Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa

Samantha Strindberg; Fiona Maisels; Elizabeth A. Williamson; Stephen Blake; Emma J. Stokes; Rostand Aba’a; Gaspard Abitsi; Anthony Agbor; Ruffin D. Ambahe; Parfait C. Bakabana; Martha Bechem; Antoine Berlemont; Bruno Bokoto de Semboli; Patrick R. Boundja; Nicolas Bout; Thomas Breuer; Genevieve Campbell; Pauwel De Wachter; Marc Ella Akou; Fidel Esono Mba; Anna T. C. Feistner; Bernard Fosso; Roger Fotso; David Greer; Clement Inkamba-Nkulu; Calixte F. Iyenguet; Kathryn J. Jeffery; Max Kokangoye; Hjalmar S. Kühl; Stephanie Latour; Bola Madzoke; Calixte Makoumbou; Guy-Aimé F. Malanda; Richard Malonga; Victor Mbolo; David B. Morgan; Prosper Motsaba; Gabin Moukala; Brice S. Mowawa; Mizuki Murai; Christian Ndzai; Tomoaki Nishihara; Zacharie Nzooh; Lilian Pintea; Amy Pokempner; Hugo J. Rainey; Tim Rayden; Heidi Ruffler; Crickette M. Sanz; Angelique Todd; Hilde Vanleeuwe; Ashley Vosper; Ymke Warren; David S. Wilkie

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aar2964

Research ArticleECOLOGY

Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa

Samantha Strindberg¹,*,
Fiona Maisels¹,²,*,
Elizabeth A. Williamson²,†,
Stephen Blake¹,³,‡,
Emma J. Stokes¹,
Rostand Aba’a¹,§,
Gaspard Abitsi¹,
Anthony Agbor⁴,⁵,
Ruffin D. Ambahe¹,
Parfait C. Bakabana¹,
Martha Bechem¹,⁶,
Antoine Berlemont⁵,
Bruno Bokoto de Semboli⁷,¶,
Patrick R. Boundja¹,
Nicolas Bout¹,
Thomas Breuer¹,
Genevieve Campbell⁴,||,
Pauwel De Wachter⁷,
Marc Ella Akou⁷,**,
Fidel Esono Mba⁸,
Anna T. C. Feistner⁷,††,
Bernard Fosso¹,
Roger Fotso¹,
David Greer⁷,
Clement Inkamba-Nkulu¹,
Calixte F. Iyenguet¹,
Kathryn J. Jeffery²,
Max Kokangoye¹,**,
Hjalmar S. Kühl⁴,⁹,
Stephanie Latour¹,¹⁰,
Bola Madzoke¹,
Calixte Makoumbou¹,‡‡,
Guy-Aimé F. Malanda¹,‡‡,
Richard Malonga¹,
Victor Mbolo⁷,
David B. Morgan¹,¹¹,
Prosper Motsaba¹,
Gabin Moukala¹,
Brice S. Mowawa¹,‡‡,
Mizuki Murai⁴,⁵,§§,
Christian Ndzai¹,
Tomoaki Nishihara¹,
Zacharie Nzooh⁷,
Lilian Pintea¹⁰,
Amy Pokempner¹,¶¶,
Hugo J. Rainey¹,
Tim Rayden¹,
Heidi Ruffler⁵,||||,
Crickette M. Sanz¹,¹²,
Angelique Todd⁷,***,
Hilde Vanleeuwe¹,
Ashley Vosper¹,
Ymke Warren¹,** and
David S. Wilkie¹

¹Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.
²Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
³Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
⁴Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁵Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.
⁶Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)–Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), MIKE Subregional Office, Yaoundé, BP 5506, Cameroon.
⁷World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.
⁸Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Gestión del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, Bata, Equatorial Guinea.
⁹Robert Bosch Junior Professor, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Leipzig-Jena, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁰The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA.
¹¹Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
¹²Department of Anthropology, Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

↵†Corresponding author. Email: e.a.williamson{at}stir.ac.uk

↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
↵‡ Present address: Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.
↵§ Present address: Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, BP 20379 Libreville, Gabon.
↵¶ Present address: Ministère des Eaux, Forêts, Chasse et Pêche, BP 830 Bangui, Central African Republic.
↵|| Present address: The Biodiversity Consultancy Ltd., 3E King’s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SJ, UK.
↵** Deceased.
↵†† Present address: Centre for Conservation and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, BP 48 Gamba, Gabon.
↵‡‡ Present address: Ministère de l’Economie Forestière de Développement Durable et de l’Environnement, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
↵§§ Present address: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.
↵¶¶ Present address: National Geographic Society, Impact Initiatives, 1145 17th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
↵|||| Present address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Affairs, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803, USA.
↵*** Present address: Flora and Fauna International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.

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Science Advances 25 Apr 2018:
Vol. 4, no. 4, eaar2964
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar2964

Samantha Strindberg

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Fiona Maisels

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.

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Elizabeth A. Williamson

Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.

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For correspondence: e.a.williamson@stir.ac.uk

Stephen Blake

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.

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Emma J. Stokes

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Rostand Aba’a

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Gaspard Abitsi

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Anthony Agbor

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.

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Ruffin D. Ambahe

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Parfait C. Bakabana

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Martha Bechem

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)–Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), MIKE Subregional Office, Yaoundé, BP 5506, Cameroon.

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Antoine Berlemont

Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.

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Bruno Bokoto de Semboli

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Patrick R. Boundja

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Nicolas Bout

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Thomas Breuer

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Genevieve Campbell

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

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Pauwel De Wachter

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Marc Ella Akou

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Fidel Esono Mba

Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Gestión del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

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Anna T. C. Feistner

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Bernard Fosso

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Roger Fotso

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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David Greer

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Clement Inkamba-Nkulu

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Calixte F. Iyenguet

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Kathryn J. Jeffery

Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.

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Max Kokangoye

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Hjalmar S. Kühl

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Robert Bosch Junior Professor, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Leipzig-Jena, Leipzig, Germany.

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Stephanie Latour

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA.

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Bola Madzoke

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Calixte Makoumbou

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Guy-Aimé F. Malanda

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Richard Malonga

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Victor Mbolo

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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David B. Morgan

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.

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Prosper Motsaba

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Gabin Moukala

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Brice S. Mowawa

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Mizuki Murai

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.

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Christian Ndzai

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Tomoaki Nishihara

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Zacharie Nzooh

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Lilian Pintea

The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA.

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Amy Pokempner

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Hugo J. Rainey

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Tim Rayden

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Heidi Ruffler

Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.

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Crickette M. Sanz

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

Department of Anthropology, Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

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Angelique Todd

World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Hilde Vanleeuwe

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Ashley Vosper

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Ymke Warren

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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David S. Wilkie

Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA.

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Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa

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