Alex K Piel
Biographic Data
| ID | 667200 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alex K Piel |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alex K |
| FAMILY NAME | Piel |
| SIGNATURE | PIEL A K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Liverpool John Moores University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4674-537X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 32 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Moving in a Miombo: Ranging Patterns and Habitat Use in Red‐Tailed Monkeys ( Cercopithecus ascanius ) From the Issa Valley, Tanzania
Apes on the Edge: Chimpanzee Life on the West African Savanna by Jill D. Pruetz
A case of suspected chimpanzee scavenging in the Issa Valley, Tanzania
A case of intercommunity lethal aggression by chimpanzees in an open and dry landscape, Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Intercommunity (lethal) aggression is a familiar component of the behavioural repertoire of many forest-dwelling chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) communities. However, until now, the absence of intercommunity attacks – including killings – in communities that live in open, mosaic environments has supported hypotheses of reduced resource competition in drier habitats, and informed referential models of early hominin social dynamics in a similar habi…
Noninvasive Technologies for Primate Conservation in the 21st Century
Observing and quantifying primate behavior in the wild is challenging. Human presence affects primate behavior and habituation of new, especially terrestrial, individuals is a time-intensive process that carries with it ethical and health concerns, especially during the recent pandemic when primates are at even greater risk than usual. As a result, wildlife researchers, including primatologists, have increasingly turned to new technologies to ans…
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) grouping patterns in an open and dry savanna landscape, Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Quantitative estimates of glacial refugia for chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) since the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP)
Paleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates have shaped present‐day biodiversity. We hypothesize that the geographic extent of Pleistocene forest refugia and suitable habitat fluctuated significantly in time during the late Quaternary for chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ). Using bioclimatic variables representing monthly temperature and precipitation estimates, past human population density data, and an extensi…
Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) in savanna landscapes
Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) are the only great apes that inhabit hot, dry, and open savannas. We review the environmental pressures of savannas on chimpanzees, such as food and water scarcity, and the evidence for chimpanzees' behavioral responses to these landscapes. In our analysis, savannas were generally associated with low chimpanzee population densities and large home ranges. In addition, thermoregulatory behaviors that likely reduce hy…
Fermented food consumption in wild nonhuman primates and its ecological drivers
OBJECTIVES: Although fermented food use is ubiquitous in humans, the ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to its emergence are unclear. Here we investigated the ecological contexts surrounding the consumption of fruits in the late stages of fermentation by wild primates to provide insight into its adaptive function. We hypothesized that climate, socioecological traits, and habitat patch size would influence the occurrence of this beha…
Red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) prey upon and mob birds in the Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Comparing Methods for Assessing Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Party Size: Observations, Camera Traps, and Bed Counts from a Savanna–Woodland Mosaic in the Issa Valley, Tanzania
Studying animal grouping behavior is important for understanding the causes and consequences of sociality and has implications for conservation. Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) party size is often assessed by counting individuals or extracted indirectly from camera trap footage or the number of nests. Little is known, however, about consistency across methods for estimating party size. We collected party size data for wild chimpanzees in the Issa …
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on a red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) in the Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Predation is predicted to be an important selection pressure for primates. Evidence for this hypothesis is rare, however, due to the scarcity of direct observations of primate predation. We describe an observation of leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on a red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti) at the Issa Valley, a savanna-woodland mosaic landscape in western Tanzania. We compare rates of evidence of leopard presence between Issa a…
Cercopithecine and Colobine Abundance Across Protected and Unprotected Land in the Greater Mahale Ecosystem, Western Tanzania
Most primates live in unprotected land where abundances and threats may differ from those in protected areas. We therefore need to establish population densities in both unprotected and protected areas to effectively inform conservation planning. The Greater Mahale Ecosystem in western Tanzania is a region of mixed protected status with seven cercopithecine and colobine species: blue ( Cercopithecus mitis doggetti ), red-tailed ( C. ascanius schm…
