Antoine Mudakikwa

• Rwanda Development Board

Cestodes of the family Anoplocephalidae parasitize a wide range of usually herbivorous hosts including e.g. rodents, ungulates, primates, elephants and hyraxes. While in some hosts, the epidemiology of the infection is well studied, information is lacking in others. In this study of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif, an extensive sample set c...

The endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is frequently in contact with humans through tourism, research activities, and illegal entry of people into protected gorilla habitat. Herpesviruses, which are ubiquitous in primates, have the potential to be shared in any setting whe...

Objectives Limb length and trunk proportions are determined in a large, taxonomically and environmentally diverse sample of gorillas and related to variation in locomotion, climate, altitude, and diet. Materials and methods The sample includes 299 gorilla skeletons, 115 of which are infants and juveniles, distributed between western lowland (G. go...

Conservation efforts have led to the recovery of the endangered mountain gorilla populations. Due to their limited potential for spatial expansion, population densities increased, which may alter the epidemiology of infectious diseases. Recently, clinical gastrointestinal illnesses linked to helminth infections have been recorded in both gorilla po...

Respiratory illness (RI) accounts for a large proportion of mortalities in mountain gorillas ( Gorilla beringei beringei ), and fatal outbreaks, including disease caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections, have heightened concern about the risk of human pathogen transmission to this endangered species, which is not only critically important...

Increasing population density can increase infectious disease risk and thus reduce population growth and size. Host-parasite interactions of threatened animals that remain in small protected forest fragments therefore need to be monitored carefully. Due to extreme conservation efforts, the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) population in...

Bone loss and heightened fracture risk are common conditions associated with ageing in modern human populations and have been attributed to both hormonal and other metabolic and behavioural changes. To what extent these age-related trends are specific to modern humans or generally characteristic of natural populations of other taxa is not clear. In...

Bats living in close contact with people in Rwanda were tested for evidence of infection with viruses of zoonotic potential. Mucosal swabs from 503 bats representing 17 species were sampled from 2010 to 2014 and screened by consensus PCR for 11 viral families. Samples were negative for all viral families except coronaviruses, which were detected in...

Deeper or more 'severe' linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) defects are hypothesized to reflect more severe stress during development, but it is not yet clear how depth is influenced by intrinsic enamel growth patterns. Recent work documented inter- and intraspecific differences in LEH defect depth in extant great apes, with mountain gorillas having sha...

Galbany J, Twahirwa JC, Baiges-Sotos L, Kane EE, Tuyisingize D, Kaleme P, Rwetsiba A, Bitariho R, Cranfield MR, Bromage TG, Mudakikwa A, Stoinski TS, Robbins MM, McFarlin SC (2020) Dental macrowear in catarrhine primates: variability across species. In: Schmidt C & Watson JT (Eds.) Dental wear in evolutionary and biocultural contexts. Pp. 11-37. El...

A high diversity of corona- and paramyxoviruses have been detected in different bat species at study sites worldwide, including Africa, however no biosurveillance studies from Rwanda have been reported. In this study, samples from bats collected from caves in Ruhengeri, Rwanda, were tested for the presence of corona- and paramyxoviral RNA using rev...

Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) appears as pronounced horizontal grooves on the outer surface of teeth. LEH defects are understood to represent episodes of nonspecific stress in early life, but little is known about their etiology in nonhuman primates. Researchers have suggested that more severe stressors result in deeper LEH defects, while others a...

McFarlin SC, Baiges-Sotos L, Galbany J, Glowacka H, Junno JA, Muhire T, Ruff CB, Bromage TG, Cranfield MR, Eckardt W, Gilardi K, Stoinski TS, Mudakikwa A (2019) Abstract: Skeletal aging in Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) from Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 168 (S68): 160. ABSTRACT: D...

92. McFarlin SC, Galbany J, Vakiener MM, Abavandimwe D, Cranfield MR, Eckardt W, Mudakikwa A, Ndagijimana F, Stoinski TS (2018). Abstract: Dental emergence in wild Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) from Rwanda. American Journal of Primatology 80 (Issue S1): 62-63, Abstract #217. Dental development provides a basis for assessing...

Fleas (Siphonaptera) are ubiquitous blood‐sucking parasites that transmit a range of vector‐borne pathogens. The present study examined rodents (n = 29) and domestic dogs (n = 7) living in the vicinity of the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, for fleas, identified flea species from these hosts, and detected Bartonella (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae) a...

