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Lima IAD, Bicca-Marques JC. Opportunistic meat-eating by urban folivorous-frugivorous monkeys. Primates 2024; 65:25-32. [PMID: 37861866 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01098-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of vertebrate tissues and eggs (hereinafter "meat") is relatively common among some primates that are highly frugivorous or eclectic omnivores, but rare or absent in those that are highly folivorous. The Neotropical howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.) belong in the latter group. Here we report the consumption of meat by free-ranging urban black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) and discuss the potential role of the consumed meat as a source of energy, protein, or micronutrients. We studied three groups of howler monkeys (comprising four to seven individuals), living in city squares (0.6, 1.5, and 1.9 ha) in south Brazil, from July 2022 to May 2023 (65 days; 797 h of observations). All of the study groups were spontaneously supplemented daily by people with variable amounts and types of food provided. Meat was only offered in the two larger squares. The groups' diets included leaves (42-49% scan sampling feeding records), fruit (3-20%), and flowers (2-5%) from 13 to 20 plant species, and considerable amounts of supplemented food (27-50%). We recorded 33 individual events of ingestion of supplemented cooked meat, three individual events of dove egg predation, and three bird nest inspections without egg consumption. All members of the two groups in the larger squares, except an infant male, ingested meat at least once. Meat accounted for 1% of total scan feeding records of both groups with access to this supplement. We conclude that whereas the opportunistic consumption of meat probably contributed only minor amounts of energy and protein to the study subjects, it may have benefitted them with micronutrients that are scarce in plant foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isadora Alves de Lima
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 401.02, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Júlio César Bicca-Marques
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 401.02, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil.
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2
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Bryant KL, Hansen C, Hecht EE. Fermentation technology as a driver of human brain expansion. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1190. [PMID: 37996482 PMCID: PMC10667226 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05517-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain tissue is metabolically expensive. Consequently, the evolution of humans' large brains must have occurred via concomitant shifts in energy expenditure and intake. Proposed mechanisms include dietary shifts such as cooking. Importantly, though, any new food source must have been exploitable by hominids with brains a third the size of modern humans'. Here, we propose the initial metabolic trigger of hominid brain expansion was the consumption of externally fermented foods. We define "external fermentation" as occurring outside the body, as opposed to the internal fermentation in the gut. External fermentation could increase the bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients while reducing digestive energy expenditure and is supported by the relative reduction of the human colon. We discuss the explanatory power of our hypothesis and survey external fermentation practices across human cultures to demonstrate its viability across a range of environments and food sources. We close with suggestions for empirical tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Bryant
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
| | - Christi Hansen
- Hungry Heart Farm and Dietary Consulting, Conley, GA, USA
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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3
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Rajan V. An Alkaline Foregut Protects Herbivores from Latex in Forage, but Increases Their Susceptibility to Bt Endotoxin. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2195. [PMID: 38004335 PMCID: PMC10672702 DOI: 10.3390/life13112195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
About 10% of angiosperms, an estimated 20,000 species, produce latex from ubiquitous isoprene precursors. Latex, an aqueous suspension of rubber particles and other compounds, functions as an antifeedant and herbivory deterrent. It is soluble in neutral to alkaline pH, and coagulates in acidic environments. Here, I propose that foregut-fermenting herbivores such as ruminants, kangaroos, sloths, insect larvae, and tadpoles have adapted to latex in forage with the evolution of alkaline anterior digestive chamber(s). However, they consequently become susceptible to the action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) δ-endotoxin and related bioinsecticides which are activated in alkaline environments. By contrast, hindgut-fermenting herbivores, such as horses and rabbits, have acidic anterior digestive chambers, in which latex coagulates and may cause gut blockage, but in which Bt is not activated. The latex-adapted foregut herbivore vs. latex-maladapted hindgut herbivore hypothesis developed in this paper has implications for hindgut-fermenting livestock and zoo animals which may be provided with latex-containing forage that is detrimental to their gut health. Further, ruminants and herbivorous tadpoles with alkaline anterior chambers are at risk of damage by the supposedly "environmentally friendly" Bt bioinsecticide, which is widely disseminated or engineered into crops which may enter animal feed streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Rajan
- Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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4
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Zhang C, Lian Z, Xu B, Shen Q, Bao M, Huang Z, Jiang H, Li W. Gut Microbiome Variation Along A Lifestyle Gradient Reveals Threats Faced by Asian Elephants. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2023:S1672-0229(23)00069-4. [PMID: 37088195 PMCID: PMC10372918 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The gut microbiome is closely related to host nutrition and health. However, the relationships between gut microorganisms and host lifestyle are not well characterized. In the absence of confounding geographic variation, we defined clear patterns of variation in the gut microbiomes of Asian elephants (AEs) in the Wild Elephant Valley, Xishuangbanna, China, along a lifestyle gradient (fully captive, semicaptive, semiwild, and purely wild). A phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene sequences highlighted that the microbial diversity decreased as the degree of captivity increased. Furthermore, the results showed that the bacterial taxon WCHB1-41_c was significantly affected by lifestyle gradient variations. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed a paucity of genes related to butyrate production in the microbiome of AEs with a pure wild lifestyle, which may be due to the increased environmental unfavorable factors. Overall, these results demonstrate the distinct gut microbiome characteristics among AEs with a gradient of lifestyles and provide a basis for designing strategies to improve the well-being or conservation of this important animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbo Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhenghan Lian
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Qingzhong Shen
- Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Jinghong 666100, China
| | - Mingwei Bao
- Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center in Xishuangbanna, Jinghong 666100, China
| | - Zunxi Huang
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China.
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Wenjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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Dallas JW, Warne RW. Captivity and Animal Microbiomes: Potential Roles of Microbiota for Influencing Animal Conservation. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:820-838. [PMID: 35316343 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-01991-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
During the ongoing biodiversity crisis, captive conservation and breeding programs offer a refuge for species to persist and provide source populations for reintroduction efforts. Unfortunately, captive animals are at a higher disease risk and reintroduction efforts remain largely unsuccessful. One potential factor in these outcomes is the host microbiota which includes a large diversity and abundance of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that play an essential role in host physiology. Relative to wild populations, the generalized pattern of gut and skin microbiomes in captivity are reduced alpha diversity and they exhibit a significant shift in community composition and/or structure which often correlates with various physiological maladies. Many conditions of captivity (antibiotic exposure, altered diet composition, homogenous environment, increased stress, and altered intraspecific interactions) likely lead to changes in the host-associated microbiome. To minimize the problems arising from captivity, efforts can be taken to manipulate microbial diversity and composition to be comparable with wild populations through methods such as increasing dietary diversity, exposure to natural environmental reservoirs, or probiotics. For individuals destined for reintroduction, these strategies can prime the microbiota to buffer against novel pathogens and changes in diet and improve reintroduction success. The microbiome is a critical component of animal physiology and its role in species conservation should be expanded and included in the repertoire of future management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA.