Food abundance and weather influence habitat‐specific ranging patterns in forest‐ and savanna mosaic‐dwelling red‐tailed monkeys ( Cercopithecus ascanius )
OBJECTIVES: Primates that live in predominantly forested habitats and open, savanna mosaics should exhibit behavioral responses to differing food distributions and weather. We compared ecological constraints on red-tailed monkey ranging behavior in forest and savanna mosaic environments. Intraspecific variation in adaptations to these conditions may reflect similar pressures faced by hominins during the Plio-Pleistocene. METHODS: We followed six …
Anaerobic Fungi in Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Feces: An Adaptation to a High-Fiber Diet
Nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ): Evidence for flexible sleeping patterns and insights into human evolution
OBJECTIVES: We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and modelled the influence of various ecological predictors on nocturnal activity. METHODS: Data were extracted from terrestrial camera-trap footage and ecological surveys from 22 chimpanzee study sites participating in the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. We described videos demonstrating nocturnal activity,…
Savanna chimpanzees adjust sleeping nest architecture in response to local weather conditions
OBJECTIVES: Great ape nests are hypothesized to aid safe, secure sleep via providing thermoregulation or protection from predators and vectors. We aimed to describe and investigate variation in chimpanzee nest architecture across two populations in response to local weather conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We experimentally tested whether nests provide insulation by measuring heat loss within and outside nests, and took detailed measurements of…
Temporal patterns of chimpanzee loud calls in the Issa Valley, Tanzania: Evidence of nocturnal acoustic behavior in wild chimpanzees
OBJECTIVES: Much is known about chimpanzee diurnal call patterns, but far less about night-time vocal behavior. I deployed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system to assess 24-hr temporal acoustic activity of wild, unhabituated chimpanzees that live in a woodland mosaic habitat similar to hominin landscapes from the Plio-Pleistocene. A primary aim was to apply findings to our broader understanding to chimpanzee 24-hr activity patterns, and wha…
Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools by wild chimpanzees in the Issa valley, Western Tanzania
OBJECTIVES: Chimpanzee termite fishing has been studied for decades, yet the selective processes preceding the manufacture of fishing tools remain largely unexplored. We investigate raw material selection and potential evidence of forward planning in the chimpanzees of Issa valley, western Tanzania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using traditional archaeological methods, we surveyed the location of plants from where chimpanzees sourced raw material to ma…
The diet of open-habitat chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa valley, western Tanzania
Chimpanzee vertebrate consumption: Savanna and forest chimpanzees compared
Alarm Callers Are Females with Greatest Genetic Representation
Alarm Calling Predicted by Inclusive Fitness
Nonhuman Reactions to Death
Living archaeology: Artefacts of specific nest site fidelity in wild chimpanzees
The diet of open-habitat chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa valley, western Tanzania
Noninvasive Technologies for Primate Conservation in the 21st Century
Observing and quantifying primate behavior in the wild is challenging. Human presence affects primate behavior and habituation of new, especially terrestrial, individuals is a time-intensive process that carries with it ethical and health concerns, especially during the recent pandemic when primates are at even greater risk than usual. As a result, wildlife researchers, including primatologists, have increasingly turned to new technologies to ans…
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Chimpanzee vertebrate consumption: Savanna and forest chimpanzees compared
Nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ): Evidence for flexible sleeping patterns and insights into human evolution
OBJECTIVES: We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and modelled the influence of various ecological predictors on nocturnal activity. METHODS: Data were extracted from terrestrial camera-trap footage and ecological surveys from 22 chimpanzee study sites participating in the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. We described videos demonstrating nocturnal activity,…
Savanna chimpanzees adjust sleeping nest architecture in response to local weather conditions
OBJECTIVES: Great ape nests are hypothesized to aid safe, secure sleep via providing thermoregulation or protection from predators and vectors. We aimed to describe and investigate variation in chimpanzee nest architecture across two populations in response to local weather conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We experimentally tested whether nests provide insulation by measuring heat loss within and outside nests, and took detailed measurements of…
Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools by wild chimpanzees in the Issa valley, Western Tanzania
OBJECTIVES: Chimpanzee termite fishing has been studied for decades, yet the selective processes preceding the manufacture of fishing tools remain largely unexplored. We investigate raw material selection and potential evidence of forward planning in the chimpanzees of Issa valley, western Tanzania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using traditional archaeological methods, we surveyed the location of plants from where chimpanzees sourced raw material to ma…
