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ABSTRACT Linear enamel hypoplasias (LEHs) are development defects appearing as lines or grooves on enamel surfaces. Forming when physiological stressors disrupt developing teeth, LEHs provide retrospective insight into stress experienced in early development. Here, LEHs in Cayo Santiago rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were observed with respect to decade of birth, whether an individual was transferred from the free‐ranging colony to the captive facility during probable crown formation periods, and matriline of birth. It was hypothesized that later decades would exhibit higher prevalence than earlier decades as climatic conditions in Puerto Rico worsened over time. Transfer was expected to affect LEH formation because the process of transfer, and subsequent restriction to captivity, is thought to be stressful. Matriline membership was hypothesized to relate to LEH formation because there is some evidence of a genetic influence on susceptibility to form LEH and because offspring of matrilines of different dominance ranks are known to experience different levels of aggression. Lower third premolars with minimal enamel surface wear were scored for LEH using a digital microscope, while a follow‐up analysis of the two matrilines with the most extreme differences in LEH frequency was conducted using enamel surface profiles. Results were: (1) individuals born during the 1990s had significantly greater LEH prevalence than those born in the 1960s, (2) transferred individuals exhibited weak evidence of greater LEH prevalence than nontransferred comparison groups, and (3) matrilines did not differ in LEH expression in the initial or follow‐up analysis. Although sample sizes were small for some comparisons, these results suggest that not all decades saw an equal prevalence of LEH, that there might be a small effect of transfer from free‐ranging to captive conditions on LEH prevalence that is difficult to detect, and that the matriline into which an individual is born is not related to LEH expression. 

The rich records of Rhesus macaques at Cayo Santiago (CS) with detailed information of individual and family relationships enables extended genetic analyses of the reproductive history of the colony. As a part of a collaborative effort to build a Knowledge Model of the history of health of the CS Rhesus colony, this study further delves into the intricate social group interactions and reproduction dynamics to provide an integrated perspective for a deeper understanding of familial connections and genetic aggregations. Leveraging matrilineal lineage developed from previous work and patrilineal tracing made available since mid-1970’s, as well as inter-group transfer data, this study attempted to provide retrospective views of group evolution history, with an emphasis on dyad interactions regarding their natal and transferred groups. Employing tools and techniques popular in social community analysis, including graph database and Gephi, this study conducted a comparative analysis focused on animals born between 2005 and 2014. Preliminary results indicated that communities identified by using Gephi matched well with census records, while deviations from historical sketches of group evolution summaries existed as well. Upcoming results from using Neo4j, a graph database system, will be compared with these findings, which can be integrated more smoothly with CSViewer for Analysts, the graphical user interfaces for the CS Knowledge Model to be introduced in a workshop at AABA 2024 annual meeting. Findings of this research can help add one more perspective to pathological studies seeking correlations with environmental factors such as food provision and natural disasters like hurricanes. 

Abstract--The Cayo Santiago rhesus, established and maintained for 85 years, has evolved into a valuable resource for researchers across various disciplines. This research paper outlines an ongoing NSF project aimed at developing a comprehensive database and user-friendly software application, CSViewer, to uncover hidden knowledge. Using a big data approach, the paper focuses on key events in the colony's population dynamics, emphasizing gender-specific analyses. It also explores data exploration and preparation processes, along with the application of the genealogy model in inbreeding analysis and genetic tracing. Future efforts, including the expansion of CSViewer's functions, are also addressed. 

Abstract ObjectivesThis brief communication documents the prevalence of maxillary central incisor talon cusps in Cayo Santiago rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and assesses whether talon cusp presence occurs at equivalent frequencies across matrilines. Materials and MethodsThe data on cusp presence vs. absence were analyzed by logistic regression in 170 monkeys (82 females, 78 males) from seven different matrilines. Sample sizes per matriline ranged from 10 to 42. Observations of talon cusps were blind with respect to matriline and sex. ResultsTalon cusps were present in 9.4% of the sample. By matriline, cusp frequencies ranged from 0%—Matrilines 073 and 106%—to 19.1% in Matriline 076. The frequency of the talon cusp in Matriline 076 was significantly greater than the frequency of the cusp in the remainder of the sample. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of the talon cusp by sex. ConclusionsThis study suggests that the talon cusp in rhesus monkeys, as in humans and baboons, is a rare trait. Elevated prevalence of the talon cusp in Matriline 076 suggests the possibility of a genetic influence on talon cusp expression. 