| | - Robin W Warne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
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Sawada A, Hayakawa T, Kurihara Y, Lee W, Hanya G. Seasonal responses and host uniqueness of gut microbiome of Japanese macaques in lowland Yakushima. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:54. [PMID: 36163043 PMCID: PMC9513907 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00205-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Changes in the gut microbial composition is an important response to cope with the seasonal fluctuations in the environment such as food availability. We examined the bacterial gut microbiome of the wild nonhuman primate, Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) in Yakushima over 13 months by noninvasive continuous sampling from three identified adult females. Results Dietary composition varied considerably over the study period and displayed marked shifts with the seasons. Feeding of leaves, fruits, and invertebrates were their main foods for at least one month. Diet had a significant influence on the gut microbiome. We also confirmed significant effect of host uniqueness in the gut microbiome among the three macaques. Leaf-dominated diet shaped unique gut microbiome structures where the macaques had the highest alpha diversity and their gut microbiome was enriched with Spirochaetes and Tenericutes. Diet-related differences in the putative function were detected, such as a differentially abundant urea cycle during the leaf-feeding season. Conclusion Both diet and host individuality exerted similar amounts of effect on gut microbe community composition. Major bacterial taxa showed a similar response to monthly fluctuations of fruit and invertebrate feeding, which was largely opposite to that of leaf feeding. The main constituents of fruits and invertebrates are both digestible with the enzyme of the host animals, but that of leaves is not available as an energy source without the aid of the fermentation of the gut microbiome. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-022-00205-9.
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First Descriptive Analysis of the Faecal Microbiota of Wild and Anthropized Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in the Region of Bejaia, Northeast Algeria. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020187. [PMID: 35205054 PMCID: PMC8869477 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The gut microbiota is very important for animal physiology and health. It has been demonstrated that the gut microbiota composition of several primate species is influenced by a variety of anthropogenic factors. However, these aspects are not documented for the gut microbiota of the endangered wild Barbary macaque. This study is the first to characterize the faecal microbiota of the species and investigate the impact on it of tourist food provisioning by comparing two groups of Barbary macaques: a tourist-provisioned group and a wild-feeding group. Our results revealed the presence of 209 bacterial genera from 17 phyla in the faecal microbiota of Barbary macaques. Firmicutes was the most abundant bacterial phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. The tourism activity was associated with a significant alteration of this profile, probably due to tourist provisioning issues. Increasing risks of obesity and illness call for special management measures to reduce the provisioning rate in tourist areas. Abstract Previous research has revealed the gut microbiota profile of several primate species, as well as the impact of a variety of anthropogenic factors, such as tourist food supply, on these bacterial communities. However, there is no information on the gut microbiota of the endangered wild Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus). The present study is the first to characterize the faecal microbiota of this species, as well as to investigate the impact of tourist food provisioning on it. A total of 12 faecal samples were collected in two groups of M. sylvanus in the region of Bejaia in Algeria. The first group—a tourist-provisioned one—was located in the tourist area of the Gouraya National Park and the second group—a wild-feeding one—was located in the proximity of the village of Mezouara in the forest of Akfadou. After DNA extraction, the faecal microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rDNA sequencing. Statistical tests were performed to compare alpha diversity and beta diversity between the two groups. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) was applied to visualize biodiversity between groups. Behaviour monitoring was also conducted to assess the time allocated to the consumption of anthropogenic food by the tourist-provisioned group. Our results revealed the presence of 209 bacterial genera from 17 phyla in the faecal microbiota of Barbary macaques. Firmicutes was the most abundant bacterial phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. On the other hand, the comparison between the faecal microbiota of the two study groups showed that tourism activity was associated with a significant change on the faecal microbiota of M.sylvanus, probably due to diet alteration (with 60% of feeding time allocated to the consumption of anthropogenic food). The potentially low-fibre diet at the tourist site adversely influenced the proliferation of bacterial genera found in abundance in the wild group such as Ruminococcaceae. Such an alteration of the faecal microbiota can have negative impacts on the health status of these animals by increasing the risk of obesity and illness and calls for special management measures to reduce the provisioning rate in tourist areas.
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Specialised digestive adaptations within the hindgut of a colobine monkey. Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100207. [PMID: 35243466 PMCID: PMC8857510 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammal herbivores, fiber digestion usually occurs predominantly in either the foregut or the hindgut. Reports of mechanisms showing synergistic function in both gut regions for the digestion of fiber and other nutrients in wild mammals are rare because it requires integrative study of anatomy, physiology, and gut microbiome. Colobine monkeys (Colobinae) are folivorous, with high-fiber foods fermented primarily in their foreguts. A few colobine species live in temperate regions, so obtaining energy from fiber during the winter is essential. However, the mechanisms enabling this remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that such species possess specialized mechanisms to enhance fiber digestion in the hindgut and studied microbial and morphological digestive adaptations of golden snub-nosed monkeys (GSMs), Rhinopithecus roxellana. which is a temperate forest colobine from central China that experiences high-thermal-energy demands while restricted to a fibrous, low-energy winter diet. We tested for synergistic foregut and hindgut fiber digestion using comparisons of morphology, microbiome composition and function, and digestive efficiency. We found that the GSM colon has a significantly greater volume than that of other foregut-fermenting colobines. The microbiomes of the foregut and hindgut differed significantly in composition and abundance. However, while digestive efficiency and the expression of microbial gene functions for fiber digestion were higher in the foregut than in the hindgut, both gut regions were dominated by microbial taxa producing enzymes to enable active digestion of complex carbohydrates. Our data suggest that both the GSM foregut and hindgut facilitate fiber digestion and that an enlarged colon is likely an adaptation to accommodate high throughput of fiber-rich food during winter. How folivores extract adequate nutrition from their ultra-high-fiber diets remains unclear We studied the morphology, microbiome and digestive efficiency of gut for R. roxellana (GSM) Both fore- and hind-gut regions of GSM play important function of digesting complex carbohydrates An enlarged colon of GSM likely accommodates a high throughput of fiber-rich food during winter
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Guevara EE, Greene LK, Blanco MB, Farmer C, Ranaivonasy J, Ratsirarson J, Mahefarisoa KL, Rajaonarivelo T, Rakotondrainibe HH, Junge RE, Williams CV, Rambeloson E, Rasoanaivo HA, Rahalinarivo V, Andrianandrianina LH, Clayton JB, Rothman RS, Lawler RR, Bradley BJ, Yoder AD. Molecular Adaptation to Folivory and the Conservation Implications for Madagascar’s Lemurs. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.736741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The lemurs of Madagascar include numerous species characterized by folivory across several families. Many extant lemuriform folivores exist in sympatry in Madagascar’s remaining forests. These species avoid feeding competition by adopting different dietary strategies within folivory, reflected in behavioral, morphological, and microbiota diversity across species. These conditions make lemurs an ideal study system for understanding adaptation to leaf-eating. Most folivorous lemurs are also highly endangered. The significance of folivory for conservation outlook is complex. Though generalist folivores may be relatively well equipped to survive habitat disturbance, specialist folivores occupying narrow dietary niches may be less resilient. Characterizing the genetic bases of adaptation to folivory across species and lineages can provide insights into their differential physiology and potential to resist habitat change. We recently reported accelerated genetic change in RNASE1, a gene encoding an enzyme (RNase 1) involved in molecular adaptation in mammalian folivores, including various monkeys and sifakas (genus Propithecus; family Indriidae). Here, we sought to assess whether other lemurs, including phylogenetically and ecologically diverse folivores, might show parallel adaptive change in RNASE1 that could underlie a capacity for efficient folivory. We characterized RNASE1 in 21 lemur species representing all five families and members of the three extant folivorous lineages: (1) bamboo lemurs (family Lemuridae), (2) sportive lemurs (family Lepilemuridae), and (3) indriids (family Indriidae). We found pervasive sequence change in RNASE1 across all indriids, a dN/dS value > 3 in this clade, and evidence for shared change in isoelectric point, indicating altered enzymatic function. Sportive and bamboo lemurs, in contrast, showed more modest sequence change. The greater change in indriids may reflect a shared strategy emphasizing complex gut morphology and microbiota to facilitate folivory. This case study illustrates how genetic analysis may reveal differences in functional traits that could influence species’ ecology and, in turn, their resilience to habitat change. Moreover, our results support the body of work demonstrating that not all primate folivores are built the same and reiterate the need to avoid generalizations about dietary guild in considering conservation outlook, particularly in lemurs where such diversity in folivory has probably led to extensive specialization via niche partitioning.
