Food selection by two South-east Asian colobine monkeys (Presbytis rubicunda and Presbytis melalophos) in relation to plant chemistry.
01 May 1988-Biological Journal of The Linnean Society (Blackwell Publishing Ltd)-Vol. 34, Iss: 1, pp 33-56
TL;DR: The biochemical profiles of the young leaf diet of these two monkeys were compared with previously published information on two African and one south Indian colobines and showed marked similarities between different animals, considering contrasts in their habitats.
Abstract: The diets of the banded leaf monkey (Presbytis melalophos) at Kuala Lompat in the Krau Game Reserve of West Malaysia and the red leaf monkey (Presbytis rubicunda) in Sepilok Virgin Jungle Reserve, Sabah, East Malaysia have been examined in relation to plant chemistry. Both monkeys spent about half their time eating foliage, and about half their time eating fruits and seeds. They both favoured leaves with high digestibility (due to relatively low levels of fibre) and high levels of protein, a combination found predominantly in young leaves and some flowers. The monkeys appeared to favour seeds and fruits with high concentrations of storage carbohydrates or fats, but not those rich in simple sugars. Selection of seeds and fruits was not correlated with protein content.
An analysis of the fibre and protein contents of foods showed that, on an annual basis, the two monkeys achieved a comparable intake for both items. However, these diets were obtained in radically different ways. Presbytis melalophos was able to eat foliage from many of the common tree species in its home range, whereas P. rubicunda relied on rare trees and lianas. This difference is attributed to the very high density of Dipterocarpaceae at Sepilok, a tree family that provides little food for colobines. The rarity of P. rubicunda's food plants at Sepilok is considered to be the main reason for the greater home range size and lower population density in comparison to P. melalophos.
Finally, the biochemical profiles of the young leaf diet of these two monkeys were compared with previously published information on two African and one south Indian colobines. In many respects the intake of supposed critical components, protein and fibre, showed marked similarities between different animals, considering contrasts in their habitats.
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01 Jan 2000
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...Colobines and some cercopithecines destroy most seeds they consume (McKey et al., 1981; Davies et al., 1988), but at least some Cercopithecus can disperse relatively large seeds by dropping or defecating them unharmed (Kaplin and Moermond, 1998)....
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TL;DR: The assumption that fallback foods play an important role in shaping morphological adaptations, behavior, and socioecology in primates is examined and it is suggested that preferred resources tend to drive adaptations for harvesting foods.
Abstract: Primatologists use the term fallback foods to denote resources of relatively low preference that are used seasonally when preferred foods are unavailable. We examine the assumption that fallback foods play an important role in shaping morphological adaptations, behavior, and socioecology in primates. We discuss operational definitions of preferred and fallback foods and suggest that the evolutionary importance of fallback foods applies more to adaptations for processing than for harvesting foods. Equally, we propose that preferred resources tend to drive adaptations for harvesting foods. We distinguish 2 classes of fallback foods according to their roles in the diet and their evolutionary effects. Staple fallback foods are available year-round, tend to be eaten throughout the year, and seasonally can constitute up to 100% of the diet. Filler fallback foods never constitute 100% of the diet, and may be completely avoided for weeks at a time. We suggest that the availability of the 2 classes of fallback foods have different effects on the socioecology of primate species.
459 citations
Cites background or methods from "Food selection by two South-east As..."
...References: 1, Wrangham et al. 1998; 2, Leighton 1993; 3, Knott 1998; 4, Tutin et al. 1991; 5, Watts and Mitani 2002; 6, Marshall 2004; 7, Davies et al. 1988. variation in the specific methods for calculating preference (Chesson 1978, 1983; Johnson 1980)....
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...Examples of filler FBFs include mature leaves for banded leaf monkeys (Presbytis melalophos) at Kuala Lompat (Davies et al. 1988), palm nuts for brown capuchins (Cebus apella) at Cocha Cashu (Terborgh 1983), and fungus for Goeldi’s monkeys (Callimico goeldii) at San Sebastian (Porter 2001)....
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TL;DR: The chimpanzee diet is of higher quality, particularly of lower fiber content, than expected on the basis of their body size, compared with the diets of the 4 frugivores, considering the substantial differences in body size.
