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Study suggests gorillas form social bonds with distant relations
(findings suggest that human social systems stretch back to the common ancestor of humans and gorillas
Gorillas found to interact with extended family in a similar way to humans

Gorillas form social bonds with distant relations in a similar way to humans, new research suggests.

The study led by the University of Cambridge found “social tiers with striking parallels to traditional human societies”.

Their findings suggest that human social systems stretch back to the common ancestor of humans and gorillas, rather than arising from the "social brain" of hominins after diverging from other primates.

In the study, researchers used more than six years of data from two research sites in the Republic of Congo where they documented the social exchanges of hundreds of Western lowland gorillas.

Gorillas live in small family units consisting of a dominant male and several females with offspring, or as solitary male “bachelors”. Lead author Dr Robin Morrison used statistical algorithms to reveal patterns of interaction between family groups and individuals between data sets.

By analysing the frequency and length of “associations”, she found that beyond immediate family there was a tier of regular interaction - an average of 13 gorillas - that is similar to “dispersed extended family” in traditional human societies. For example aunts, cousins and grandparents.

Beyond that, a further tier of association involved an average of 39 gorillas, similar to an “aggregated group” that spends time together without necessarily being closely related.

"An analogy to early human populations might be a tribe or small settlement, like a village," said Morrison.

She also found that where dominant males (silverbacks) were half-siblings, they were more likely to be in the same “tribe”. More than 80 per cent of the close associations identified, however, were between more distantly related-or even apparently unrelated silverbacks.

"Females spend time in multiple groups throughout their lives, making it possible for males not closely related to grow up in the same natal group, similar to step-brothers," said Morrison. "The bonds that form may lead to these associations we see as adults."

The results are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.