Fermented food consumption in wild nonhuman primates and its ecological drivers
OBJECTIVES: Although fermented food use is ubiquitous in humans, the ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to its emergence are unclear. Here we investigated the ecological contexts surrounding the consumption of fruits in the late stages of fermentation by wild primates to provide insight into its adaptive function. We hypothesized that climate, socioecological traits, and habitat patch size would influence the occurrence of this beha…
Comparing Methods for Assessing Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Party Size: Observations, Camera Traps, and Bed Counts from a Savanna–Woodland Mosaic in the Issa Valley, Tanzania
Studying animal grouping behavior is important for understanding the causes and consequences of sociality and has implications for conservation. Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) party size is often assessed by counting individuals or extracted indirectly from camera trap footage or the number of nests. Little is known, however, about consistency across methods for estimating party size. We collected party size data for wild chimpanzees in the Issa …
Temporal patterns of chimpanzee loud calls in the Issa Valley, Tanzania: Evidence of nocturnal acoustic behavior in wild chimpanzees
OBJECTIVES: Much is known about chimpanzee diurnal call patterns, but far less about night-time vocal behavior. I deployed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system to assess 24-hr temporal acoustic activity of wild, unhabituated chimpanzees that live in a woodland mosaic habitat similar to hominin landscapes from the Plio-Pleistocene. A primary aim was to apply findings to our broader understanding to chimpanzee 24-hr activity patterns, and wha…
Food abundance and weather influence habitat‐specific ranging patterns in forest‐ and savanna mosaic‐dwelling red‐tailed monkeys ( Cercopithecus ascanius )
OBJECTIVES: Primates that live in predominantly forested habitats and open, savanna mosaics should exhibit behavioral responses to differing food distributions and weather. We compared ecological constraints on red-tailed monkey ranging behavior in forest and savanna mosaic environments. Intraspecific variation in adaptations to these conditions may reflect similar pressures faced by hominins during the Plio-Pleistocene. METHODS: We followed six …
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) grouping patterns in an open and dry savanna landscape, Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Living archaeology: Artefacts of specific nest site fidelity in wild chimpanzees
Responses of chimpanzees to a recently dead community member at Gombe National Park, Tanzania
Chimpanzee responses to the death of a group member have rarely been observed in the wild and most instances involve infant deaths. One of the very few detailed accounts of a group's response to the death of an adult community member is from Gombe National Park, Tanzania, where Teleki [Folia Primatologica 20:81–94, 1973] observed the responses of 16 chimpanzees to an accidental death, none of whom touched the body. Now, almost 40 years later, we …
Molecular diversity of entodiniomorphid ciliate Troglodytella abrassarti and its coevolution with chimpanzees
The entodiniomorphid ciliate Troglodytella abrassarti is a colonic mutualist of great apes. Its host specificity makes it a suitable model for studies of primate evolution. We explored molecular diversity of T. abrassarti with regard to large geographical distribution and taxonomic diversity of its most common host, the chimpanzee. We found a very low diversification of T. abrassarti in chimpanzees across Africa. Distribution of two types of T. a…
Termite fishing by wild chimpanzees: New data from Ugalla, western Tanzania
Gastrointestinal Parasites of Savanna Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Ugalla, Tanzania
Population status of chimpanzees in the Masito‐Ugalla Ecosystem, Tanzania
More than 75 percent of Tanzania's chimpanzees live at low densities on land outside national parks. Chimpanzees are one of the key conservation targets in the region and long-term monitoring of these populations is essential for assessing the overall status of ecosystem health and the success of implemented conservation strategies. We aimed to assess change in chimpanzee density within the Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem (MUE) by comparing results of re…
Alarm Callers Are Females with Greatest Genetic Representation
Alarm Calling Predicted by Inclusive Fitness
Nonhuman Reactions to Death
Females Remain with Natal Group
Raw material procurement for termite fishing tools by wild chimpanzees in the Issa valley, Western Tanzania
OBJECTIVES: Chimpanzee termite fishing has been studied for decades, yet the selective processes preceding the manufacture of fishing tools remain largely unexplored. We investigate raw material selection and potential evidence of forward planning in the chimpanzees of Issa valley, western Tanzania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using traditional archaeological methods, we surveyed the location of plants from where chimpanzees sourced raw material to ma…
The diet of open-habitat chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa valley, western Tanzania
Chimpanzee vertebrate consumption: Savanna and forest chimpanzees compared
Anaerobic Fungi in Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Feces: An Adaptation to a High-Fiber Diet
Nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ): Evidence for flexible sleeping patterns and insights into human evolution