Abstract: In a continuation of our study of dietary differentiation among frugivorous primates with simple stomachs, we present the first comparison of differences in dietary macronutrient content between chimpanzees and cercopithecine monkeys Previously we have shown that chimpanzee and monkey diets differ markedly in plant part and species content We now examine whether this diet diversity is reflected in markedly different dietary macronutrient levels or the different feeding strategies yield the same macronutrient levels in their diets For each primate group we calculated the total weighted mean dietary content of 4 macronutrients: crude lipid (lipid), crude protein (CP), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) We also calculated 4 fiber fractions: neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), which includes the subfractions hemicellulose (HC), cellulose (Cs), and sulfuric acid lignin (Ls) The HC and Cs are potentially fermentable fibers and would contribute to the energy provided by plant food, depending on the hind gut fermenting capacity of the individual primate species The chimpanzee diet contained higher levels of WSC and TNC because during times of fruit abundance the chimpanzees took special advantage of ripe fruit, while the monkeys did not The monkey diets contained higher levels of CP because the monkeys consumed a constant amount of leaf throughout the year All four primate species consumed diets with similar NDF levels However, the chimpanzees also took advantage of periods of ripe fruit abundance to decrease their Ls levels and to increase their HC levels Conversely, the monkey diets maintained constant levels of the different fiber fractions thoughout the year Nevertheless, despite these differences, the diets of the 4 frugivores were surprisingly similar, considering the substantial differences in body size We conclude that the chimpanzee diet is of higher quality, particularly of lower fiber content, than expected on the basis of their body size
450 citations
Cites background from "Food selection by two South-east As..."
...The insoluble cell, wall or NDF, is generally considered a digestion inhibitor, especially the lignin subfraction (Oates, 1977; Oates et al., 1980; Milton et al., 1980; Calvert, 1985; Davies et al., 1988; Hill and Lucas, 1996)....
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...4 Oates et al., 1990; Davies et al., 1988....
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References
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TL;DR: Seven major types of sampling for observational studies of social behavior have been found in the literature and the major strengths and weaknesses of each method are pointed out.
Abstract: Seven major types of sampling for observational studies of social behavior have been found in the literature. These methods differ considerably in their suitability for providing unbiased data of various kinds. Below is a summary of the major recommended uses of each technique: In this paper, I have tried to point out the major strengths and weaknesses of each sampling method. Some methods are intrinsically biased with respect to many variables, others to fewer. In choosing a sampling method the main question is whether the procedure results in a biased sample of the variables under study. A method can produce a biased sample directly, as a result of intrinsic bias with respect to a study variable, or secondarily due to some degree of dependence (correlation) between the study variable and a directly-biased variable. In order to choose a sampling technique, the observer needs to consider carefully the characteristics of behavior and social interactions that are relevant to the study population and the research questions at hand. In most studies one will not have adequate empirical knowledge of the dependencies between relevant variables. Under the circumstances, the observer should avoid intrinsic biases to whatever extent possible, in particular those that direcly affect the variables under study. Finally, it will often be possible to use more than one sampling method in a study. Such samples can be taken successively or, under favorable conditions, even concurrently. For example, we have found it possible to take Instantaneous Samples of the identities and distances of nearest neighbors of a focal individual at five or ten minute intervals during Focal-Animal (behavior) Samples on that individual. Often during Focal-Animal Sampling one can also record All Occurrences of Some Behaviors, for the whole social group, for categories of conspicuous behavior, such as predation, intergroup contact, drinking, and so on. The extent to which concurrent multiple sampling is feasible will depend very much on the behavior categories and rate of occurrence, the observational conditions, etc. Where feasible, such multiple sampling can greatly aid in the efficient use of research time.
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TL;DR: Large herbivores must select food from a wide variety of plant parts, species, and strains, and should prefer to feed on foods that contain small amounts of secondary compounds, and their body size and searching strategies should be adapted to optimize the number of types of foods available.
Abstract: Large herbivores must select food from a wide variety of plant parts, species, and strains. These differ in nutritional value (protein, carbohydrate, etc.), toughness, spinosity, etc. Even greater differences are found in types and concentrations of secondary compounds. Every plant produces its own set of secondary chemical compounds, which to a great extent are unique to it or its species. Ingestion of natural concentrations of these compounds can lead to either death or severe physiological impairment. The ubiquitous nature of these compounds would make herbivory impossible unless animals had mechanisms for degrading and excreting them. An animal displaying no obvious symptoms of poisoning is not free of the problem of ridding itself of toxic compounds; if it is eating plants, it almost certainly has this problem. Herbivores are capable of detoxifying and eliminating secondary compounds. Limitations of these mechanisms force mammalian herbivores to consume a variety of plant foods at any one time, to treat new foods with caution, to ingest small amounts on the first encounter, and to sample food continuously. Selection of foods is based on learning in response to adverse internal physiological effects, and herbivores probably cannot predict these from the smell or taste of new foods. Herbivores prefer to eat familiar foods and can seek out and consume foods that rectify specific nutritional deficiencies induced by detoxification. They should prefer to feed on foods that contain small amounts of secondary compounds, and their body size and searching strategies should be adapted to optimize the number of types of foods available with respect to the total amount of food that can be eaten and will be present in the future. Natural selection can increase the efficiency of degrading particular secondary compounds. Specialist herbivores, like koala and mountain viscacha, are expected where a large amount of several related toxic foods is present in a year-round supply. However, few large herbivores are specialized on such a restricted range of foods.
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