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de Andrade Carneiro L, Moreno TB, Fernandes BD, Souza CMM, Bastos TS, Félix AP, da Rocha C. Effects of two dietary fiber levels on nutrient digestibility and intestinal fermentation products in captive brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23238. [PMID: 33544426 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Herbivorous primates present a selective consumption profile and morphological adaptations to use the fibrous fraction of their diets. Brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba) are generalist herbivores; however, when kept under human care, they usually receive diets rich in fruits and with insufficient amounts of fiber. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in howlers on apparent total tract digestibility coefficients (ATTDC), fecal consistency, and intestinal fermentation products. A group of 26 adult howler monkeys, 13 males and 13 females, were fed two diets formulated to have 33% or 40% NDF for 11 days, according to a randomized block design (N = 26). The block factor was the enclosures with one, two, or three individuals (each enclosure corresponded to an experimental unit), totaling in eight replicates per treatment. There were no differences in dry matter and nutrients intake between treatments (p > 0.05). The diet with 33% NDF resulted in higher (p < 0.05) ATTDC of crude protein and crude energy. However, lower fecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and dry matter were observed in the treatment with 33% NDF in contrast to the 40% NDF group (p < 0.05). We recommend the inclusion of higher fiber levels (40% NDF) in the diet of howler monkeys since there is evidence of greater production of SCFA and improvement in fecal consistency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas de Andrade Carneiro
- Depratment of Animal nutrition board, Superintendence of Conservation and Research, Brasilia Zoo Foundation, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Tatiane B Moreno
- Depratment of Animal nutrition board, Superintendence of Conservation and Research, Brasilia Zoo Foundation, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Barbara D Fernandes
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Camilla M M Souza
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Tais S Bastos
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ananda P Félix
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Chayane da Rocha
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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Baniel A, Amato KR, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Mercer A, Perlman RF, Petrullo L, Reitsema L, Sams S, Lu A, Snyder-Mackler N. Seasonal shifts in the gut microbiome indicate plastic responses to diet in wild geladas. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:26. [PMID: 33485388 PMCID: PMC7828014 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00977-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adaptive shifts in gut microbiome composition are one route by which animals adapt to seasonal changes in food availability and diet. However, outside of dietary shifts, other potential environmental drivers of gut microbial composition have rarely been investigated, particularly in organisms living in their natural environments. RESULTS Here, we generated the largest wild nonhuman primate gut microbiome dataset to date to identify the environmental drivers of gut microbial diversity and function in 758 samples collected from wild Ethiopian geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Because geladas live in a cold, high-altitude environment and have a low-quality grass-based diet, they face extreme thermoregulatory and energetic constraints. We tested how proxies of food availability (rainfall) and thermoregulatory stress (temperature) predicted gut microbiome composition of geladas. The gelada gut microbiome composition covaried with rainfall and temperature in a pattern that suggests distinct responses to dietary and thermoregulatory challenges. Microbial changes were driven by differences in the main components of the diet across seasons: in rainier periods, the gut was dominated by cellulolytic/fermentative bacteria that specialized in digesting grass, while during dry periods the gut was dominated by bacteria that break down starches found in underground plant parts. Temperature had a comparatively smaller, but detectable, effect on the gut microbiome. During cold and dry periods, bacterial genes involved in energy, amino acid, and lipid metabolism increased, suggesting a stimulation of fermentation activity in the gut when thermoregulatory and nutritional stress co-occurred, and potentially helping geladas to maintain energy balance during challenging periods. CONCLUSION Together, these results shed light on the extent to which gut microbiota plasticity provides dietary and metabolic flexibility to the host, and might be a key factor to thriving in changing environments. On a longer evolutionary timescale, such metabolic flexibility provided by the gut microbiome may have also allowed members of Theropithecus to adopt a specialized diet, and colonize new high-altitude grassland habitats in East Africa. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Baniel
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Arianne Mercer
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Rachel F Perlman
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lauren Petrullo
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Laurie Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Sierra Sams
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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12
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Urbani B, Youlatos D, Kowalewski MM. Postural behavior of howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata, A. macconnelli, and A. caraya) during sleep: an assessment across the genus range. Primate Biol 2020; 7:25-33. [PMID: 33094151 PMCID: PMC7560490 DOI: 10.5194/pb-7-25-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is the longest and most continuous behavioral phase in the
24 h cycle of mammals. However, selection of postures, substrates, and tree
parts during sleep has not been adequately explored, as well as their
evolutionary consequences. The present study investigates postural behavior,
substrate, and tree part use during sleep in three howler species (A. palliata, A. macconnelli, and
A. caraya) in Nicaragua, French Guiana, and Argentina. All three species were
consistent in the use of a crouched ball-like sit-in posture on large,
horizontal, unramified, or bifurcated substrates, and in avoiding the
periphery of tree crowns. The regularities of these sleeping patterns are
very likely functionally associated with protection from potential predators
and extreme weather conditions, biomechanical stability, thermoregulation,
and enhancement of the digestive process of hard-to-decompose plant
material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Urbani
- Centro de Antropología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Apartado 66.755, Caracas 1061-A, Venezuela
| | - Dionisios Youlatos
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Martín M Kowalewski
- Estación Biológica Corrientes, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", CONICET, Ruta Prov. 8, Km 7, 3400, San Cayetano, Corrientes, Argentina
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13
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Hanya G, Tackmann J, Sawada A, Lee W, Pokharel SS, de Castro Maciel VG, Toge A, Kuroki K, Otsuka R, Mabuchi R, Liu J, Hatakeyama M, Yamasaki E, von Mering C, Shimizu-Inatsugi R, Hayakawa T, Shimizu KK, Ushida K. Fermentation Ability of Gut Microbiota of Wild Japanese Macaques in the Highland and Lowland Yakushima: In Vitro Fermentation Assay and Genetic Analyses. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:459-474. [PMID: 32328670 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata Blyth) living in the highland and lowland areas of Yakushima are known to have different diets, with highland individuals consuming more leaves. We aim to clarify whether and how these differences in diet are also reflected by gut microbial composition and fermentation ability. Therefore, we conduct an in vitro fermentation assay using fresh feces from macaques as inoculum and dry leaf powder of Eurya japonica Thunb. as a substrate. Fermentation activity was higher for feces collected in the highland, as evidenced by higher gas and butyric acid production and lower pH. Genetic analysis indicated separation of highland and lowland in terms of both community structure and function of the gut microbiota. Comparison of feces and suspension after fermentation indicated that the community structure changed during fermentation, and the change was larger for lowland samples. Analysis of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 barcoding region of the gut microbiota showed that community structure was clearly clustered between the two areas. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis indicated separation by gene and pathway abundance patterns. Two pathways (glycogen biosynthesis I and D-galacturonate degradation I) were enriched in lowland samples, possibly related to the fruit-eating lifestyle in the lowland. Overall, we demonstrated that the more leaf-eating highland Japanese macaques harbor gut microbiota with higher leaf fermentation ability compared with the more fruit-eating lowland ones. Broad, non-specific taxonomic and functional gut microbiome differences suggest that this pattern may be driven by a complex interplay between many taxa and pathways rather than single functional traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan.
