1
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Beeby N, Rothman JM, Baden AL. Nutrient balancing in a fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23484. [PMID: 36891766 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23484] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Animals' foraging behavior and dietary choices are, in part, driven by their ultimate function: to meet nutritional demands. However, depending on their degree of dietary specialization and the availability and distribution of food resources in their environment, species may utilize different nutritional strategies. With shifting plant phenology, increasing unpredictability of fruiting, and declining food quality in response to anthropogenic climate change, existing nutritional constraints may become exacerbated. Such changes are especially concerning for Madagascar's endemic fruit specialists given the nutrient-limitation of the island's landscapes. In this study, we examined the nutritional strategy of one such fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), over a 12-month period (January to December 2018) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. We hypothesized that Varecia would balance nonprotein energy (NPE) to protein (AP) at a high ratio similar to other frugivorous primates, and that they would prioritize protein intake given their high degree of frugivory. We found that Varecia balance NPE:AP at a ratio of 11:1, higher than in any other primate studied to date; however, diets shifted such that nutrient balancing varied seasonally (12.6:1 abundant-9.6:1 lean). Varecia meet NRC suggested recommendations of 5-8% of calories from protein, despite having a diet mostly comprising fruits. However, seasonal shifts in NPE intakes result in significant energy shortfalls during fruit-lean seasons. Flowers provide an important source of NPE during these periods, with flower consumption best predicting lipid intake, suggesting this species' ability to shift resource use. Nevertheless, achieving adequate and balanced nutrient intakes may become precarious in the face of increasing unpredictability in plant phenology and other environmental stochasticities resulting from climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Beeby
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of City University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrea L Baden
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center of City University of New York, New York, USA.,The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of City University of New York, New York, USA
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2
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Significance of seed dispersal by the largest frugivore for large-diaspore trees. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19086. [PMID: 36411297 PMCID: PMC9678871 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23018-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
How do large-bodied frugivores contribute to seed dispersal of large-diaspore plants? This study examined seed dispersal effectiveness for two large-diaspore tree species, Astrotrichilia asterotricha (AA) and Abrahamia deflexa (AD), in a Madagascan forest. I evaluated fruit removal rates through focal tree observations and factors affecting seedling recruitment up to the 2-year-old seedling stage. I confirmed brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) as the sole disperser, removing 58.8% and 26.0% of fruits produced by AA and AD. Brown lemurs frequently visited large-crowned AA trees with high density of fallen fruits and more adjacent fruiting trees during seasons with low fruit diversity. Most AA seedlings were removed by predators, although canopy openness slightly improved seedling establishment. Although AD seeds were severely attacked by predators under mother trees, the seedlings survived under dispersal conditions distant from the mother trees, and with low density of diaspores. AD had a higher cumulative probability from fruit removal to seedling recruitment (6.5%) than AA (1.5%) in the first rainy season. This study clarifies the significance of seed dispersal to tree recruitment strategies, which vary among different combinations of tree species and large frugivores, i.e. quantitative dispersal to reach suitable microhabitats, and qualitative dispersal to escape from dangerous zones near mother trees.
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3
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Ramanantsalama RV, Ganzhorn JU, Vololona J, Goodman SM. Bat flies: source of supplement nutrients for an endemic Malagasy fruit bat. TROPICAL ZOOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.4081/tz.2022.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Among frugivorous vertebrates, the nutritional composition of consumed fruits often needs supplementing by other food types, such as leaves, pollen or invertebrates, to meet dietary requirements. The endemic Malagasy fruit bat, Rousettus madagascariensis (Pteropodidae), actively feeds on their dipteran fly ectoparasites, principally of the family Nycteribiidae and Streblidae, during grooming activities. Since bat flies take blood meals from their hosts, the consumption of these flies by bats might represent a mechanism of recycling and reducing the loss of important nutritional components, such as minerals or proteins and fatty acids. The contribution of these ectoparasites to the diet of R. madagascariensis is 4–10% of the daily protein requirements. This is an important proportion for a species considered to be exclusively frugivorous.
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4
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Sobroza TV, Pequeno PACL, Gordo M, Kinap NM, Barnett APA, Spironello WR. Does co‐occurrence drive vertical niche partitioning in parapatric tamarins (
Saguinus
spp.)? AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tainara Venturini Sobroza
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Av. André Araújo 2936, C.P. 2223, Petrópolis Manaus 69067‐375Brazil
- Projeto Sauim‐de‐Coleira Departamento de Biologia/ICB Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) ManausBrazil
| | | | - Marcelo Gordo
- Projeto Sauim‐de‐Coleira Departamento de Biologia/ICB Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) ManausBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Zoologia Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) Manaus Brazil
| | - Natalia Margarido Kinap
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Av. André Araújo 2936, C.P. 2223, Petrópolis Manaus 69067‐375Brazil
| | - Adrian Paul Ashton Barnett
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Av. André Araújo 2936, C.P. 2223, Petrópolis Manaus 69067‐375Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Zoologia Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) Manaus Brazil
| | - Wilson Roberto Spironello
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Av. André Araújo 2936, C.P. 2223, Petrópolis Manaus 69067‐375Brazil
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5
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The energy allocation trade-offs underlying life history traits in hypometabolic strepsirhines and other primates. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14196. [PMID: 34244546 PMCID: PMC8270931 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93764-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Life history, brain size and energy expenditure scale with body mass in mammals but there is little conclusive evidence for a correlated evolution between life history and energy expenditure (either basal/resting or daily) independent of body mass. We addressed this question by examining the relationship between primate free-living daily energy expenditure (DEE) measured by doubly labeled water method (n = 18 species), life history variables (maximum lifespan, gestation and lactation duration, interbirth interval, litter mass, age at first reproduction), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and brain size. We also analyzed whether the hypometabolic primates of Madagascar (lemurs) make distinct energy allocation tradeoffs compared to other primates (monkeys and apes) with different life history traits and ecological constraints. None of the life-history traits correlated with DEE after controlling for body mass and phylogeny. In contrast, a regression model showed that DEE increased with increasing RMR and decreasing reproductive output (i.e., litter mass/interbirth interval) independent of body mass. Despite their low RMR and smaller brains, lemurs had an average DEE remarkably similar to that of haplorhines. The data suggest that lemurs have evolved energy strategies that maximize energy investment to survive in the unusually harsh and unpredictable environments of Madagascar at the expense of reproduction.
