VIII  Research

Chapter Summary

• Evaluating our current captive management practices is a priority of the Cotton-top Tamarin SSPÓ Management Group.
• A series of projects for investigation are suggested for those individuals wishing to pursue a research project.

Why conduct research?

From a husbandry perspective, the main function of research is to gather the information needed to make good management decisions. In order to successfully maintains a healthy population of cotton-top tamarins in captivity, we need to have a clear understanding of their life in the wild. Using the information gathered from field studies we can begin to develop management practices that will ensure that the species maintain the behavioral characteristics found in wild animals. However, when implementing management practices, it is critical that we evaluate whether these approaches really assist in maintaining a desired behavior. Although, much information can be gathered through informal observation, it is critical that we evaluate the success of our husbandry practices using the scientific method.

The steps to conducting a scientific study are as follows:

1. Conduct informal observations on your desired species.

2. Form a question based on your informal observations (Why do captive cotton-top tamarins develop colon cancer and wild tamarins appear not to develop this disease?)

          3. Conduct additional observations and an extensive literature search to assist in refining your question.

          4. Construct, if possible, mutually exclusive hypotheses (putative answers to your question)

"Mutually exclusive" means that you attempt to frame your question so that one, and only one, hypothesis is correct. This is not always possible, especially since many natural phenomena have a plethora of interacting causes, but it makes for the strongest studies. For example, possible hypotheses relating to colon cancer in cotton-top tamarins include:

i) The diet fed to cotton-top tamarins in captivity causes colon cancer.

ii) The stress of captivity causes colon cancer.

                   iii) Cotton-top tamarins are genetically predisposed to colon cancer.

                   iv) Wild cotton-top tamarins are consuming some item that prevents them from developing colon cancer.

                   v) etc.

Note that these hypotheses may or may not be mutually exclusive (we may be feeding them an inadequate diet and they may be genetically predisposed to colon cancer).

        5. Make testable predictions based on your hypotheses (for example, if cotton-top tamarins were genetically predisposed to colon cancer, you would predict that the cancer was heritable, and that tamarins who eventually develop colon cancer would tend to have offspring that develop the same disease).

It is at this stage of the experimental design that you set up appropriate controls for confounding variables. For example, to examine the hypothesis that animals may be genetically predisposed to cancer, you would examine the occurrence of cancer in offspring from animals of a specific genetic line that appear to develop cancer and another genetic line that appear to be cancer-free. These animals would be housed under the same environmental conditions (diet, type of habitat, enrichment opportunities etc.). Thus, the cancer-free group of animals is the control group, and assures that any effect you see is due to genetics, and not diet, habitat, etc.

        6. Identify the behavior or other variables that are pertinent to your study and select a sampling method.

How to select a sampling method and appropriate behavior depends on your hypothesis to be tested. Two references to aid you in the development of your sampling method are:

-Martin, P. & Bateson, P. Measuring Behavior Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996.

-A videotape and handbook entitled Research Methods for Studying Animal Behavior in a Zoo Setting, produced jointly by the Washington Park Zoo and the Minnesota Zoological Gardens.

        7. Consult with a statistician before you collect data.

One of the most common mistakes people make in designing a study is the introduction of a confounding variable or a procedural error that makes the data insufficient to answer the question being asked.

        8. Collect data.

        9. Analyze the data.

You may need the help of a statistician to assist you in analyzing and interpreting your data.

10. Interpret results and draw conclusions.

Remember when you interpret your results, science can only disprove hypotheses, it can never prove them. A very simple example to illustrate this point: You could easily eliminate ideas such as "Cotton-top tamarins tend to develop colon cancer because they are a small New World Primate." We can reject this hypothesis, since there are many other callitrichids that are the same size as cotton-top tamarins but do not develop colon cancer. Therefore, size does not appear to be a feature important in the development of this disease. However, you cannot say that "Because colon cancer in cotton-top tamarins is heritable (if it is) that cancer is definitely caused by genetic factors", since apparently heritable effects might have a non-genetic cause (such as individuals all housed in an environment that contains some overlooked feature that predisposes occupants to colon cancer ).

