{
  "id": 2934567,
  "title": "Temperature modulates resting posture, microhabitat use, and day nesting in chimpanzees in a cool montane forest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/temperature-modulates-resting-posture-microhabitat-use-and-day",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.18.745634v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Temperature plays a crucial role in shaping the resting behavior, microhabitat use, and day nesting patterns of chimpanzees inhabiting a cool montane forest. A detailed analysis of their actions in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, revealed that behavioral adaptations to temperature fluctuations are essential for thermoregulation in this unique environment. By examining microclimatic conditions, researchers observed that cooler temperatures prompted chimpanzees to adopt heat-conserving postures, such as curled and huddled positions, as well as increased use of day nests. Conversely, as temperatures rose, chimpanzees expanded their use of shade, transitioned from arboreal to terrestrial resting, and more frequently utilized lower canopy strata. Wind speed was also linked to a reduction in upper canopy use, while rainfall, water vapor pressure, and fruit availability exhibited weaker or more context-specific associations. These findings emphasize the significance of posture, solar exposure, substrate choice, vertical positioning, and day nest use as key components of thermal ecology in chimpanzees, extending our knowledge beyond the more commonly studied warm lowland and savanna habitats.",
  "summary": "Behavioral thermoregulation allows animals to reduce the physiological costs associated with variation in the thermal environment, yet little is known about how chimpanzees respond behaviorally to the cool and humid conditions of tropical montane forests. We examined how microclimatic conditions influenced resting posture, sun/shade use, substrate use, vertical position within the canopy, and day…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}