| | - Janko Tackmann
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Akiko Sawada
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Wanyi Lee
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | | | | | - Akito Toge
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Kota Kuroki
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Ryoma Otsuka
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryoma Mabuchi
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jie Liu
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaomi Hatakeyama
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eri Yamasaki
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Takashi Hayakawa
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Kentaro K Shimizu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazunari Ushida
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, Kasugai, Japan
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14
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Janiak MC, Burrell AS, Orkin JD, Disotell TR. Duplication and parallel evolution of the pancreatic ribonuclease gene (RNASE1) in folivorous non-colobine primates, the howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.). Sci Rep 2019; 9:20366. [PMID: 31889139 PMCID: PMC6937293 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56941-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In foregut-fermenting mammals (e.g., colobine monkeys, artiodactyl ruminants) the enzymes pancreatic ribonuclease (RNASE1) and lysozyme C (LYZ), originally involved in immune defense, have evolved new digestive functions. Howler monkeys are folivorous non-colobine primates that lack the multi-chambered stomachs of colobines and instead digest leaves using fermentation in the caeco-colic region. We present data on the RNASE1 and LYZ genes of four species of howler monkey (Alouatta spp.). We find that howler monkey LYZ is conserved and does not share the substitutions found in colobine and cow sequences, whereas RNASE1 was duplicated in the common ancestor of A. palliata, A. seniculus, A. sara, and A. pigra. While the parent gene (RNASE1) is conserved, the daughter gene (RNASE1B) has multiple amino acid substitutions that are parallel to those found in RNASE1B genes of colobines. The duplicated RNase in Alouatta has biochemical changes similar to those in colobines, suggesting a novel, possibly digestive function. These findings suggest that pancreatic ribonuclease has, in parallel, evolved a new role for digesting the products of microbial fermentation in both foregut- and hindgut-fermenting folivorous primates. This may be a vital digestive enzyme adaptation allowing howler monkeys to survive on leaves during periods of low fruit availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. .,Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. .,Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Andrew S Burrell
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph D Orkin
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd R Disotell
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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15
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Back JP, Bicca-Marques JC. Supplemented howler monkeys eat less wild fruits, but do not change their activity budgets. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e23051. [PMID: 31520447 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Research on the influence of food supplementation on primate behavior has focused on terrestrial and semiterrestrial species. Its effects on highly arboreal species are poorly known. We assessed the influence of food supplementation on the feeding behavior and activity budget of four adult female and two adult male brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) belonging to two groups (JA and RO) that inhabited periurban forest fragments in southern Brazil. We used the "focal-animal" method during 6-8 full days per month from March to August 2017 (916 h of observation) to record the behavior of the study subjects. The feeding events of the focal individual were recorded using the "all occurrences" method. The supplementation was unevenly distributed during the day and accounted for 5-6% of all feeding events of male and female howlers, respectively. JA always received fruit in a platform, whereas RO had access to fruits and processed foods on roofs and directly from humans. The mean biomass of wild foods ingested by each adult per day was >300% higher than the ingested biomass of supplemented foods (females: 395 vs. 109 g/day; males: 377 vs. 120 g/day), but the ingestion rate of supplemented foods was ca. 400% higher than that of wild foods (females: 17 vs. 4 g/min; males: 19 vs. 5 g/min). The activity budgets of females and males were dominated by resting (66-72%) followed by feeding (18-14%), moving (12-11%), and socializing (2%). We found that food supplementation reduced the ingestion of wild fruits, but it did not affect the howlers' need to ingest a given amount of leaves per day and the time spent resting, feeding, moving, and socializing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaína Paula Back
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
| | - Júlio César Bicca-Marques
- Laboratório de Primatologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
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16
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Hernández-Rodríguez D, Vásquez-Aguilar AA, Serio-Silva JC, Rebollar EA, Azaola-Espinosa A. Molecular detection of Bifidobacterium spp. in faeces of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). J Med Primatol 2018; 48:99-105. [PMID: 30520095 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bifidobacterium genus are considered to be beneficial bacteria for their hosts; however, knowledge about the specific species that are part of the gut microbiome of howler monkeys is scarce. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a useful technique for the identification of non-cultivable or difficult to grow bacterial species. With the goal of detecting species of the genus Bifidobacterium in black howler monkeys, we used PCR on DNA derived from faecal samples. METHODS We collected and extracted DNA from 40 faecal samples. Using specific primers, we performed PCR and nested PCR to detect members of the Bifidobacterium genus and a subset of species: Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis. RESULTS 97.5% (39/40) of the samples were positive for Bifidobacterium spp. We found B longum in 100% of the analysed samples. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of B longum in black howler monkey faeces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Hernández-Rodríguez
- Doctorado en Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Coyoacán, CDMX, México.,Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | | | - Juan Carlos Serio-Silva
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Eria Alaide Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandro Azaola-Espinosa
- Sistemas Biológicos, Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Coyoacán, CDMX, México
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17
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Clayton JB, Gomez A, Amato K, Knights D, Travis DA, Blekhman R, Knight R, Leigh S, Stumpf R, Wolf T, Glander KE, Cabana F, Johnson TJ. The gut microbiome of nonhuman primates: Lessons in ecology and evolution. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22867. [PMID: 29862519 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract is home to trillions of bacteria that play a substantial role in host metabolism and immunity. While progress has been made in understanding the role that microbial communities play in human health and disease, much less attention has been given to host-associated microbiomes in nonhuman primates (NHPs). Here we review past and current research exploring the gut microbiome of NHPs. First, we summarize methods for characterization of the NHP gut microbiome. Then we discuss variation in gut microbiome composition and function across different NHP taxa. Finally, we highlight how studying the gut microbiome offers new insights into primate nutrition, physiology, and immune system function, as well as enhances our understanding of primate ecology and evolution. Microbiome approaches are useful tools for studying relevant issues in primate ecology. Further study of the gut microbiome of NHPs will offer new insight into primate ecology and evolution as well as human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B Clayton
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota.,GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Center, Son Tra District, Danang, Vietnam.,Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Andres Gomez