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6
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Lei B, Cui J, Newman C, Buesching CD, Xie Z, Macdonald DW, Zhou Y. Seed dispersers shape the pulp nutrients of fleshy-fruited plants. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210817. [PMID: 34157866 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dispersal-syndrome hypothesis posits that fruit traits are a product of selection by frugivores. Although criticized as adaptationist, recent studies have suggested that traits such as fruit or seed size, colour and odour exhibit signatures that imply selection by animal mutualists. These traits imply nutritional rewards (e.g. lipid, carbohydrate), attracting frugivores; however, this remains incompletely resolved. Here, we investigated whether fruit nutrients (lipid, sugar, protein, vitamin C, water content) moderate the co-adaptation of key disperser-group mutualisms. Multivariate techniques revealed that fruit nutrients assembled non-randomly and grouped according to key dispersal modes. Bird-dispersed fruits were richer in lipids than mammal-dispersed fruits. Mixed-dispersed fruits had significantly higher vitamin C than did mammal- or bird-dispersed fruits separately. Sugar and water content were consistently high irrespective of dispersal modes, suggesting that these traits appeal to both avian and mammalian frugivores to match high-energy requirements. Similarly, protein content was low irrespective of dispersal modes, corroborating that birds and mammals avoid protein-rich fruits, which are often associated with toxic levels of nitrogenous secondary compounds. Our results provide substantial over-arching evidence that seed disperser assemblages co-exert fundamental selection pressures on fruit nutrient trait adaptation, with broad implications for structuring fruit-frugivore mutualism and maintaining fruit trait diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyu Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.,Hubei International Scientific and Technological Center of Ecological Conservation and Management in the Three Gorges Area, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 43002, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China
| | - Jifa Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.,Hubei International Scientific and Technological Center of Ecological Conservation and Management in the Three Gorges Area, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 43002, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zongqiang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Youbing Zhou
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Center of Ecological Conservation and Management in the Three Gorges Area, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 43002, People's Republic of China
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7
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Rowe AK, Donohue ME, Clare EL, Drinkwater R, Koenig A, Ridgway ZM, Martin LD, Nomenjanahary ES, Zakamanana F, Randriamanandaza LJ, Rakotonirina TE, Wright PC. Exploratory analysis reveals arthropod consumption in 10 lemur species using DNA metabarcoding. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23256. [PMID: 33818786 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) can fulfill major nutritional requirements for primates, particularly in terms of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Yet, for many primate species we know very little about the frequency and importance of arthropod consumption. Traditional methods for arthropod prey identification, such as behavioral observations and fecal dissections, offer limited taxonomic resolution and, as a result, underestimate true diversity. Metabarcoding arthropod DNA from primate fecal samples provides a promising but underused alternative. Here, we inventoried arthropod prey diversity in wild lemurs by sequencing two regions of the CO1 gene. Samples were collected opportunistically from 10 species of lemurs inhabiting three national parks in southern Madagascar using a combination of focal animal follows and live trapping. In total, we detected arthropod DNA in 98 of the 170 fecal samples analyzed. Although all lemur species included in these analyses showed evidence of arthropod consumption, those within the family Cheirogaleidae appeared to consume the highest frequency and diversity of arthropods. To our knowledge, this study presents the first evidence of arthropod consumption in Phaner pallescens, Avahi peyrierasi, and Propithecus verreauxi, and identifies 32 families of arthropods as probable food items that have not been published as lemur dietary items to date. Our study emphasizes the importance of arthropods as a nutritional source and the role DNA metabarcoding can play in elucidating an animal's diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Rowe
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Mariah E Donohue
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Rosie Drinkwater
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Koenig
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Zachary M Ridgway
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Luke D Martin
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Eva S Nomenjanahary
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | | | - Patricia C Wright
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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8
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Reinegger RD, Oleksy RZ, Bissessur P, Naujeer H, Jones G. First come, first served: fruit availability to keystone bat species is potentially reduced by invasive macaques. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Bats provide important pollination and seed-dispersal services to native angiosperms. However, many bat species are increasingly threatened by human disturbance, including the Mauritian flying fox (Pteropus niger), an endemic, keystone seed disperser. Native forests are scarce and P. niger frequently feeds in commercial plantations, where it now is considered a pest and subjected to frequent culling, thereby hindering conservation efforts. The invasive long-tailed macaque (Primates: Cercopithecidae, Macaca fascicularis) potentially competes with P. niger for scarce native fruits. We investigated the extent of dietary overlap between M. fascicularis and P. niger on Mauritius by sampling fruit drop for 17 tree species and identifying additional food species along line transects. Fruits of 13 of 17 species were eaten by animals and fruit production across tree replicates generally was low but highly variable. Although M. fascicularis ate only 4% of fruit overall, they consumed 20–100% of the fruits of seven species. Approximately 39% of dropped fruits were intact; based on field observations, most probably were dropped by M. fascicularis. Unlike P. niger, M. fascicularis ate mostly unripe fruit and depleted all fruit of certain species at an unripe stage. Hence, M. fascicularis may restrict P. niger’s diet and potentially disrupt seed dispersal of some tree species. Furthermore, small trees are more prone to fruit depletion at an unripe stage by macaques. In addition, asynchronous fruiting phenology across forest fragments may modulate the provision of native fruits to P. niger throughout the year. Although competition can be demonstrated only by controlled experimental studies that are logistically impossible in our scenario, our results highlight potential detrimental consequences that introduced frugivores may have on keystone seed dispersers. Finally, our results suggest that a more integrative and island-wide approach to forest restoration may be valuable for the conservation of P. niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael D Reinegger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ryszard Z Oleksy
