Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544-1003, USA.
Am J Primatol. 2008 May;70(5):495-9. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20515. Epub 2008 Jan 4.
Automated tracking using a satellite global position system (GPS) has major potential as a research tool in studies of primate ecology. However, implementation has been limited, at least partly because of technological difficulties associated with the dense forest habitat of many primates. In contrast, primates inhabiting relatively open environments may provide ideal subjects for use of GPS collars, yet no empirical tests have evaluated this proposition. Here, we used an automated GPS collar to record the locations, approximate body surface temperature, and activity for an adult female baboon during 90 days in the savannah habitat of Amboseli, Kenya. Given the GPS collar's impressive reliability, high spatial accuracy, other associated measurements, and low impact on the study animal, our results indicate the great potential of applying GPS technology to research on wild primates.
自动跟踪使用卫星全球定位系统 (GPS) 在灵长类动物生态学的研究中具有很大的潜力，是一种研究工具。然而，实施起来受到了限制，至少部分原因是与许多灵长类动物生活的茂密森林栖息地有关的技术困难。相比之下，生活在相对开放环境中的灵长类动物可能是 GPS 项圈使用的理想对象，但还没有实证研究来评估这一说法。在这里，我们使用自动 GPS 项圈记录了一只成年雌性狒狒在肯尼亚安博塞利的热带稀树草原栖息地 90 天的位置、近似体表温度和活动情况。鉴于 GPS 项圈令人印象深刻的可靠性、高空间精度、其他相关测量和对研究动物的低影响，我们的结果表明，GPS 技术在野生灵长类动物研究中具有巨大的应用潜力。