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota
| | - Katherine Amato
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Dan Knights
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Dominic A Travis
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Ran Blekhman
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Falcon Heights, Minnesota
| | - Rob Knight
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Computer Science & Engineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Center for Microbiome Innovation, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Steven Leigh
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado.,C.R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Rebecca Stumpf
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,C.R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Tiffany Wolf
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Kenneth E Glander
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Francis Cabana
- Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Wildlife Nutrition Centre, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Singapore
| | - Timothy J Johnson
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota.,Primate Microbiome Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,University of Minnesota, Mid-Central Research and Outreach Center, Willmar, Minnesota
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18
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Melin AD, Khetpal V, Matsushita Y, Zhou K, Campos FA, Welker B, Kawamura S. Howler monkey foraging ecology suggests convergent evolution of routine trichromacy as an adaptation for folivory. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1421-1434. [PMID: 28261454 PMCID: PMC5330884 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Primates possess remarkably variable color vision, and the ecological and social factors shaping this variation remain heavily debated. Here, we test whether central tenants of the folivory hypothesis of routine trichromacy hold for the foraging ecology of howler monkeys. Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) and paleotropical primates (Parvorder: Catarrhini) have independently acquired routine trichromacy through fixation of distinct mid- to long-wavelength-sensitive (M/LWS) opsin genes on the X-chromosome. The presence of routine trichromacy in howlers, while other diurnal neotropical monkeys (Platyrrhini) possess polymorphic trichromacy, is poorly understood. A selective force proposed to explain the evolution of routine trichromacy in catarrhines-reliance on young, red leaves-has received scant attention in howlers, a gap we fill in this study. We recorded diet, sequenced M/LWS opsin genes in four social groups of Alouatta palliata, and conducted colorimetric analysis of leaves consumed in Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. For a majority of food species, including Ficus trees, an important resource year-round, young leaves were more chromatically conspicuous from mature leaves to trichromatic than to hypothetical dichromatic phenotypes. We found that 18% of opsin genes were MWS/LWS hybrids; when combined with previous research, the incidence of hybrid M/LWS opsins in this species is 13%. In visual models of food discrimination ability, the hybrid trichromatic phenotype performed slightly poorer than normal trichromacy, but substantially better than dichromacy. Our results provide support for the folivory hypothesis of routine trichromacy. Similar ecological pressures, that is, the search for young, reddish leaves, may have driven the independent evolution of routine trichromacy in primates on separate continents. We discuss our results in the context of balancing selection acting on New World monkey opsin genes and hypothesize that howlers experience stronger selection against dichromatic phenotypes than other sympatric species, which rely more heavily on cryptic foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D. Melin
- Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
- Department of Medical Genetics and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research InstituteUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
| | - Vishal Khetpal
- Department of AnthropologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Yuka Matsushita
- Department of Integrated BiosciencesGraduate School of Frontier SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Kaile Zhou
- Department of Integrated BiosciencesGraduate School of Frontier SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Plant ProtectionCollege of Agriculture and BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
- Department of AnthropologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLAUSA
| | - Barbara Welker
- Department of AnthropologyState University of New York at GeneseoGeneseoNYUSA
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrated BiosciencesGraduate School of Frontier SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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19
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Coiner-Collier S, Scott RS, Chalk-Wilayto J, Cheyne SM, Constantino P, Dominy NJ, Elgart AA, Glowacka H, Loyola LC, Ossi-Lupo K, Raguet-Schofield M, Talebi MG, Sala EA, Sieradzy P, Taylor AB, Vinyard CJ, Wright BW, Yamashita N, Lucas PW, Vogel ER. Primate dietary ecology in the context of food mechanical properties. J Hum Evol 2016; 98:103-118. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Beasley DE, Koltz AM, Lambert JE, Fierer N, Dunn RR. The Evolution of Stomach Acidity and Its Relevance to the Human Microbiome. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26222383 PMCID: PMC4519257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric acidity is likely a key factor shaping the diversity and composition of microbial communities found in the vertebrate gut. We conducted a systematic review to test the hypothesis that a key role of the vertebrate stomach is to maintain the gut microbial community by filtering out novel microbial taxa before they pass into the intestines. We propose that species feeding either on carrion or on organisms that are close phylogenetic relatives should require the most restrictive filter (measured as high stomach acidity) as protection from foreign microbes. Conversely, species feeding on a lower trophic level or on food that is distantly related to them (e.g. herbivores) should require the least restrictive filter, as the risk of pathogen exposure is lower. Comparisons of stomach acidity across trophic groups in mammal and bird taxa show that scavengers and carnivores have significantly higher stomach acidities compared to herbivores or carnivores feeding on phylogenetically distant prey such as insects or fish. In addition, we find when stomach acidity varies within species either naturally (with age) or in treatments such as bariatric surgery, the effects on gut bacterial pathogens and communities are in line with our hypothesis that the stomach acts as an ecological filter. Together these results highlight the importance of including measurements of gastric pH when investigating gut microbial dynamics within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeAnna E. Beasley
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amanda M. Koltz
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Noah Fierer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado United States of America
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Rob R. Dunn
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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21
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Amato KR, Leigh SR, Kent A, Mackie RI, Yeoman CJ, Stumpf RM, Wilson BA, Nelson KE, White BA, Garber PA. The gut microbiota appears to compensate for seasonal diet variation in the wild black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 69:434-43. [PMID: 25524570 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0554-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
