve scientific quality of experiment while
  reducing pain and discomfort
• -Reduction designing studies to attain
  objectives using fewer animals also
  phylogenetic
• -Replacement development new methods to provide
  answers without use whole animals

29
Primates Environmental enrichment
AWI
30
Primates in research Refinement
AWI
31
Do we still need to use nonhuman primates for
research?

• Cancer vaccines
• AIDs/HIV vaccines
• Gene therapy
• Stem cell research
• CNS disease
• Animals as recipients of animal research ie,
  one medicine (Sir William Osler)

32
(No Transcript)