- Ecosystem Restoration Alliance, Indian Ocean (ERA), Circonstance, Saint Pierre, Mauritius
| | - Prishnee Bissessur
- Tropical Island Biodiversity, and Conservation Pole of Research, Department of Biosciences and Ocean Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Le Réduit, Mauritius
| | - Houshna Naujeer
- National Parks and Conservation Service, Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, Le Réduit, Mauritius
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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9
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Cárdenas S, Echeverry‐Galvis MÁ, Stevenson PR. Seed dispersal effectiveness by oilbirds (
Steatornis caripensis
) in the Southern Andes of Colombia. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sasha Cárdenas
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá Colombia
- Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá Colombia
| | | | - Pablo R. Stevenson
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá Colombia
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10
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Valenta K, Nevo O. The dispersal syndrome hypothesis: How animals shaped fruit traits, and how they did not. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Ulm Germany
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11
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Crowley BE, Godfrey LR. Strontium Isotopes Support Small Home Ranges for Extinct Lemurs. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Ramanantsalama RV, Noroalintseheno Lalarivoniaina OS, Raselimanana AP, Goodman SM. Seasonal Variation in Diurnal Cave-Roosting Behavior of a Malagasy Fruit Bat (Rousettus madagascariensis, Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.1.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Riana V. Ramanantsalama
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | | | - Achille P. Raselimanana
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
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13
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Nevo O, Razafimandimby D, Valenta K, Jeffrey JAJ, Reisdorff C, Chapman CA, Ganzhorn JU, Ayasse M. Signal and reward in wild fleshy fruits: Does fruit scent predict nutrient content? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10534-10543. [PMID: 31624565 PMCID: PMC6787828 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species with fleshy fruits offer animals rewards such as sugar, protein, and fat, to feed on their fruits and disperse their seeds. They have also evolved visual and olfactory signals indicating their presence and ripeness.In some systems, fruit color serves as a reliable visual signal of nutrient content. Yet even though many volatile chemicals used as olfactory signals derive from nutrients animals seek, it is still unknown whether fruit scent encodes information regarding nutrient content in wild fruits.We examine the relationship between olfactory signals and nutrient rewards in 28 fruiting plant species in Madagascar. We measured the relative amounts of four chemical classes in fruit scent using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, as well as the relative amounts of sugar and protein in fruit pulp.We found that protein levels are not associated with elevated amounts of chemically related volatile compounds in fruit scent. In contrast, sugar content is strongly associated with the chemical composition of fruit scent.To our knowledge, this is the first research to explore the connection between fruit chemical signals and nutrient rewards. Our results imply that in the case of sugar, fruit scent is predictive of nutrient content and hence an honest signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal BiodiversityUniversity of AntananarivoAntananarivoMadagascar
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Christoph Reisdorff
- Institute of Plant Science and MicrobiologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of AnthropologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
- School of Life ScienceUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China of Ministry of EducationCollege of Life ScienceNorthwest UniversityXianChina
| | - Jörg U. Ganzhorn
- Animal Ecology and ConservationUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
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14
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Abstract
AbstractMadagascar is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots, and protection of its biodiversity is becoming increasingly urgent as deforestation of the island continues. For the long-term success of conservation efforts it is essential that key ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, are protected and restored. Therefore, the identification of ecological gaps is a vital task. For Madagascar, only little is known about plant–animal interactions, and traditional methods of ecological research are too time-consuming to provide crucial information about breakdowns in these interactions. To identify likely dispersal gaps we therefore used a theoretical approach to analyse plant–disperser interactions in Madagascar. We used data science tools to impute missing data on relevant plant traits to subsequently predict the most likely dispersal agents for each of Madagascar's endemic plant species. We found that 38% of the endemic species (N = 8,784) are endozoochorous, and among these 26–41% display a primate syndrome and 17–19% a bird syndrome (depending on the definition of syndromes). This lower percentage of endozoochorous species and higher percentage of species with a primate syndrome in Madagascar compared to other tropical areas reflects the unusual disperser guild on the island. Only five bird species but 20 lemur species are frugivorous, and 16 of those lemur species are currently threatened with extinction. The disappearance of frugivorous lemurs would significantly change the vegetation dynamics of Madagascar's ecosystems, and a high proportion of Madagascar's endemic plants would enter an extinction vortex.
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15
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16
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Low Levels of Fruit Nitrogen as Drivers for the Evolution of Madagascar's Primate Communities. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14406. [PMID: 29089504 PMCID: PMC5663947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13906-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The uneven representation of frugivorous mammals and birds across tropical regions - high in the New World, low in Madagascar and intermediate in Africa and Asia - represents a long-standing enigma in ecology. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain these differences but the ultimate drivers remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that fruits in Madagascar contain insufficient nitrogen to meet primate metabolic requirements, thus constraining the evolution of frugivory. We performed a global analysis of nitrogen in fruits consumed by primates, as collated from 79 studies. Our results showed that average frugivory among lemur communities was lower compared to New World and Asian-African primate communities. Fruits in Madagascar contain lower average nitrogen than those in the New World and Old World. Nitrogen content in the overall diets of primate species did not differ significantly between major taxonomic radiations. There is no relationship between fruit protein and the degree of frugivory among primates either globally or within regions, with the exception of Madagascar. This suggests that low protein availability in fruits influences current lemur communities to select for protein from other sources, whereas in the New World and Old World other factors are more significant in shaping primate communities.