For most mammals, including nonhuman primates, diet composition varies temporally in response to differences in food availability. Because diet influences gut microbiota composition, it is likely that the gut microbiota of wild mammals varies in response to seasonal changes in feeding patterns. Such variation may affect host digestive efficiency and, ultimately, host nutrition. In this study, we investigate the temporal variation in diet and gut microbiota composition and function in two groups (N = 13 individuals) of wild Mexican black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) over a 10-month period in Palenque National Park, Mexico. Temporal changes in the relative abundances of individual bacterial taxa were strongly correlated with changes in host diet. For example, the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae was highest during periods when energy intake was lowest, and the relative abundance of Butyricicoccus was highest when young leaves and unripe fruit accounted for 68 % of the diet. Additionally, the howlers exhibited increased microbial production of energy during periods of reduced energy intake from food sources. Because we observed few changes in howler activity and ranging patterns during the course of our study, we propose that shifts in the composition and activity of the gut microbiota provided additional energy and nutrients to compensate for changes in diet. Energy and nutrient production by the gut microbiota appears to provide an effective buffer against seasonal fluctuations in energy and nutrient intake for these primates and is likely to have a similar function in other mammal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Amato
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA,
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22
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McKENNEY EA, ASHWELL M, LAMBERT JE, FELLNER V. Fecal microbial diversity and putative function in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) and binturongs (Arctictis binturong). Integr Zool 2014; 9:557-69. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. McKENNEY
- Department of Animal Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Melissa ASHWELL
- Department of Animal Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Joanna E. LAMBERT
- Department of Anthropology; The University of Texas at San Antonio; Texas USA
| | - Vivek FELLNER
- Department of Animal Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina USA
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23
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Amato KR, Leigh SR, Kent A, Mackie RI, Yeoman CJ, Stumpf RM, Wilson BA, Nelson KE, White BA, Garber PA. The role of gut microbes in satisfying the nutritional demands of adult and juvenile wild, black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:652-64. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. Amato
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado; Boulder CO 80309
| | - Steven R. Leigh
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado; Boulder CO 80309
| | - Angela Kent
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
| | - Roderick I. Mackie
- Department of Animal Sciences; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
| | - Carl J. Yeoman
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences; Montana State University; Bozeman MT 59717
| | - Rebecca M. Stumpf
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 80301
| | - Brenda A. Wilson
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
- Department of Microbiology; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
| | | | - Bryan A. White
- Department of Animal Sciences; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 80301
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24
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Lambert JE, Fellner V, McKenney E, Hartstone-Rose A. Binturong (Arctictis binturong) and Kinkajou (Potos flavus) digestive strategy: implications for interpreting frugivory in Carnivora and primates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105415. [PMID: 25157614 PMCID: PMC4144878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exclusive frugivory is rare. As a food resource, fruit is temporally and spatially patchy, low in protein, and variable in terms of energy yield from different carbohydrate types. Here, we evaluate the digestive physiology of two frugivorous Carnivora species (Potos flavus, Arctictis binturong) that converge with primates in a diversity of ecological and anatomical traits related to fruit consumption. We conducted feeding trials to determine mean digestive retention times (MRT) on captive animals at the Carnivore Preservation Trust (now Carolina Tiger Rescue), Pittsboro, NC. Fecal samples were collected on study subjects for in vitro analysis to determine methane, pH, and short chain fatty acid profiles; fiber was assayed using standard neutral detergent (NDF) and acid detergent (ADF) fiber methods. Results indicate that both carnivoran species have rapid digestive passage for mammals that consume a predominantly plant-based diet: A. binturong MRT = 6.5 hrs (0.3); P. flavus MRT = 2.5 hrs (1.6). In vitro experiments revealed no fermentation of structural polysaccharides--methane levels did not shift from 0 h to either 24 or 48 hours and no short chain fatty acids were detected. In both species, however, pH declined from one incubation period to another suggesting acidification and bacterial activity of microbes using soluble carbohydrates. A comparison with primates indicates that the study species are most similar in digestive retention times to Ateles--the most frugivorous anthropoid primate taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E. Lambert
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Vivek Fellner
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Erin McKenney
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
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Amato KR, Garber PA. Nutrition and foraging strategies of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) in Palenque National Park, Mexico. Am J Primatol 2014; 76:774-87. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. Amato
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois
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Milton K, Giacalone J. Differential effects of unusual climatic stress on capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) populations on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Am J Primatol 2013; 76:249-61. [PMID: 24273098 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Though the harmful effects anthropogenic disturbances pose to wild primates are well appreciated, comparatively little is known about the effects of natural disturbances. From December 2010 to January 2011, different mortality patterns were observed for two primate species, capuchins and howler monkeys, on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Unusually high rainfall in 2010 was associated with census and cadaver data indicating the rapid loss of >70% of the capuchin population in late 2010 to early 2011. In contrast, over this same period, no decline was documented for howler monkeys and cadaver data for howlers was unexceptional. The high mortality experienced by the capuchin population was unexpected and its extent was not fully appreciated until the event was largely over. Explanations proposed for it included effects of hypothermia, disease or a shortage of some essential nutrient(s). Of these, the dietary explanation seems most probable. BCI capuchins depend most heavily on arthropod foods in December, when few higher quality ripe fruits are available. The unprecedented high rainfall in December 2010 is hypothesized to have largely eliminated the arthropod peak expected on BCI each December. A lack of protein-rich arthropods, when coupled with the climatic and nutritional stress capuchins generally experience at this time of year, appears to have precipitated the rapid die-off of most of the island's capuchin population. As howler monkeys obtain dietary protein primarily from leaves, a shortage of edible arthropods would not affect howler numbers. Comparison of our 2010 data with similar data on earlier primate/mammalian mortality events reported for BCI and for Corcovado, Costa Rica indicates that our understanding of the effects of natural disturbances on wild primate populations is not profound. We suggest that more research be devoted to this increasingly timely topic, so important to conservation policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Milton
- Department Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