11. Disseminate results

It is critical that your results are published in peer-reviewed journals, newsletters, or conference proceedings. Sharing your results at conferences will aid in developing a good dialog with your colleagues and pen--nit others to implement your findings.

12. Form new research questions.

Continue to build on what you have already learned or develop new areas of investigation.

Research Proposals

Completing a research proposal, even for a study conducted in-house, is a valuable exercise, for it allows you to examine your research question and methodology. Many zoos have their own research proposal application form. However, for those institutions that do not currently have a protocol, the following outline, taken from a draft version of the AZA research guide, gives the basic elements that should be included in as research proposal.

A research proposal should let a reviewer determine:

I. The scientific validity and implication of the project.

II. The likelihood that the project will be successful.

                   III. The costs of the project.

 Proposals should contain the following information:

I. Description of the Project

A. Title (concise but informative)

B. Project Summary or Abstract

C. Goals and Implications

D. Background Information (includes references to relevant studies)

E. Materials and Methods

    a. Project Protocol

        i. Sampling Methods

        ii. Experimental Design and Manipulations

        iii. Data Analysis

        iv. Dissemination of Results

F. Reference List

II. Qualifications of Investigator(s)

A. Name

B. Institutional Affiliation

C. Address, Phone, Fax, Email

D. Attach Curriculum Vitae

a. Include relevant experience

b. Special skills appropriate to the project

c. List of publications

III. Budget (time and materials)

A. Zoo resources needed

                                         a. Animals

                                            i. Animals currently held

                                            ii. Necessary acquisitions of animals

                                        b. Staff Involvement

                        i. Number of staff

                        ii. Number of hours/week of staff time

                                            iii. Primary contact at the zoo

B. Resources supplied by the investigaton

a. Equipment

b. Supplies

c. Personnel

C. Schedule of Completion

Most zoos require the approval and permission of a research review committee and/or an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

 Suggested Format

I.Cover Page

A. Title

B. Summary

C. Investigator Information

a. Name

b. Institutional Affiliation

c. Address, phone, fax, email

D. Primary zoo contact person, if any

II. Body of the Proposal

A. Goals and Implications

B. Background

C. Methods and Materials

D. References

III. Appendices

A. Budget

B. Schedule of Completion

C. Curriculum Vitaes

D. Other Pertinent Material

Resources Available to Aid You in Your Research

There are many resources available to assist you in the design and implementation of meaningful research projects. These include:

* A videotape and handbook entitled Research Methods for Studying Animal Behavior in a Zoo Setting, produced jointly by the Washington Park Zoo and the

Minnesota Zoological Gardens.

* The Experimental Design and Statistics Subcommittee of the AZA Behavior and Husbandry Group, which offers the following services:

- Assistance with experimental design questions

sampling methods

controls

sample size

analysis tools

etc.

- Assistance and advice on statistics

assumptions

robustness

sensitivity

sample size

etc.

- Proposal Pre-review

For further information on these services contact:

Cotton-top Tamarin SSPÓ Management Group Recommendations for Research Projects

Cotton-top tamarins have been extensively studied in research laboratories for the past several decades. Moreover, recent field studies have aided our understanding of this complex callitrichid. However, there is a vital need for studies of tamarins in zoo populations, particularly in evaluating current management practices. The following are some suggestions for research projects developed by the Cotton-top Tamarin SSPÓ Management Group:

1. Studies contrasting the reproductive success of parent-reared, hand-reared, and cross-fostered cotton-top tamarins.

2. Studies of the long-term stability and optimal composition of step-parent (foster) groups.

3. Studies examining the adaptability of cotton-top tamarins in free-ranging zoo programs.

4. Studies of diet and nutrition.

 5. Studies examining the occurrence of colon cancer in the zoo population using the improved methods of detecting this disease (see veterinary care chapter).

6. Studies examining alternative means of contraception. Please note this should be in conjunction with the AZA Contraception Advisory Group.

7. Studies examining the effectiveness of environmental enrichment programs.

We welcome any additional suggestions or ideas. Please contact Rebecca Sellin if you are interested in pursuing any of the above projects.