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17
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Ganzhorn JU, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Carrai V, Chalise MK, Donati G, Droescher I, Eppley TM, Irwin MT, Koch F, Koenig A, Kowalewski MM, Mowry CB, Patel ER, Pichon C, Ralison J, Reisdorff C, Simmen B, Stalenberg E, Starrs D, Terboven J, Wright PC, Foley WJ. The importance of protein in leaf selection of folivorous primates. Am J Primatol 2016; 79:1-13. [PMID: 27094926 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Protein limitation has been considered a key factor in hypotheses on the evolution of life history and animal communities, suggesting that animals should prioritize protein in their food choice. This contrasts with the limited support that food selection studies have provided for such a priority in nonhuman primates, particularly for folivores. Here, we suggest that this discrepancy can be resolved if folivores only need to select for high protein leaves when average protein concentration in the habitat is low. To test the prediction, we applied meta-analyses to analyze published and unpublished results of food selection for protein and fiber concentrations from 24 studies (some with multiple species) of folivorous primates. To counter potential methodological flaws, we differentiated between methods analyzing total nitrogen and soluble protein concentrations. We used a meta-analysis to test for the effect of protein on food selection by primates and found a significant effect of soluble protein concentrations, but a non-significant effect for total nitrogen. Furthermore, selection for soluble protein was reinforced in forests where protein was less available. Selection for low fiber content was significant but unrelated to the fiber concentrations in representative leaf samples of a given forest. There was no relationship (either negative or positive) between the concentration of protein and fiber in the food or in representative samples of leaves. Overall our study suggests that protein selection is influenced by the protein availability in the environment, explaining the sometimes contradictory results in previous studies on protein selection. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22550, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg U Ganzhorn
- Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Summer J Arrigo-Nelson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania
| | - Valentina Carrai
- Department of Biology, Zoology and Anthropology Unit, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mukesh K Chalise
- Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
| | - Giuseppe Donati
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, OX3 0BP, Oxford, UK
| | - Iris Droescher
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Timothy M Eppley
- Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mitchell T Irwin
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
| | - Flávia Koch
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Koenig
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Martin M Kowalewski
- Estación Biológica Corrientes, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales BR, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Corrientes, Argentina
| | | | | | - Claire Pichon
- Département Hommes, Natures, Sociétés, CNRS/MNHN, UMR 7206, Brunoy, France
| | - Jose Ralison
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Groupe d'Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Bruno Simmen
- Département Hommes, Natures, Sociétés, CNRS/MNHN, UMR 7206, Brunoy, France
| | - Eleanor Stalenberg
- Research School of Biology: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Danswell Starrs
- Research School of Biology: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Juana Terboven
- Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patricia C Wright
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - William J Foley
- Research School of Biology: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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18
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Koch F, Signer J, Kappeler PM, Fichtel C. Intergroup encounters in Verreaux's sifakas ( Propithecus verreauxi): who fights and why? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:797-808. [PMID: 27194822 PMCID: PMC4841837 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Individuals living in groups have to achieve collective action for successful territorial defense. Because conflicts between neighboring groups always involve risks and costs, individuals must base their decision to participate in a given conflict on an evaluation of the trade-off between potential costs and benefits. Since group members may differ in motivation to engage in group encounters, they exhibit different levels of participation in conflicts. In this study, we investigated factors influencing participation in intergroup encounters in Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), a group-living primate from Madagascar. Over a period of 12 months, we studied eight adjacent sifaka groups in Kirindy Forest. We observed 71 encounters between known neighboring groups in which adult females and males participated equally as often. No individual participated in every encounter, and non-participation occurred more often in larger groups. Females participated less often in encounters when they had dependent infants, presumably to reduce the risk of infanticide. Male participation was influenced by social status: dominant males participated in most encounters, whereas males with fewer opportunities to reproduce participated less often, hence male participation is influenced by the incentive of maintaining access to females. The number of actively participating individuals in the opponent group positively influenced the participation in both sexes. Thus, sifakas seem to decide joining a given encounter opportunistically, most likely based on a combination of individual incentives and the actual circumstance of each encounter, suggesting that the complexity in intergroup relationships appears to be the product of decisions made by each individual group member. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cooperation among group-living animals is often challenged by collective action problems resulting from individual differences in interests in contributing to collective behaviors. Intergroup encounters involve distinguished costs and benefits for each individual despite being in the same social group. Therefore, encounters between groups offer a good opportunity to investigate individual participation in collective action. In this study, we investigate the influence of different incentives on individual participation in intergroup encounters in wild Malagasy primate, Verreaux's sifakas. We propose a novel approach that takes into account the variable circumstances of each conflict, such as the number of individuals fighting in both groups as a predictor for participation. We believe that our study not only provides novel data on wild sifakas, but it also offers new perspectives for the interpretation of intergroup relationships in other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia Koch
- />Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Signer
- />Department of Wildlife Science, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, Göttingen, 37077 Germany
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- />Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- />Department of Sociobiology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- />Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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19
