Above: Western Lowland Gorillas. Photo credit: Disney's Animal Kingdom
Pages 9-10: Biology - Assessing the Minds of Aging Apes
Chris Kuhar, a University of Central Florida / Disney's Animal Kingdom visiting research fellow, examines the minds of aging apes-to help care for them in captivity and to learn more about human aging, as well.
The University of Central Florida has partnered with Disney's Animal Kingdom to create a visiting scholar fellowship program. Each year, about four accomplished biological researchers work with scientists from Disney's Animal Kingdom, faculty from the department of biology, and, of course, the animals housed at the Disney facility.
This year, Chris Kuhar, Ph.D., is one of the visiting researchers taking part in the fellowship program. His project is to assess the cognitive abilities of apes. A Georgia Tech graduate, Kuhar has been working with zoos and aquariums for the past seven years. He was recently asked about the progress of his on-going research.
Describe your research and what you hope to measure.
Kuhar: I am looking at cognitive, age-related differences in memory. We know that in humans the older you get, the more your memory declines; however, memory testing on humans is confounded by many other factors, such as a person's level of education, the amount of praise they received, if they experienced any substance abuse, and so on. These types of variables are very difficult to control for in humans. Apes, on the other hand, grow up in the same lifestyle and in virtually the same environment. Because of the psychological and physiological similarities between humans and primates, apes serve as the perfect model for humans.
From the perspective of Disney's Animal Kingdom, we hope to measure the gorilla's memory abilities across many different age groups and then use that information to make informed decisions about proper management in captivity. Perhaps it will involve more training or adjusting their environment.
The research project is composed of several trays that are placed in front of the apes with only one containing food. After a short delay, the trays' contents are hidden behind a screen and the gorilla is asked to pick the tray containing the food. Apes of all ages are used in the study. They range from 6 years to 43 years of age. Up to 4 trays are used in each trial, and there is always a 30-second delay between trials. I wanted to determine what, if any, affect age had on the apes' ability to correctly recall which cup contained the food. With each trial the apes had to wait longer and longer to choose a tray, slowly building up to a 90-second delay.
What are you finding?
Kuhar: There are still two more gorillas to study, but so far the gorillas' performance has not been affected by age. This could mean one of two things: either a 90-second delay is not hard enough and the test is too easy, or the oldest animals in the study had participated in cognitive studies when they were younger and were therefore conditioned to respond in a specific way. We also know that older animals tend to pick the same spot over and over again-even if it is the wrong answer. We are finding evidence that gorillas tend to become more rigid in their responses as they get older just like humans.
Why did you choose this research?
Kuhar: I have been working with zoos and aquariums for almost seven years, and I am interested in taking the best care of the animals we possibly can. The research on gorillas can be translated to other animal species. Additionally, aging research has been done with monkeys, rats, and humans but little has been done with apes. I am interested in looking at the memory differences that may occur with age. Some of the scientific groundwork for this study had already been done. I plan to perform all the necessary due-diligence, follow the previous path, and then maybe deviate slightly from the earlier research. Only three studies have been done on chimps and none have been done on gorillas, so it makes sense and is still important information to know.
More about the fellowship program:
University of Central Florida / Disney's Animal Kingdom visiting research fellow program was established about four years ago. Since then, the program's participants have studied a diverse range of animal biological issues: from elephant vocalizations to the behaviors of lions and tigers.
The fellowship is a collaboration between UCF and Disney. It allows the diverse research being conducted at the Disney facility to be united under the leadership of UCF, and it allows the university to expose students to real, hands-on research. Such a formal relationship is unique and is proving to be a valuable resource to both parties.
Want to know more?
UCF Biology website: www.cas.ucf.edu/biology
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