%0 Journal Article
%A Holzner, Anna
%A Rameli, Nurul Iza Adrina Mohd
%A Ruppert, Nadine
%A Widdig, Anja
%+ Department of Human Behavior Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Department of Human Behavior Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
%T Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species
 : 
%G eng
%U https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000E-037F-1
%R 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.002
%D 2024
%* Review method: peer-reviewed
%X Infant survival is a major determinant of individual fitness and constitutes a crucial factor in shaping species’ ability to maintain viable populations in changing environments1. Early adverse conditions, such as maternal loss, social isolation, and ecological hazards, have been associated with reduced rates of infant survivorship in wild primates2–4. Agricultural landscapes increasingly replacing natural forest habitats may additionally threaten the survival of infants through exposure to novel predators5, human-wildlife conflicts6,7, or the use of harmful chemicals8,9. Here, we investigated potential links between agricultural habitat use and high infant mortality in wild southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) inhabiting a mosaic landscape of rainforest and oil palm plantation in Peninsular Malaysia. Longitudinal data revealed that 57% of all infants born during the study period (2014-2023) died before the age of one year, far exceeding mortality rates reported for other wild primates10–14. Importantly, prolonged time spent in the plantation during infancy decreased the likelihood of infant survival by three-fold, likely caused by increased exposure to the threats inherent to this environment. Further, mortality risk was elevated for infants born to primiparous mothers and predicted by prolonged maternal interbirth intervals, suggesting potential long-term effects attributed to the uptake and/or accumulation of pesticides in mothers’ bodies15–17. Indeed, existing literature reports that pesticides may cross the placental barrier, thus impacting foetal development during pregnancy18–20. Our findings emphasize the importance of minimizing anthropogenic threats to wildlife in agricultural landscapes by establishing environmentally friendly cultivation practices that can sustain wildlife populations in the long-term.
%K Anthropogenic environment, infant survival, Macaca nemestrina, non-human primates, proportional hazards model, oil palm plantation

%J Current Biology
%V 34
%& 410
%P 410 - 416
%I Cell Press
%@ 1879-0445
%U https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7966677