Abstract
The skeletal remains of five adult wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) stored at the Kansyana Research Camp in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, were examined in order to identify the skeletons and to find pathological evidence on the bones. In Mahale, wild chimpanzees have been studied for nearly 40 years without interruption . Reference cards of chimpanzees for personal identification in life are now available at the camp. By contrasting morphological and pathological characteristics of the skeletons with the datum on the reference cards, two formerly unidentified skeletons could both be identified. Furthermore, the cause of death of a female chimpanzee was revealed from the skeletal evidence. Postmortem phenomenon of the body and what kinds of records in life are useful for the purpose of identification of the skeletons are discussed. Lastly, the prospect of such a study as a part of the long-term study of wild primates is discussed.