In this paper, we introduce an NSF funded project that aims to develop a database that integrates genetic, environmental and age-related information to study their effects on health conditions of a rhesus monkey colony at Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, which has been founded since 1938. In this project, we will combine the osteology data with the rich genealogy and demographic information into a searchable and computer-interoperable knowledge model accessible through user-friendly interfaces. Backed by the integrated database, this system will provide researchers and the public information from the Cayo Santiago rhesus colony and the derived skeletal collection, a powerful non-human model for datamining to study human disease. Undergraduate and graduate students from diverse communities have been incorporated into research and development activities. Related materials are used as case studies in relevant classes at Mercer University to help train these undergraduate students into problem solvers. 

Incorporating quality research in a college setting where undergraduate teaching is the primary goal is always challenging. Engaging undergraduate students in research-related activities using a research theme to arrange teaching materials and assignments can be beneficial. Students can be introduced to basic concepts in lower-level courses and later become effective research assistants. This paper presents such practices at Mercer University’s Computer Science Department from the students’ and faculty’s perspectives. The focus is on how to plan for breaking down the needs of research projects among student teams in various courses and provide collaboration opportunities between faculty and student researchers. Activities related to a research project supported through a NSF grant show satisfactory results for both students and the faculty advisor. 

Understanding factors affecting tooth wear in primates is of interest because as teeth wear, their chewing efficiency can change—in some species positively and in others negatively. It is well known that teeth wear with age, but relationships between sex and tooth wear and between body size and tooth wear are less well understood. Here we analyze molar wear scores from a cross-sectional sample of 212 Cayo Santiago rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) adults examined in 1985. Because males are generally larger than females --potentially processing more food over their lifetimes--we hypothesized that with age included in an ordinal logistic regression model, males would exhibit significantly greater wear than females. We further hypothesized that males of larger body mass would exhibit greater wear than males of smaller body mass. Finally, because many of the females were pregnant or lactating at the time of dental examination, we hypothesized that there would be no relationship between body mass and wear in females. We found that with age included in ordinal logistic regression models, males had significantly more worn molars than females, larger males had more worn molars than smaller males, and that for females, molar wear was not significantly related to body mass. These results suggest that over the life course, animals with larger body sizes (males vs. females and larger vs. smaller males) may accumulate more wear than those with smaller body sizes. Future analyses to be conducted on the Cayo Santiago monkeys’ skeletal remains will further evaluate this possibility. Funding Sources: The Cayo Santiago colony is supported by NIH 5P40OD012217. This project is supported by NSF grants to DG-S., LK., MZ, and QW (NSF #1926528, 1926481, 1926402, and 1926601). 

Understanding factors affecting tooth wear in primates is of interest because as teeth wear, their chewing efficiency can change—in some species positively and in others negatively. It is well known that teeth wear with age, but relationships between sex and tooth wear and between body size and tooth wear are less well understood. Here we analyze molar wear scores from a cross-sectional sample of 212 Cayo Santiago rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) adults examined in 1985. Because males are generally larger than females --potentially processing more food over their lifetimes--we hypothesized that with age included in an ordinal logistic regression model, males would exhibit significantly greater wear than females. We further hypothesized that males of larger body mass would exhibit greater wear than males of smaller body mass. Finally, because many of the females were pregnant or lactating at the time of dental examination, we hypothesized that there would be no relationship between body mass and wear in females. We found that with age included in ordinal logistic regression models, males had significantly more worn molars than females, larger males had more worn molars than smaller males, and that for females, molar wear was not significantly related to body mass. These results suggest that over the life course, animals with larger body sizes (males vs. females and larger vs. smaller males) may accumulate more wear than those with smaller body sizes. Future analyses to be conducted on the Cayo Santiago monkeys’ skeletal remains will further evaluate this possibility. Funding Sources: The Cayo Santiago colony is supported by NIH 5P40OD012217. This project is supported by NSF grants to DG-S., LK., MZ, and QW (NSF #1926528, 1926481, 1926402, and 1926601). 

Primate models are important for understanding human conditions, especially in studies of ageing, pathology, adaptation, and evolution. However, how to integrate data from multiple disciplines and render them compatible with each other for datamining and in-depth study is always challenging. In a long-term project, we have started a collaborative research endeavor to examine the health history of a free-ranging rhesus macaque colony at Cayo Santiago, and build a knowledge model for anthropological and biomedical/translational studies of the effects of environment and genetics on bone development, aging, and pathologies. This paper discusses the conceptual design as well as the prototyping of this model and related graphical user interfaces, and how these will help future scientific queries and studies.