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Gonzalez M, Clavijo L, Betancur J, Stevenson PR. Fruits eaten by woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) at local and regional scales. Primates 2016; 57:241-51. [PMID: 26910234 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0524-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Woolly monkeys are endangered New World Primates whose natural ecological requirements are known from few sites. This study aimed to investigate the diet of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha, Atelidae) to examine how availability determines fruit choice at local and regional scales. We followed two groups of woolly monkeys in the Mosiro Itajura-Caparú biological station in the Colombian Amazon for 16 months, and then compared our observations with previous studies for this and other sites in the Amazon and eastern Andes. We found a high prevalence of fruits in the diet of woolly monkeys in Caparú, which was supplemented with arthropods and leaves. This pattern was observed in all age/sex classes, although juveniles ate more arthropods, and females with dependent young ate more leaves than other classes. We suggest these differences might be due to intragroup competition and particular nutritional requirements in each age/sex class. When comparing the fruit diet composition in Caparú (>190 species) with four other places, we found that Moraceae, Fabaceae, and Sapotaceae were consistently important tree families in the Amazonian sites, and that forest richness is a good predictor of the diet richness. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that woolly monkeys are opportunistic frugivores that are able to adapt their diet to the forest supply and to the temporal variation in resource availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Gonzalez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas La Macarena, Universidad de Los Andes, Cr. 1 No. 18a-12, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Laura Clavijo
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Box 870345, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - Julio Betancur
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Apartado 7495, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Pablo R Stevenson
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas La Macarena, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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20
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Stevenson PR. Neotropical primate communities: Effects of disturbance, resource production and forest type heterogeneity. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:391-401. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo R. Stevenson
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad de Los Andes; Bogotá Colombia
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21
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Vogel ER, Harrison ME, Zulfa A, Bransford TD, Alavi SE, Husson S, Morrogh-Bernard H, Santiano, Firtsman T, Utami-Atmoko SS, van Noordwijk MA, Farida WR. Nutritional Differences between Two Orangutan Habitats: Implications for Population Density. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138612. [PMID: 26466370 PMCID: PMC4605688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bottom-up regulatory factors have been proposed to exert a strong influence on mammalian population density. Studies relating habitat quality to population density have typically made comparisons among distant species or communities without considering variation in food quality among localities. We compared dietary nutritional quality of two Bornean orangutan populations with differing population densities in peatland habitats, Tuanan and Sabangau, separated by 63 km. We hypothesized that because Tuanan is alluvial, the plant species included in the orangutan diet would be of higher nutritional quality compared to Sabangau, resulting in higher daily caloric intake in Tuanan. We also predicted that forest productivity would be greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau. In support of these hypotheses, the overall quality of the diet and the quality of matched dietary items were higher in Tuanan, resulting in higher daily caloric intake compared to Sabangau. These differences in dietary nutritional quality may provide insights into why orangutan population density is almost two times greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau, in agreement with a potentially important influence of diet quality on primate population density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R. Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Harrison
- Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- The Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
| | - Astri Zulfa
- Fakultas Biologi, Universitas Nasional Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Timothy D. Bransford
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Shauhin E. Alavi
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Simon Husson
- The Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
| | | | - Santiano
- The Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
| | - Twentinolosa Firtsman
- The Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
| | | | | | - Wartika Rosa Farida
- Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong-Bogor, Indonesia
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22
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Cervera L, Lizcano DJ, Tirira DG, Donati G. Surveying Two Endangered Primate Species (Alouatta palliata aequatorialis and Cebus aequatorialis) in the Pacoche Marine and Coastal Wildlife Refuge, West Ecuador. INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9864-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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23
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Masi S, Mundry R, Ortmann S, Cipolletta C, Boitani L, Robbins MM. The Influence of Seasonal Frugivory on Nutrient and Energy Intake in Wild Western Gorillas. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129254. [PMID: 26154509 PMCID: PMC4495928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The daily energy requirements of animals are determined by a combination of physical and physiological factors, but food availability may challenge the capacity to meet nutritional needs. Western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are an interesting model for investigating this topic because they are folivore-frugivores that adjust their diet and activities to seasonal variation in fruit availability. Observations of one habituated group of western gorillas in Bai-Hokou, Central African Republic (December 2004-December 2005) were used to examine seasonal variation in diet quality and nutritional intake. We tested if during the high fruit season the food consumed by western gorillas was higher in quality (higher in energy, sugar, fat but lower in fibre and antifeedants) than during the low fruit season. Food consumed during the high fruit season was higher in digestible energy, but not any other macronutrients. Second, we investigated whether the gorillas increased their daily intake of carbohydrates, metabolizable energy (KCal/g OM), or other nutrients during the high fruit season. Intake of dry matter, fibers, fat, protein and the majority of minerals and phenols decreased with increased frugivory and there was some indication of seasonal variation in intake of energy (KCal/g OM), tannins, protein/fiber ratio, and iron. Intake of non-structural carbohydrates and sugars was not influenced by fruit availability. Gorillas are probably able to extract large quantities of energy via fermentation since they rely on proteinaceous leaves during the low fruit season. Macronutrients and micronutrients, but not digestible energy, may be limited for them during times of low fruit availability because they are hind-gut fermenters. We discuss the advantages of seasonal frugivores having large dietary breath and flexibility, significant characteristics to consider in the conservation strategies of endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Masi
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- RG Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
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24
