Anomalous coloration due to melanin deficiency has been usually classified as either partial (piebaldism and leucism) or total albinism. Environmental stress and, in particular, inbreeding, have been hypothesized as possible causes (e.g., Bensch et al., 2000). Several factors have been associated with the occurrence of albinism. Extreme deficits of melanin are rare in wild individuals, but instances have been recorded in diverse animal species including both vertebrates and invertebrates (Abreu et al., 2013 McCardle, 2012).Īlbinism is the result of the expression of recessive alleles belonging to several different genes that disrupt melanin pigmentation (Owen & Skimmings, 1992). A shortfall in, or total lack of, melanin production in some body regions, or throughout the entire body, can contribute to anomalous pigmentation or the absence of pigmentation (Acevedo & Aguayo, 2008). Research HighlightsĬolor variation in skin, eyes, hair, fur, or feathers is influenced by the availability and distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for coloration (Hofreiter & Schöneberg, 2010). Finally, we discuss our observations in relation to our understanding of chimpanzee behavior or attitudes towards individuals with very conspicuous appearances. We also describe the subsequent killing of the infant by conspecifics as well as their behavior towards the corpse following the infanticide. Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first sighting of an infant with albinism in wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), including social interactions between the infant, its mother, and group members. However, while observations of social interactions involving individuals with albinism have been observed in wild non-primate animals, such interactions have not been described in detail in non-human primates (hereafter, primates). Both humans and non-human individuals with albinism face a number of challenges, such as reduced vision, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, or compromised crypticity resulting in an elevated vulnerability to predation. Albinism-the congenital absence of pigmentation-is a very rare phenomenon in animals due to the significant costs to fitness of this condition.
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