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Amato KR, Yeoman CJ, Kent A, Righini N, Carbonero F, Estrada A, Rex Gaskins H, Stumpf RM, Yildirim S, Torralba M, Gillis M, Wilson BA, Nelson KE, White BA, Leigh SR. Habitat degradation impacts black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) gastrointestinal microbiomes. THE ISME JOURNAL 2013; 7:1344-53. [PMID: 23486247 PMCID: PMC3695285 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2013.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 737] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/06/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome contributes significantly to host nutrition and health. However, relationships involving GI microbes, their hosts and host macrohabitats remain to be established. Here, we define clear patterns of variation in the GI microbiomes of six groups of Mexican black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) occupying a gradation of habitats including a continuous evergreen rainforest, an evergreen rainforest fragment, a continuous semi-deciduous forest and captivity. High throughput microbial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing indicated that diversity, richness and composition of howler GI microbiomes varied with host habitat in relation to diet. Howlers occupying suboptimal habitats consumed less diverse diets and correspondingly had less diverse gut microbiomes. Quantitative real-time PCR also revealed a reduction in the number of genes related to butyrate production and hydrogen metabolism in the microbiomes of howlers occupying suboptimal habitats, which may impact host health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Amato
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Carl J Yeoman
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Angela Kent
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Franck Carbonero
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Estacion de Biologia Tropical Los Tuxtlas, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, San Andrés Tuxtla, Mexico
| | - H Rex Gaskins
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca M Stumpf
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Suleyman Yildirim
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Brenda A Wilson
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Bryan A White
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Steven R Leigh
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
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Espinosa-Gómez F, Gómez-Rosales S, Wallis IR, Canales-Espinosa D, Hernández-Salazar L. Digestive strategies and food choice in mantled howler monkeys Alouatta palliata mexicana: bases of their dietary flexibility. J Comp Physiol B 2013; 183:1089-100. [PMID: 23743799 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-013-0769-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) occupy a wide variety of tropical habitats and are the most folivorous of New World primates. However, their diet may include fruits, buds, petioles, and flowers, as well as leaves, suggesting they must cope with variations in the nutrient composition of their food. We studied the physiological basis of the dietary flexibility of these monkeys by comparing food choice, digestive performance and patterns of digesta flow in six adults, fed diets of either leaves or a mixture of fruit and leaves. Although monkeys ate similar amounts of the two diets, they ingested more digestible protein when offered the leaf diet, on which they lost body mass, but they ingested much more soluble sugars when offered fruit and leaves on which they gained mass. Digestibilities of dry matter, fat, energy and fibre did not differ between diets, but those of crude protein, soluble sugars and minerals were higher on the fruit-leaf diet. Mean retention times in the gut of solute (Co-EDTA) and particulate markers (Cr-mordanted cell walls) did not differ between diets, but on both diets the monkeys retained the particulate marker (mean retention time ca 55 h) for longer than they did the solute marker (MRT ca 50 h). A lack of selective retention of solutes and small particles in the gastro-intestinal tract of howler monkeys probably restricts them to mixed diets but their digestive strategy is sufficiently flexible to allow them to feed on a diet of leaves when fruit is unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Espinosa-Gómez
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo s/n Col. Industrial Animas, Xalapa, Veracruz, C.P. 91160, Mexico
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Moser AB, Hey J, Dranchak PK, Karaman MW, Zhao J, Cox LA, Ryder OA, Hacia JG. Diverse captive non-human primates with phytanic acid-deficient diets rich in plant products have substantial phytanic acid levels in their red blood cells. Lipids Health Dis 2013; 12:10. [PMID: 23379307 PMCID: PMC3571895 DOI: 10.1186/1476-511x-12-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humans and rodents with impaired phytanic acid (PA) metabolism can accumulate toxic stores of PA that have deleterious effects on multiple organ systems. Ruminants and certain fish obtain PA from the microbial degradation of dietary chlorophyll and/or through chlorophyll-derived precursors. In contrast, humans cannot derive PA from chlorophyll and instead normally obtain it only from meat, dairy, and fish products. RESULTS Captive apes and Old world monkeys had significantly higher red blood cell (RBC) PA levels relative to humans when all subjects were fed PA-deficient diets. Given the adverse health effects resulting from PA over accumulation, we investigated the molecular evolution of thirteen PA metabolism genes in apes, Old world monkeys, and New world monkeys. All non-human primate (NHP) orthologs are predicted to encode full-length proteins with the marmoset Phyh gene containing a rare, but functional, GA splice donor dinucleotide. Acox2, Scp2, and Pecr sequences had amino acid positions with accelerated substitution rates while Amacr had significant variation in evolutionary rates in apes relative to other primates. CONCLUSIONS Unlike humans, diverse captive NHPs with PA-deficient diets rich in plant products have substantial RBC PA levels. The favored hypothesis is that NHPs can derive significant amounts of PA from the degradation of ingested chlorophyll through gut fermentation. If correct, this raises the possibility that RBC PA levels could serve as a biomarker for evaluating the digestive health of captive NHPs. Furthermore, the evolutionary rates of the several genes relevant to PA metabolism provide candidate genetic adaptations to NHP diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann B Moser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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BLAINE KP, LAMBERT JE. Digestive retention times for Allen's swamp monkey and L'Hoest's monkey: data with implications for the evolution of cercopithecine digestive strategy. Integr Zool 2012; 7:183-91. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2012.00282.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Lambert JE, Fellner V. In Vitro Fermentation of Dietary Carbohydrates Consumed by African Apes and Monkeys: Preliminary Results for Interpreting Microbial and Digestive Strategy. INT J PRIMATOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-011-9559-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Nakamura N, Amato KR, Garber P, Estrada A, Mackie RI, Gaskins HR. Analysis of the hydrogenotrophic microbiota of wild and captive black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in palenque national park, Mexico. Am J Primatol 2011; 73:909-19. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2010] [Revised: 04/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Hohmann G. The Diets of Non-human Primates: Frugivory, Food Processing, and Food Sharing. THE EVOLUTION OF HOMININ DIETS 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9699-0_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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36
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Bacterial community in the crop of the hoatzin, a neotropical folivorous flying bird. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:5905-12. [PMID: 18689523 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00574-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hoatzin is unique among known avian species because of the fermentative function of its enlarged crop. A small-bodied flying foregut fermenter is a paradox, and this bird provides an interesting model to examine how diet selection and the gut microbiota contribute to maximizing digestive efficiency. Therefore, we characterized the bacterial population in the crop of six adult hoatzins captured from the wild. A total of 1,235 16S rRNA gene sequences were grouped into 580 phylotypes (67% of the pooled species richness sampled, based on Good's coverage estimator, with C(ACE) and Chao1 estimates of 1,709 and 1,795 species-level [99% identity] operational taxonomic units, respectively). Members of 9 of the approximately 75 known phyla in Bacteria were identified in this gut habitat; the Firmicutes were dominant (67% of sequences, belonging to the classes Clostridia, Mollicutes, and Bacilli), followed by the Bacteroidetes (30%, mostly in the order Bacteroidales), Proteobacteria (1.8%), and Lentisphaerae, Verrucomicrobia, TM7, Spirochaetes, Actinobacteria, and Aminanaerobia (all <0.1%). The novelty in this ecosystem is great; 94% of the phylotypes were unclassified at the "species" level and thus likely include novel cellulolytic lineages.