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Irwin MT, Raharison JL, Raubenheimer DR, Chapman CA, Rothman JM. The Nutritional Geometry of Resource Scarcity: Effects of Lean Seasons and Habitat Disturbance on Nutrient Intakes and Balancing in Wild Sifakas. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128046. [PMID: 26061401 PMCID: PMC4464895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals experience spatial and temporal variation in food and nutrient supply, which may cause deviations from optimal nutrient intakes in both absolute amounts (meeting nutrient requirements) and proportions (nutrient balancing). Recent research has used the geometric framework for nutrition to obtain an improved understanding of how animals respond to these nutritional constraints, among them free-ranging primates including spider monkeys and gorillas. We used this framework to examine macronutrient intakes and nutrient balancing in sifakas (Propithecus diadema) at Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar, in order to quantify how these vary across seasons and across habitats with varying degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. Groups in intact habitat experience lean season decreases in frugivory, amounts of food ingested, and nutrient intakes, yet preserve remarkably constant proportions of dietary macronutrients, with the proportional contribution of protein to the diet being highly consistent. Sifakas in disturbed habitat resemble intact forest groups in the relative contribution of dietary macronutrients, but experience less seasonality: all groups' diets converge in the lean season, but disturbed forest groups largely fail to experience abundant season improvements in food intake or nutritional outcomes. These results suggest that: (1) lemurs experience seasonality by maintaining nutrient balance at the expense of calories ingested, which contrasts with earlier studies of spider monkeys and gorillas, (2) abundant season foods should be the target of habitat management, even though mortality might be concentrated in the lean season, and (3) primates' within-group competitive landscapes, which contribute to variation in social organization, may vary in complex ways across habitats and seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell T. Irwin
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, United States of America
- SADABE Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jean-Luc Raharison
- SADABE Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - David R. Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, United States of America
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25
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Tecot SR, Singletary B, Eadie E. Why "monogamy" isn't good enough. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:340-54. [PMID: 25864507 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Rare in mammals but more common in primates, there remains a considerable controversy concerning whether primate species traditionally described as monogamous actually express this highly specialized breeding pattern. Unfortunately the definition of "monogamy" varies greatly, inhibiting our understanding of this trait and two related traits with which monogamy is often conflated: pair-living and pair-bonding. Strepsirrhine primates are useful models to study factors that select for pair-living, pair-bonding, and monogamy because this taxon exhibits high incidences of each trait, in addition to species that exhibit behaviors that reflect combinations of these traits. Several hypotheses have been articulated to help explain the evolution of "monogamy," but again, these hypotheses often conflate pair-living, pair-bonding, and/or monogamy. In this review, we (1) propose clear, discrete, and logical definitions for each trait; (2) review variation in strepsirrhines with respect to these three traits; (3) clarify which of these traits can be explained by existing hypotheses; and (4) provide an example of the applicability of the Resource Defense Hypothesis (RDH) to understand two of these traits, pair-living and pair-bonding, in the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer). Available data support the RDH for pair-living in red-bellied lemurs. They live in stable family groups with one adult pair. Both sexes actively codefend territories that overlap little with other pairs' territories. Agonism is extremely rare within groups and intergroup and interspecific agonism varies with food availability. Available data also support the RDH for pair-bonding. Pair-bonds are cohesive year-round. Pairs coordinate behaviors to defend territories with auditory and olfactory signals. Cohesion increases with food abundance and both sexes reinforce bonds. We indicate where additional data will help to more rigorously test the RDH for each trait and encourage others to test alternative hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey R Tecot
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Centre ValBio, BP 33, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar.,Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | | | - Elizabeth Eadie
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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26
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Correa SB, Costa-Pereira R, Fleming T, Goulding M, Anderson JT. Neotropical fish-fruit interactions: eco-evolutionary dynamics and conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 90:1263-78. [PMID: 25599800 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Frugivorous fish play a prominent role in seed dispersal and reproductive dynamics of plant communities in riparian and floodplain habitats of tropical regions worldwide. In Neotropical wetlands, many plant species have fleshy fruits and synchronize their fruiting with the flood season, when fruit-eating fish forage in forest and savannahs for periods of up to 7 months. We conducted a comprehensive analysis to examine the evolutionary origin of fish-fruit interactions, describe fruit traits associated with seed dispersal and seed predation, and assess the influence of fish size on the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish (ichthyochory). To date, 62 studies have documented 566 species of fruits and seeds from 82 plant families in the diets of 69 Neotropical fish species. Fish interactions with flowering plants are likely to be as old as 70 million years in the Neotropics, pre-dating most modern bird-fruit and mammal-fruit interactions, and contributing to long-distance seed dispersal and possibly the radiation of early angiosperms. Ichthyochory occurs across the angiosperm phylogeny, and is more frequent among advanced eudicots. Numerous fish species are capable of dispersing small seeds, but only a limited number of species can disperse large seeds. The size of dispersed seeds and the probability of seed dispersal both increase with fish size. Large-bodied species are the most effective seed dispersal agents and remain the primary target of fishing activities in the Neotropics. Thus, conservation efforts should focus on these species to ensure continuity of plant recruitment dynamics and maintenance of plant diversity in riparian and floodplain ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Bibiana Correa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St., Columbia, SC 29208, U.S.A
| | - Raul Costa-Pereira
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia & Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista 'Julio de Mesquita Filho', Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Theodore Fleming
- Emeritus, Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Dr., Coral Gables, FL 33124, U.S.A
| | - Michael Goulding
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460, U.S.A
| | - Jill T Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St., Columbia, SC 29208, U.S.A
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27
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Clare EL. Molecular detection of trophic interactions: emerging trends, distinct advantages, significant considerations and conservation applications. Evol Appl 2014; 7:1144-57. [PMID: 25553074 PMCID: PMC4231602 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging field of ecological genomics contains several broad research areas. Comparative genomic and conservation genetic analyses are providing great insight into adaptive processes, species bottlenecks, population dynamics and areas of conservation priority. Now the same technological advances in high-throughput sequencing, coupled with taxonomically broad sequence repositories, are providing greater resolution and fundamentally new insights into functional ecology. In particular, we now have the capacity in some systems to rapidly identify thousands of species-level interactions using non-invasive methods based on the detection of trace DNA. This represents a powerful tool for conservation biology, for example allowing the identification of species with particularly inflexible niches and the investigation of food-webs or interaction networks with unusual or vulnerable dynamics. As they develop, these analyses will no doubt provide significant advances in the field of restoration ecology and the identification of appropriate locations for species reintroduction, as well as highlighting species at ecological risk. Here, I describe emerging patterns that have come from the various initial model systems, the advantages and limitations of the technique and key areas where these methods may significantly advance our empirical and applied conservation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