Objectives Ecological factors, but also tooth‐to‐tooth contact over time, have a dramatic effect on tooth wear in primates. The aim of this study is to test whether incisor tooth wear changes predictably with age and can thus be used as an age estimation method in a wild population of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) from Volcanoes Nat...

Mountain gorillas ( Gorilla beringei beringei) are one of the most critically endangered great apes in the world. The most common cause of mountain gorilla morbidity and mortality is trauma (e.g., injury from conspecifics or snare entrapment). We conducted a retrospective case-control study of free-ranging, human-habituated mountain gorillas to eva...

Space use in mammals may be influenced not only by their primary foods, but also by localized sources of physiologically critical resources such as sodium‐rich plants. We examined how sodium acquisition influences habitat use in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in Rwanda which have increased the amount of time they forage on community land outs...

Here, we analyze canine histologic sections from four great ape taxa (Gorilla beringei beringei, G. gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pongo sp.; N=41). We measure linear enamel thickness and the angle of internal growth increments as they meet the outer enamel surface (striae angles) in the midcrown region. If variation in canine growth pattern...

Objective: Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is a condition marked by localized reductions in enamel thickness, resulting from growth disruptions during dental development. We use quantitative criteria to characterize the depth of LEH defects and “normal” perikymata in great apes. We test the hypothesis that mountain gorillas have shallow defects comp...

Objectives: The effects of phylogeny and locomotor behavior on long bone structural proportions are assessed through comparisons between adult and ontogenetic samples of extant gorillas. Materials and methods: A total of 281 wild-collected individuals were included in the study, divided into four groups that vary taxonomically and ecologically:...

While there are a number of methods available for estimation of body mass in adult nonhuman primates, very few are available for juveniles, despite the potential utility of such estimations in both analyses of fossils and in museum collection based research. Furthermore, because of possible scaling differences, adult based body mass estimation equa...

Long-term studies of morbidity and mortality in free-ranging primates are scarce, but may have important implications for the conservation of extant populations. Infants comprise a particularly important age group, as variation in survival rates may have a strong influence on population dynamics. Since 1968, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project...

Objectives: Great apes show considerable diversity in socioecology and life history, but knowledge of their physical growth in natural settings is scarce. We characterized linear body size growth in wild mountain gorillas from Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, a population distinguished by its extreme folivory and accelerated life histories. Metho...

Here we describe a new method for the quantitative characterization of LEH defects. We test whether 1) mountain gorillas have shallower defects than other great ape taxa; 2) females have deeper defects than males in all taxa; and 3) if defect depth changes through time in wild mountain gorillas.

The robust masticatory system of mountain gorillas is thought to have evolved for the comminution of tough vegetation, yet, compared to other primates, the toughness of the mountain gorilla diet is unremarkable. This may be a result of low plant toughness in the mountain gorilla environment or of mountain gorillas feeding selectively on low-toughne...

Objectives: While dental development is important to life history investigations, data from wild known-aged great apes are scarce. We report on the first radiographic examination of dental development in wild Virunga mountain gorillas, using known-age skeletal samples recovered in Rwanda. Materials and methods: In 43 individuals (0.0-14.94 years...

It is increasingly clear that resolution of complex global health problems requires interdisciplinary, intersectoral expertise and cooperation from governmental, non-governmental and educational agencies. ‘One Health’ refers to the collaboration of multiple disciplines and sectors working locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health fo...

Eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) are among the few mammal species that seasonally consume large quantities of young bamboo shoots, which are a rich source of energy. Here, we document how the consumption of bamboo shoots coincides with changes in behavior of adult mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla...

Infectious diseases pose one of the most significant threats to the survival of great apes in the wild. The critically endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is at high risk for contracting human pathogens because approximately 60% of the population is habituated to humans to support a thriving ecotourism program. Disease surveilla...

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: Geneious v. R9 Sequencing Technology :: Illumina ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: Geneious v. R9 Sequencing Technology :: Illumina ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: Geneious v. R9 Sequencing Technology :: Illumina ##Assembly-Data-END##

Objectives: Great ape teeth must remain functional over long lifespans. The molars of the most folivorous apes, the mountain gorillas, must maintain shearing function for 40+ years while the animals consume large quantities of mechanically challenging foods. While other folivorous primates experience dental senescence, which compromises their occl...

Amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau pathology have been described in the brains of captive aged great apes, but the natural progression of these age-related pathologies from wild great apes, including the gorilla, is unknown. In our previous study of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) who were housed in American Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accre...

Objectives Ecological factors have a dramatic effect on tooth wear in primates, although it remains unclear how individual age contributes to functional crown morphology. The aim of this study is to determine how age and individual diet are related to tooth wear in wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) from Volcanoes National Park, Rwa...

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can persist endemically, are known to cause sterility and infant mortality in humans, and could have similar impacts in wildlife populations. African apes (i.e., chimpanzees, bonobos, and to a lesser extent gorillas) show multi-male mating behavior that could offer opportunities for STD transmission, yet little...

Anoplocephalid tapeworms of the genus Bertiella Stiles and Hassall, 1902 and Anoplocephala Blanchard, 1848, found in the Asian, African and American non-human primates are presumed to sporadic ape-to-man transmissions. Variable nuclear (5.8S-ITS2; 28S rRNA) and mitochondrial genes (cox1; nad1) of isolates of anoplocephalids originating from differe...

Genomes in the mist The mountain gorilla is an iconic species that is at high risk of extinction. Xue et al. have sequenced 13 gorillas from two different populations to probe their genetic diversity. The genomes show large tracts of homozygosity and the loss of highly deleterious genetic variants, indicating population bottlenecks and inbreeding....

Background Infectious diseases represent the greatest threats to endangered species, and transmission from humans to wildlife under increased anthropogenic pressure has been always stated as a major risk of habituation. Aims To evaluate the impact of close contact with humans on the occurrence of potentially zoonotic protists in great apes, one hu...

Gorillas include separate eastern (Gorilla beringei) and western (Gorilla gorilla) African species that diverged from each other approximately 2 million years ago. Although anatomical, genetic, behavioral, and socioecological differences have been noted among gorilla populations, little is known about variation in their brain structure. This study...

In this study, we describe an atypical neuroanatomical feature present in several primate species that involves a fusion between the temporal lobe (often including Heschl's gyrus in great apes) and the posterior dorsal insula, such that a portion of insular cortex forms an isolated pocket medial to the Sylvian fissure. We assessed the frequency of...

Infanticide, or the killing of an unweaned unrelated infant, is a male reproductive strategy that is proposed to be an influential factor shaping the evolution of social behavior in anthropoid primates. In Virunga mountain gorillas, infanticide accounts for up to 37% of all infant deaths. However, little is known about skeletal trauma inflicted as...

Understanding the life history correlates of ontogenetic differences in hominoid brain growth requires information from multiple species. At present, however, data on how brain size changes over the course of development are only available from chimpanzees and modern humans. In this study, we examined brain growth in wild Virunga mountain gorillas...

Hand and foot proportions vary with locomotion, posture, and manipulative behaviors across primates. However, reliable information is often lacking about ray identity of disarticulated phalanges in museum collections, hampering efforts to investigate cheiridial proportions in many primates. Here, we report new data on hand and foot proportions of m...

Pathogens included in PCR of samples from mountain gorillas during outbreak of respiratory disease, Hirwa, Rwanda, June 28-August 6, 2009.

The genetic relatedness of mountain gorillas and humans has led to concerns about interspecies transmission of infectious agents. Human-to-gorilla transmission may explain human metapneumovirus in 2 wild mountain gorillas that died during a respiratory disease outbreak in Rwanda in 2009. Surveillance is needed to ensure survival of these critically...

To facilitate ecotourism and behavioral research, free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) have been habituated to humans. During routine health monitoring, five juvenile gorillas were observed with active crusted dermatitis and alopecia. Papular and vesicular lesions and crusts with papular eruption and oozing were numerous and di...

Ninety-eight fecal samples were collected from 74 free-living mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) from the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda, between July 1995 and January 1997 and examined for parasites by Sheather's sugar and zinc sulfate flotation methods, trichrome staining, and larval cultures. All samples contained at least one paras...

Twenty-six anesthetic procedures involving 24 free-living mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) from Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo were performed between February 1987 and October 1997. Sixteen procedures were performed to remove snares or to treat snare-related wounds, and four of the animals died without recovering consciousne...

Voided urine samples were collected from apparently healthy free-living mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) and analyzed for normal physiologic values. Mountain gorillas were found to have a high urinary pH (x = 8.45) and low specific gravity (x = 1.013). Commercial dipsticks appear to be unreliable for the measurement of specific gravity...