Erin G Wessling
Biographic Data
| ID | 83437 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Erin G Wessling |
| GIVEN NAMES | Erin G |
| FAMILY NAME | Wessling |
| SIGNATURE | WESSLING E G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Harvard University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9661-4354 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 64 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Forms and Structures of Chimpanzee Algae Fishing
Variation in the expression of behavior is a critical measure for understanding how socio‐ecological factors shape cognitive and behavioral evolution and adaptability. Detailed descriptions of behavioral repertoires and how they are combined and structured into programs of actions is an essential foundation for this work. However, comparisons within and across species are made challenging where there is substantial variation in the level of detai…
Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations
The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Using data from 176 countries and territories, we estimate a current maximum of 555,000 terrestrial protected area personnel worldwide (one per 37 km 2 ), including 286,…
Importance of subterranean fungi in the diet of bonobos in Kokolopori
Nonstaple food is a food resource which sole consumption does not allow the maintenance of regular physiological functions, thus constituting a minor portion of an individual's diet. Many primates consume nonstaple food such as meat, insects, and fungi. Hypotheses on the dietary importance of nonstaple food include its role as fallback food and as source of specific nutrients. We tested these two hypotheses by investigating mycophagy (i.e., the c…
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…
Open‐access platform to synthesize knowledge of ape conservation across sites
Despite the large body of literature on ape conservation, much of the data needed for evidence‐based conservation decision‐making is still not readily accessible and standardized, rendering cross‐site comparison difficult. To support knowledge synthesis and to complement the IUCN SSC Ape Populations, Environments and Surveys database, we created the A.P.E.S. Wiki ( https://apeswiki.eva.mpg.de ), an open‐access platform providing site‐level inform…
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…
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge
Introduction to the Special Issue on Savanna Chimpanzees
Author Correction: Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Stable isotope variation in savanna chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ) indicate avoidance of energetic challenges through dietary compensation at the limits of the range
Objectives Food scarcity is proposed to be a limitation to chimpanzees at the limits of their range; however, such a constraint has never been investigated in this context. We investigated patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N variation along a latitudinal gradient at the northwestern West African chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes verus ) range limit with the expectation that isotope ratios of chimpanzees at the range limit will indicate different dietary str…
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,…
The costs of living at the edge: Seasonal stress in wild savanna-dwelling chimpanzees
The Critically Endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80
African large mammals are under extreme pressure from unsustainable hunting and habitat loss. Certain traits make large mammals particularly vulnerable. These include late age at first reproduction, long inter‐birth intervals, and low population density. Great apes are a prime example of such vulnerability, exhibiting all of these traits. Here we assess the rate of population change for the western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus , over a 24‐ye…
Intragroup Lethal Aggression in West African Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus): Inferred Killing of a Former Alpha Male at Fongoli, Senegal
Comparative isotope ecology of African great apes
The costs of living at the edge: Seasonal stress in wild savanna-dwelling chimpanzees
Intragroup Lethal Aggression in West African Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus): Inferred Killing of a Former Alpha Male at Fongoli, Senegal
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
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,…
Stable isotope variation in savanna chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ) indicate avoidance of energetic challenges through dietary compensation at the limits of the range
Objectives Food scarcity is proposed to be a limitation to chimpanzees at the limits of their range; however, such a constraint has never been investigated in this context. We investigated patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N variation along a latitudinal gradient at the northwestern West African chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes verus ) range limit with the expectation that isotope ratios of chimpanzees at the range limit will indicate different dietary str…
Comparative isotope ecology of African great apes
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge
Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations
The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Using data from 176 countries and territories, we estimate a current maximum of 555,000 terrestrial protected area personnel worldwide (one per 37 km 2 ), including 286,…
Introduction to the Special Issue on Savanna Chimpanzees
Comparative isotope ecology of African great apes
The Critically Endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80
African large mammals are under extreme pressure from unsustainable hunting and habitat loss. Certain traits make large mammals particularly vulnerable. These include late age at first reproduction, long inter‐birth intervals, and low population density. Great apes are a prime example of such vulnerability, exhibiting all of these traits. Here we assess the rate of population change for the western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus , over a 24‐ye…
Intragroup Lethal Aggression in West African Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus): Inferred Killing of a Former Alpha Male at Fongoli, Senegal
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,…
The costs of living at the edge: Seasonal stress in wild savanna-dwelling chimpanzees
Stable isotope variation in savanna chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ) indicate avoidance of energetic challenges through dietary compensation at the limits of the range
Objectives Food scarcity is proposed to be a limitation to chimpanzees at the limits of their range; however, such a constraint has never been investigated in this context. We investigated patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N variation along a latitudinal gradient at the northwestern West African chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes verus ) range limit with the expectation that isotope ratios of chimpanzees at the range limit will indicate different dietary str…
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Density and Environmental Gradients at Their Biogeographical Range Edge
Introduction to the Special Issue on Savanna Chimpanzees
Author Correction: Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity
Importance of subterranean fungi in the diet of bonobos in Kokolopori
Nonstaple food is a food resource which sole consumption does not allow the maintenance of regular physiological functions, thus constituting a minor portion of an individual's diet. Many primates consume nonstaple food such as meat, insects, and fungi. Hypotheses on the dietary importance of nonstaple food include its role as fallback food and as source of specific nutrients. We tested these two hypotheses by investigating mycophagy (i.e., the c…
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…
Open‐access platform to synthesize knowledge of ape conservation across sites
Despite the large body of literature on ape conservation, much of the data needed for evidence‐based conservation decision‐making is still not readily accessible and standardized, rendering cross‐site comparison difficult. To support knowledge synthesis and to complement the IUCN SSC Ape Populations, Environments and Surveys database, we created the A.P.E.S. Wiki ( https://apeswiki.eva.mpg.de ), an open‐access platform providing site‐level inform…
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…
Protected area personnel and ranger numbers are insufficient to deliver global expectations
The 2020 global spatial targets for protected areas set by the Convention on Biological Diversity have almost been achieved, but management effectiveness remains deficient. Personnel shortages are widely cited as major contributing factors but have not previously been quantified. Using data from 176 countries and territories, we estimate a current maximum of 555,000 terrestrial protected area personnel worldwide (one per 37 km 2 ), including 286,…
The Forms and Structures of Chimpanzee Algae Fishing
Variation in the expression of behavior is a critical measure for understanding how socio‐ecological factors shape cognitive and behavioral evolution and adaptability. Detailed descriptions of behavioral repertoires and how they are combined and structured into programs of actions is an essential foundation for this work. However, comparisons within and across species are made challenging where there is substantial variation in the level of detai…
Ecology (14 works) · Primate Behavior and Ecology (14 works) · Biology (13 works) · Geography (9 works) · Troglodytes (7 works) · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (7 works) · Habitat (6 works) · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior (5 works) · Ecology (4 works) · Population (4 works)