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28
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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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29
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Clairmont L, Mora EC, Fenton B. Morphology, Diet and Flower-visiting by Phyllostomid Bats in Cuba. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Clairmont
- Department of Biology; University of Western Ontario; 1151 Richmond St London ON N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Emanuel C. Mora
- Department of Animal and Human Biology; Havana University; calle 25 No. 455 J e I Vedado La Habana Cuba
| | - Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology; University of Western Ontario; 1151 Richmond St London ON N6A 5B7 Canada
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30
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Crowley BE, Rasoazanabary E, Godfrey LR. Stable isotopes complement focal individual observations and confirm dietary variability in reddish-gray mouse lemurs (Microcebusgriseorufus) from southwestern Madagascar. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:77-90. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E. Crowley
- Department of Geology; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati OH 45221
- Department of Anthropology; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati OH 45221
| | | | - Laurie R. Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology; University of Massachusetts; Amherst MA 01003
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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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Rothman JM, Raubenheimer D, Bryer MAH, Takahashi M, Gilbert CC. Nutritional contributions of insects to primate diets: implications for primate evolution. J Hum Evol 2014; 71:59-69. [PMID: 24742878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects and other invertebrates form a portion of many living and extinct primate diets. We review the nutritional profiles of insects in comparison with other dietary items, and discuss insect nutrients in relation to the nutritional needs of living primates. We find that insects are incorporated into some primate diets as staple foods whereby they are the majority of food intake. They can also be incorporated as complements to other foods in the diet, providing protein in a diet otherwise dominated by gums and/or fruits, or be incorporated as supplements to likely provide an essential nutrient that is not available in the typical diet. During times when they are very abundant, such as in insect outbreaks, insects can serve as replacements to the usual foods eaten by primates. Nutritionally, insects are high in protein and fat compared with typical dietary items like fruit and vegetation. However, insects are small in size and for larger primates (>1 kg) it is usually nutritionally profitable only to consume insects when they are available in large quantities. In small quantities, they may serve to provide important vitamins and fatty acids typically unavailable in primate diets. In a brief analysis, we found that soft-bodied insects are higher in fat though similar in chitin and protein than hard-bodied insects. In the fossil record, primates can be defined as soft- or hard-bodied insect feeders based on dental morphology. The differences in the nutritional composition of insects may have implications for understanding early primate evolution and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA; Department of Anthropology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, USA; Department of Biology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, USA.
| | | | - Margaret A H Bryer
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA; Department of Anthropology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Maressa Takahashi
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Christopher C Gilbert
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA; Department of Anthropology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, USA; Department of Biology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, USA
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Valenta K, Burke RJ, Styler SA, Jackson DA, Melin AD, Lehman SM. Colour and odour drive fruit selection and seed dispersal by mouse lemurs. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2424. [PMID: 23939534 PMCID: PMC3741622 DOI: 10.1038/srep02424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals and fruiting plants are involved in a complex set of interactions, with animals relying on fruiting trees as food resources, and fruiting trees relying on animals for seed dispersal. This interdependence shapes fruit signals such as colour and odour, to increase fruit detectability, and animal sensory systems, such as colour vision and olfaction to facilitate food identification and selection. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of plant-animal interactions for shaping animal sensory adaptations and plant characteristics, the details of the relationship are poorly understood. Here we examine the role of fruit chromaticity, luminance and odour on seed dispersal by mouse lemurs. We show that both fruit colour and odour significantly predict fruit consumption and seed dispersal by Microcebus ravelobensis and M. murinus. Our study is the first to quantify and examine the role of bimodal fruit signals on seed dispersal in light of the sensory abilities of the disperser.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Clare EL, Goerlitz HR, Drapeau VA, Holderied MW, Adams AM, Nagel J, Dumont ER, Hebert PDN, Brock Fenton M. Trophic niche flexibility inGlossophaga soricina: how a nectar seeker sneaks an insect snack. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L. Clare
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Woodland RoadBristol BS8 IUG UK
| | - Holger R. Goerlitz
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Woodland RoadBristol BS8 IUG UK
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Sensory Ecology Group Eberhard‐Gwinner‐Straße Seewiesen 82319 Germany
| | - Violaine A. Drapeau
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Woodland RoadBristol BS8 IUG UK
| | - Marc W. Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Woodland RoadBristol BS8 IUG UK
| | - Amanda M. Adams
- Department of Biology Western University 1151 Richmond StreetLondon ON Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Juliet Nagel
- Center For Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland 301 Braddock RoadFrostburg MD21532 USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Dumont
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts 221 Morrill Science Center, 611 N Pleasant St Amherst MA01002 USA
| | - Paul D. N. Hebert
- Department of Integrative Biology Biodiversity Institute of Ontario University of Guelph Guelph ONCanada N1G 2W1
| | - M. Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology Western University 1151 Richmond StreetLondon ON Canada N6A 5B7
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Dammhahn M, Kappeler PM. Stable isotope analyses reveal dense trophic species packing and clear niche differentiation in a malagasy primate community. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 153:249-59. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Dammhahn
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie and Soziobiologie; Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH (DPZ); Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung; Kellnerweg 4 D-37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie and Soziobiologie; Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH (DPZ); Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung; Kellnerweg 4 D-37077 Göttingen Germany
- Abteilung Soziobiologie/Anthropologie; Universität Göttingen; Kellnerweg 6 D-37077 Göttingen Germany