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37
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Milton K, Lozier JD, Lacey EA. Genetic structure of an isolated population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. CONSERV GENET 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-008-9584-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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38
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Pavelka MSM, Knopff KH. Diet and activity in black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra) in southern Belize: does degree of frugivory influence activity level? Primates 2004; 45:105-11. [PMID: 14735392 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-003-0072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2002] [Accepted: 10/09/2003] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study reports on the diet and activity budgets of Central American black howling monkeys ( Alouatta pigra) at Monkey River, Belize. This is a previously unstudied population, close to the southern boundary of the species range, and it provides comparative data on A. pigra from a new study site. Both diet and activity are within the ranges reported for other A.pigra sites and for mantled howlers ( A. palliata). No age-sex differences could be discerned in either diet or activity, though monthly variation was apparent. The monkeys switch from consuming leaves 86% of the time in January to March to consuming 67% fruit in April to July. This difference was statistically significant, and provided the opportunity to compare activity levels of the monkeys over two dietary periods, one characterized primarily by folivory, the other by frugivory. Howlers are often seen as a relatively inactive species, something that is associated with a low quality, folivorous diet. However, A. pigra have been described as being as frugivorous as possible and as folivorous as necessary. Yet, despite the opportunistic consumption of large quantities of high-energy foods, A. pigra has been observed as conforming to the howler lifestyle, resting as much as 80% of the day. The data in this paper support both of these reports. Black howlers at Monkey River Belize are typically inactive, maintaining high levels of inactivity even during months characterized by frugivory, suggesting that diet is more flexible and varied than is behavior and calling into question the assumption that howler inactivity is due to the digestion of large quantities of leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S M Pavelka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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39
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Remis MJ. Initial studies on the contributions of body size and gastrointestinal passage rates to dietary flexibility among gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2000; 112:171-80. [PMID: 10813700 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(2000)112:2<171::aid-ajpa4>3.0.co;2-f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Large body size has been traditionally seen as the primary dietary adaptation of gorillas, facilitating their consumption of fibrous foods (Schaller ¿1963 The Mountain Gorilla; Watts ¿1990 Int. J. Primatol. 11:21-45). Nevertheless, recent research has emphasized frugivory among western lowland gorillas, as well as the influence of habitat and seasonality on gorilla diet and behavior across subspecies (Watts ¿1990 Int. J. Primatol. 11:21-45; Tutin et al. ¿1991 Philos. R. Soc. Trans. Lond. Biol. 334:179-186; Remis ¿1994 Ph.D. Thesis, ¿1997a Am. J. Primatol. 43:87-109, ¿1997b Am. J. Primatol. 43:111-133, ¿1998 Primate Locomotion: Recent Advances, p 95-(1)108, ¿1999 Primates 40:383-396; Nishihara ¿1995 Primates 36:151-168; Goldsmith ¿1999a Int. J. Primatol. 20:1-23, Goldsmith [1999b] Nonhuman Primates, p 58-63). This study provides preliminary data to address the physiological underpinnings of dietary flexibility among gorillas, and their consumption of a broad range of fibrous and tannin-rich foods. To date, little is known about the digestive physiology of the African apes (but see Milton ¿1984 Adaptations for Foraging in Nonhuman Primates, p 249-279, Milton [1984] ¿1999Evol. Anthropol. 8:11-20; Milton and Demment ¿1988 J. Nutr. 118:1082-1088; Lambert ¿1997 Ph.D. Dissertation), although gastrointestinal morphology and proportions are roughly similar among species ( Chivers and Hladik ¿1980 J. Morphol. 166:337-386). This study provides additional experimental data on the gastrointestinal passage times of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) fed a captive diet in a zoological park setting and discusses results in relation to field research on gorilla feeding ecology. In this study, 480 small plastic markers were fed to six captive gorillas. The mean gut retention time (MRT) of the adult gorillas in this study was 50 hr, longer than the 31 hr reported for chimpanzees fed a similar diet (Lambert ¿1997 Ph.D. Dissertation). These data suggest that gorillas may retain foods in their gastrointestinal tracts longer than smaller hominoids, and that the large body size likely forms the primary basis for consumption of fiber. This research provides additional data to contribute to our understanding of the relationships of body size and morphology to ecology, and the evolution of body size, foraging strategy and social organization among the African apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Remis
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1365, USA.
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40
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Milton K. Nutritional characteristics of wild primate foods: do the diets of our closest living relatives have lessons for us? Nutrition 1999; 15:488-98. [PMID: 10378206 DOI: 10.1016/s0899-9007(99)00078-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The widespread prevalence of diet-related health problems, particularly in highly industrialized nations, suggests that many humans are not eating in a manner compatible with their biology. Anthropoids, including all great apes, take most of their diet from plants, and there is general consensus that humans come from a strongly herbivorous ancestry. Though gut proportions differ, overall gut anatomy and the pattern of digestive kinetics of extant apes and humans are very similar. Analysis of tropical forest leaves and fruits routinely consumed by wild primates shows that many of these foods are good sources of hexoses, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectic substances, vitamin C, minerals, essential fatty acids, and protein. In general, relative to body weight, the average wild monkey or ape appears to take in far higher levels of many essential nutrients each day than the average American and such nutrients (as well as other substances) are being consumed together in their natural chemical matrix. The recommendation that Americans consume more fresh fruits and vegetables in greater variety appears well supported by data on the diets of free-ranging monkeys and apes. Such data also suggest that greater attention to features of the diet and digestive physiology of non-human primates could direct attention to important areas for future research on features of human diet and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Milton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley 94720-3140, USA.
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41
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Edwards MS, Ullrey DE. Effect of dietary fiber concentration on apparent digestibility and digesta passage in non-human primates. II. Hindgut- and foregut-fermenting folivores. Zoo Biol 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2361(1999)18:6<537::aid-zoo8>3.0.co;2-f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Buffenstein R, Yahav S. Fibre utilization by Kalahari dwelling subterranean Damara mole-rats (Cryptomys damarensis) when fed their natural diet of gemsbok cucumber tubers (Acanthosicyos naudinianus). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PHYSIOLOGY 1994; 109:431-6. [PMID: 7956122 DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(94)90147-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Kalahari dwelling Damara mole-rats (Cryptomys damarensis) naturally feed on a high fibre diet of underground gemsbok cucumber tubers, Acanthosicyos naudinianus. We investigated the degree of fibre utilization and fermentation on this diet by measuring caecal characteristics (namely temperature, pH and weight) and in vitro rates of gas and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in these underground dwelling hind-gut fermentors. Rectal temperatures (33.8 +/- 0.6 degrees C) were consistently higher than caecal temperatures (33.3 +/- 0.6 degrees C). Furthermore, a 0.8 degrees C gradient of temperatures existed within the caecum, with the lowest temperature occurring in the corpus caeci. Both rates of gas production (4.74 +/- 0.6 ml/g dry matter/hr) and SCFA production (266.80 +/- 9.251 mumol/caecum per hr) were high, with proportionately more acetic acid produced than any other SCFA. Nevertheless, the initial concentrations of SCFAs present in the caecum were low (52 +/- 17 mM) implying a rapid rate of absorption of these SCFAs. The high rates of fermentation provide a considerable amount of energy that would otherwise be trapped in fibre and thus unavailable to the animal. This highly efficient caecal fermentation enables the Damara mole-rat to maximally exploit the underground food resources in the arid-zone ecotope.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Buffenstein
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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McBee RH. Hindgut fermentations in nonavian species. THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. SUPPLEMENT : PUBLISHED UNDER AUSPICES OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS AND THE DIVISION OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 1989; 3:55-60. [PMID: 2575128 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402520509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
A brief comparative discussion of the hindgut of insects, mammals, fishes, and reptiles includes morphology of the hindgut, general appearance, content, materials fermented, fermentation products, microorganisms involved, and value of the hindgut to the host animal. The problems faced by small animals in securing adequate energy from a hindgut fermentation to be of value to the animal are presented. It is suggested that our present analytical methods are not adequate and that new approaches to analyzing the hindgut fermentation value should be investigated, such as using fecal bacterial mass as an index. It is also suggested that experimental and commercial feeding should be designed so that herbivores are not converted to omnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H McBee
- Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman 59717
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46
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Settle RG. Invited comment: short-chain fatty acids and their potential role in nutritional support. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1988; 12:104S-107S. [PMID: 3145985 DOI: 10.1177/014860718801200616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R G Settle
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Human Communication, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Medical Research Service, Philadelphia
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47
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Dietary, behavioral, and morphological aspects of gummivory in primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1986. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.1330290505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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48
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Habitat, diet, and activity patterns of free-ranging woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides E. Geoffroy 1806). INT J PRIMATOL 1984. [DOI: 10.1007/bf02692271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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