Primates is an international journal of primatology whose aim is to provide a forum for the elucidation of all aspects of primates. The oldest primatological journal, Primates publishes original papers that advance the scientific study of primates, and its scope embraces work in diverse fields covering biological bases of behavior, socio-ecology, learning and cognition, social processes, systematics, evolution, and medicine. Contributions relevant to conservation of natural populations and welfare of captive primates are welcome. Studies focusing on nonprimate species may be considered if their relevance to primatology is clear. Original Articles as well as Review Articles, News and Perspectives, and Book Reviews are included. All manuscripts received are initially screened for suitability by members of the Editorial Board, taking into account style and ethical issues, leading to a swift decision about whether to send the manuscript for external review.

The Editor-in-Chief is Tetsuro Matsuzawa, Kyoto University.

Color figures are free in print and online

No publication charge for authors

We welcome proposals for Special Features, collections of articles on a particular research topic. If you would like to propose a Special Feature topic as a guest editor, please contact the Editorial Office.

The new cover of Primates features a young male chimpanzee, Peley, performing a form of tool use called “algae scooping”. Photo taken by Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers in Bossou, Guinia.

Peley uses a stick to collect algae floating on a pond. This unique tool use behavior was first found in Bossou in 1995. I have been studying the Bossou chimpanzee community since 1986. Peley was born in April 1998. The mother, Pama, was about 31 years old at the time, and had two other offspring:, a 5-year-old son named Poni, born on February 4, 1993, and an 11-year-old daughter named Pili, born in early 1987. Pili had already given the birth to her own son, Pokuru, in August 1996 – Pokuru was thus Pama’s 1.5-year-old grandson. At the time of Pokuru’s birth, the young mother Pili was only 9 years old. It is very rare for wild chimpanzees to give birth at such an early age. However, we have so far observed four different cases of 9-year-olds giving birth at Bossou. This might be due to the nutrition-rich diet of Bossou chimpanzees who consume various human agricultural products. Let me tell you the story after Peley’s birth. Poni, his older brother, died in November 2003, at the age of 10 years during a flu-like epidemic that ravaged the Bossou community. We lost five chimpanzees in total: two old ladies, two infants and Poni. Pili, Peley’s big sister, disappeared with her son sometime between late 2000 and early 2001 (it is likely that they emigrated from their natal Bossou community to a neighboring one). Thus, years later, at the time this photo was taken in December 2010, Pama had only one son remaining at Bossou, Peley. He always accompanied her everywhere. Then, one day in September 2013, Pama, Peley and Tua, the former alpha male of the community, suddenly disappeared. The final witness saw the three chimpanzees in the forest of Seringbara, the destination of a “green corridor” connecting Bossou and the Nimba Mountains. We were puzzled why the two big males and the adult female decided to depart, but their loss made a huge impact on the continued survival of the Bossou community. Once the chimpanzees of Bossou are gone, their unique culture will be gone too. (written by Tetsuro Matsuzawa).