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Irwin MT, Raharison JL, Raubenheimer D, Chapman CA, Rothman JM. Nutritional correlates of the “lean season”: Effects of seasonality and frugivory on the nutritional ecology of diademed sifakas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 153:78-91. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell T. Irwin
- Department of Anthropology; Northern Illinois University; DeKalb IL 60115
| | - Jean-Luc Raharison
- Department of Animal Biology; University of Antananarivo; BP 906 101 Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre Faculty of Veterinary Science and School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology and McGill School of Environment; McGill University; Montreal QC Canada
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx NY
| | - Jessica M. Rothman
- Department of Anthropology Hunter College; City University of New York; New York NY
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York NY
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Crowley BE, Blanco MB, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Irwin MT. Stable isotopes document resource partitioning and effects of forest disturbance on sympatric cheirogaleid lemurs. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:943-56. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1094-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Kamilar JM, Beaudrot L. Understanding primate communities: Recent developments and future directions. Evol Anthropol 2013; 22:174-85. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Dry Season Resources and Their Relationship with Owl Monkey (Aotus azarae) Feeding Behavior, Demography, and Life History. INT J PRIMATOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-013-9689-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Godfrey LR, Winchester JM, King SJ, Boyer DM, Jernvall J. Dental topography indicates ecological contraction of lemur communities. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:215-27. [PMID: 22610897 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the paleoecology of extinct subfossil lemurs requires reconstruction of dietary preferences. Tooth morphology is strongly correlated with diet in living primates and is appropriate for inferring dietary ecology. Recently, dental topographic analysis has shown great promise in reconstructing diet from molar tooth form. Compared with traditionally used shearing metrics, dental topography is better suited for the extraordinary diversity of tooth form among subfossil lemurs and has been shown to be less sensitive to phylogenetic sources of shape variation. Specifically, we computed orientation patch counts rotated (OPCR) and Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) of molar teeth belonging to 14 species of subfossil lemurs and compared these values to those of an extant lemur sample. The two metrics succeeded in separating species in a manner that provides insights into both food processing and diet. We used them to examine the changes in lemur community ecology in Southern and Southwestern Madagascar that accompanied the extinction of giant lemurs. We show that the poverty of Madagascar's frugivore community is a long-standing phenomenon and that extinction of large-bodied lemurs in the South and Southwest resulted not merely in a loss of guild elements but also, most likely, in changes in the ecology of extant lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie R Godfrey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Tecot SR, Baden AL, Romine NK, Kamilar JM. Infant parking and nesting, not allomaternal care, influence Malagasy primate life histories. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1393-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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TECOT STACEYR, ROMINE NATALIEK. Leading Ladies: Leadership of Group Movements in a Pair-Living, Co-Dominant, Monomorphic Primate Across Reproductive Stages and Fruit Availability Seasons. Am J Primatol 2012; 74:591-601. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Leaf nutritional quality as a predictor of primate biomass: further evidence of an ecological anomaly within prosimian communities in Madagascar. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646741200003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:The correlation between the biomass of forest primates and a chemical index of the average nutritional quality of leaves in tropical forests has been repeatedly documented since 1990. We tested the role played by protein : fibre on lemur biomass in a gallery forest in southern Madagascar. Plant species abundance was determined based on transect censuses. We calculated an average ratio of protein-to-fibre in leaves and an abundance-weighted ratio, i.e. the mean weighted by the basal area of tree species, to be compared with the figures available for other forest ecosystems in Madagascar and a number of anthropoid habitats. Lemur densities were evaluated through compilation of previous studies made from prior to 1975 and up until 2011 based on strip censuses and/or identification of all groups supplemented with new censuses. A high mean ratio of protein to fibre (> 0.4) supports high folivore biomass at 390 kg km−2 (reaching 630 kg km−2 in the closed-canopy forest area) compared with primate communities in other Malagasy forests (protein : fibre: < 0.5; folivore biomass: < 440 kg km−2), as predicted. However, the data corroborate the finding that the total biomass of lemur communities as well as the biomass of folivorous lemur species are low compared with those of African and Asian primate communities for a given protein : fibre ratio. Tree diversity and leaf production do not consistently explain this pattern. In contrast, the extinction of large folivorous lemurs during the past two millennia presumably allowed too little time for smaller-sized species to evolve equally effective morphological and physiological specializations for processing a large range of fibrous foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Torre
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales; Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Av. Interoceánica y Jardines del Este; Cumbayá-Quito; Ecuador
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Vogel ER, Knott CD, Crowley BE, Blakely MD, Larsen MD, Dominy NJ. Bornean orangutans on the brink of protein bankruptcy. Biol Lett 2011; 8:333-6. [PMID: 22171019 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.1040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein is a limiting resource that is essential to the growth, maintenance and reproduction of tropical frugivores, yet few studies have examined how wild animals maintain protein balance. During chronic periods of fruit scarcity, Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) often catabolize their own fat reserves despite unusually low metabolic requirements. Such energy deficits suggest a marginal existence, and raise the possibility that orangutans also endure periods of negative protein balance. To test this hypothesis, we conducted the first study of protein cycling in a wild primate. Our five year analysis of urinary metabolites revealed evidence of protein recycling when fruit was scarce. During these periods, orangutans consumed more leaves and bark, proteinaceous but tough foods that yielded a mean daily intake of 1.4 g protein kg(-1) metabolic mass. Such an amount is inadequate for humans and one-tenth the intake of mountain gorillas, but sufficient to avert, perhaps narrowly, a severe protein deficit. Our findings highlight the functional and adaptive value of traits that maximize protein assimilation during periods of ecological exigency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, and Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Sato
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies; Kyoto University; 46 Shimoadachi-cho; Yoshida Sakyo-Ku; Kyoto; 606-8501; Japan
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Rosenberger AL, Halenar L, Cooke SB. The Making of Platyrrhine Semifolivores: Models for the Evolution of Folivory in Primates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2011; 294:2112-30. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.21510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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