Self-medicative behaviors in African Great Apes. Comparative studies in chimpanzees and gorillas, ontogeny and transmission of behaviors. – SAFAPE (Self-medication in Apes: Food, P

Great Apes and their habitat, the tropical forests, are today severely threatened. Our previous results have shown that the high diversity of the diet of chimpanzees includes plants with pharmacological properties. Self-medicative behaviors have been reported in chimpanzees but are still poorly understood and unexplored in other apes species. Surprisingly, biological properties of plants from forests of Central Africa have not yet been deeply investigated. Observations of the plant selection will be conducted in Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfuhrtii) in Uganda and Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Central African Republic (CAR). A systematic individual non-invasive health monitoring will be conducted, followed by molecular characterization of parasites species agents (Plasmodium and intestinal parasites). Our efforts will contribute to understand epidemiology and transmission or the pathogens. We aim at extending our screening of natural products to items consumed and not consumed by chimpanzees and gorillas present in their habitat. The macro and micro-nutrient contents of each item will be determined providing for the first time a complete picture of the pharmacological and nutritional properties of the diet of chimpanzees and gorillas. These results will be analysed to determine if items with pharmacological properties are selected in higher frequency than their availability in the habitat when apes are sick. In order to explore ontogeny, social influence on medicinal plants selection and its eventual cultural transmission, we will monitor infant-mother pairs use of bioactive plants in wild chimpanzees and gorillas, and compare two neighbouring groups of each species. Data will be collected as well on captive Apes in French zoological gardens and African sanctuaries. Monitoring of infant-mother pairs use of bioactive plants in wild chimpanzees and gorillas, and comparison of two neighbouring groups of each species. Data will be collected as well on captive Apes in French zoological gardens and African sanctuaries.This proposal is a unique and innovating opportunity to understand individual and social learning involved in the plant selection in the context of disease and their potential transmission in great apes. It will expand our knowledge on the influence of the diet on health of our closest relatives. This is a major issue to increase our undertsanding of differential resilience of Apes to climatic and environmental changes. Such data are useful for management of these endangered species and their habitat.