OBJECTIVES: We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and modelled the influence of various ecological predictors on nocturnal activity. METHODS: Data were extracted from terrestrial camera-trap footage and ecological surveys from 22 chimpanzee study sites participating in the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. We described videos demonstrating nocturnal activity,…
Savanna chimpanzees adjust sleeping nest architecture in response to local weather conditions
OBJECTIVES: Great ape nests are hypothesized to aid safe, secure sleep via providing thermoregulation or protection from predators and vectors. We aimed to describe and investigate variation in chimpanzee nest architecture across two populations in response to local weather conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We experimentally tested whether nests provide insulation by measuring heat loss within and outside nests, and took detailed measurements of…
Temporal patterns of chimpanzee loud calls in the Issa Valley, Tanzania: Evidence of nocturnal acoustic behavior in wild chimpanzees
OBJECTIVES: Much is known about chimpanzee diurnal call patterns, but far less about night-time vocal behavior. I deployed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system to assess 24-hr temporal acoustic activity of wild, unhabituated chimpanzees that live in a woodland mosaic habitat similar to hominin landscapes from the Plio-Pleistocene. A primary aim was to apply findings to our broader understanding to chimpanzee 24-hr activity patterns, and wha…
Leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on a red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) in the Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Predation is predicted to be an important selection pressure for primates. Evidence for this hypothesis is rare, however, due to the scarcity of direct observations of primate predation. We describe an observation of leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on a red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti) at the Issa Valley, a savanna-woodland mosaic landscape in western Tanzania. We compare rates of evidence of leopard presence between Issa a…
Cercopithecine and Colobine Abundance Across Protected and Unprotected Land in the Greater Mahale Ecosystem, Western Tanzania
Most primates live in unprotected land where abundances and threats may differ from those in protected areas. We therefore need to establish population densities in both unprotected and protected areas to effectively inform conservation planning. The Greater Mahale Ecosystem in western Tanzania is a region of mixed protected status with seven cercopithecine and colobine species: blue ( Cercopithecus mitis doggetti ), red-tailed ( C. ascanius schm…
Food abundance and weather influence habitat‐specific ranging patterns in forest‐ and savanna mosaic‐dwelling red‐tailed monkeys ( Cercopithecus ascanius )
OBJECTIVES: Primates that live in predominantly forested habitats and open, savanna mosaics should exhibit behavioral responses to differing food distributions and weather. We compared ecological constraints on red-tailed monkey ranging behavior in forest and savanna mosaic environments. Intraspecific variation in adaptations to these conditions may reflect similar pressures faced by hominins during the Plio-Pleistocene. METHODS: We followed six …
Red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) prey upon and mob birds in the Issa Valley, western Tanzania
Comparing Methods for Assessing Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Party Size: Observations, Camera Traps, and Bed Counts from a Savanna–Woodland Mosaic in the Issa Valley, Tanzania
Studying animal grouping behavior is important for understanding the causes and consequences of sociality and has implications for conservation. Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) party size is often assessed by counting individuals or extracted indirectly from camera trap footage or the number of nests. Little is known, however, about consistency across methods for estimating party size. We collected party size data for wild chimpanzees in the Issa …
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Quantitative estimates of glacial refugia for chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) since the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP)
Paleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates have shaped present‐day biodiversity. We hypothesize that the geographic extent of Pleistocene forest refugia and suitable habitat fluctuated significantly in time during the late Quaternary for chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ). Using bioclimatic variables representing monthly temperature and precipitation estimates, past human population density data, and an extensi…
Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) in savanna landscapes
Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) are the only great apes that inhabit hot, dry, and open savannas. We review the environmental pressures of savannas on chimpanzees, such as food and water scarcity, and the evidence for chimpanzees' behavioral responses to these landscapes. In our analysis, savannas were generally associated with low chimpanzee population densities and large home ranges. In addition, thermoregulatory behaviors that likely reduce hy…
Primate Behavior and Ecology (29 works) · Biology (26 works) · Geography (21 works) · Ecology (18 works) · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior (15 works) · Tanzania (15 works) · Ecology (13 works) · Habitat (12 works) · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (11 works) · Animal ecology (10 works)