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Simon M, Widdig A, Weiß BM. Sniffing behavior of semi free-ranging Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23611. [PMID: 38409866 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Olfaction is one of the evolutionarily oldest senses and plays a fundamental role in foraging and social interactions across mammals. In primates, the role of olfaction is now well recognized, but better investigated in strepsirrhine and platyrrhine primates than in catarrhines. We observed the sniffing behavior of semi-free ranging Barbary macaques, Macaca sylvanus, at Affenberg Salem, Germany, to assess how frequently macaques sniff and in which contexts, and how sniffing is affected by sex and age. Focal observations of 24 males and 24 females aged 1-25 years showed that Barbary macaques sniffed, on average, 5.24 times per hour, with more than 80% of sniffs directed at food. Irrespective of the context, younger individuals sniffed more often than older ones. Females' sniffs were more often directed at food than male sniffs, while males sniffed more often than females in a social context. Sniffs at conspecifics occurred primarily in a sexual context, with 70% of social sniffs directed at female anogenital swellings performed by males. Of the observed 176 anogenital inspections, 51 involved sniffing of the swelling. Olfactory inspections were followed by copulation significantly less often than merely visual inspections, suggesting that anogenital odors may play a role in male mating decisions, but the role of olfaction in sexual interactions warrants further investigations. In sum, results show that Barbary macaques routinely use olfaction during feeding, but also in a socio-sexual context, corroborating the relevance of the olfactory sense in the lives of catarrhine primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Simon
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Division of Anthropology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Behavior, Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Behavior, Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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2
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Robira B, Benhamou S, Obeki Bayanga E, Breuer T, Masi S. Changes in movement patterns in relation to sun conditions and spatial scales in wild western gorillas. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:37. [PMID: 38684551 PMCID: PMC11058680 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01871-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
For most primates living in tropical forests, food resources occur in patchworks of different habitats that vary seasonally in quality and quantity. Efficient navigation (i.e., spatial memory-based orientation) towards profitable food patches should enhance their foraging success. The mechanisms underpinning primate navigating ability remain nonetheless mostly unknown. Using GPS long-term tracking (596 days) of one group of wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), we investigated their ability to navigate at long distances, and tested for how the sun was used to navigate at any scale by improving landmark visibility and/or by acting as a compass. Long episodic movements ending at a distant swamp, a unique place in the home range where gorillas could find mineral-rich aquatic plants, were straighter and faster than their everyday foraging movements relying on spatial memory. This suggests intentional targeting of the swamp based on long-distance navigation skills, which can thus be efficient over a couple of kilometres. Interestingly, for both long-distance movements towards the swamp and everyday foraging movements, gorillas moved straighter under sunlight conditions even under a dense vegetation cover. By contrast, movement straightness was not markedly different when the sun elevation was low (the sun azimuth then being potentially usable as a compass) or high (so providing no directional information) and the sky was clear or overcast. This suggests that gorillas navigate their home range by relying on visual place recognition but do not use the sun azimuth as a compass. Like humans, who rely heavily on vision to navigate, gorillas should benefit from better lighting to help them identify landmarks as they move through shady forests. This study uncovers a neglected aspect of primate navigation. Spatial memory and vision might have played an important role in the evolutionary success of diurnal primate lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Robira
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier & CNRS, Montpellier, France.
- Eco-Anthropologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Musée de L'Homme, Paris, France.
| | - S Benhamou
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier & CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Associated to Cogitamus Lab,
| | - E Obeki Bayanga
- Congo Program, Mondika Research Center, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Wildlife Conservation Society, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - T Breuer
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, New-York, USA
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Berlin, Germany
| | - S Masi
- Eco-Anthropologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Musée de L'Homme, Paris, France
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3
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Breitenbach R, Ambros S, Risko G, Arcusa I, Durland Donahou A, Wolovich CK. The importance of auditory, olfactory, and visual cues for insect foraging in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23539. [PMID: 37504384 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Nocturnal mammals have unique sensory adaptations to facilitate foraging at night. Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are pair-living nocturnal platyrrhines adept at capturing insect prey under low-light conditions. Owl monkeys use acoustic and chemical cues in intraspecific communication and use olfaction to detect fruit as they forage. We conducted an experiment to determine which cues (auditory, olfactory, and visual) Aotus nancymaae rely upon when foraging for insects. We scored the behavior of 23 captive owl monkeys during a series of trials in which monkeys were provided sensory boxes with insect cues either present (experimental box) or absent (control box). Each cue was tested alone and in combination with all other cues (multimodal cues). We used generalized linear mixed models to determine which cues elicited the greatest behavioral response. Owl monkeys approached and spent more time near experimental boxes than control boxes. Male owl monkeys were quicker than their female partners to approach the sensory boxes, suggesting that males may be less neophobic than females. The owl monkeys exhibited behaviors associated with olfaction and foraging (e.g., sneezing, trilling) during trials with multimodal cues and when only olfactory cues were present. When only visual or auditory cues were present, owl monkeys exhibited fewer foraging-related behaviors. After approaching a sensory box, however, they often touched boxes containing visual cues. A. nancymaae may rely on olfactory cues at night to detect a food source from several meters away and then rely more on visual cues once they are closer to the food source. Their use of sensory cues during insect foraging differs from nocturnal strepsirrhines, possibly reflecting physiological constraints associated with phylogeny, given that owl monkeys evolved nocturnality secondarily from a more recent diurnal ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha Ambros
- DuMond Conservancy for Primates and Tropical Forests, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Gabrielle Risko
- Biology Department, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, USA
| | - Isabel Arcusa
- Biology Department, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, USA
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4
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Mrożek K, Marchewka J, Leszczyński B. A morphological study and the variability in the number of infraorbital foramina in the African green monkey (Grivet) (Chlorocebus aethiops) using microcomputed tomography. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21607. [PMID: 37458084 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21607] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of the nonhuman primate morphology and anatomy related to craniofacial mechanoreception is essential for a fundamental understanding of the incidents that have occurred during the evolution of craniofacial features. The present study focuses on the variability in the number of infraorbital foramina and associated anatomical structures such as the infraorbital canal (IOC) and the infraorbital groove (IOG), as they are considered to play an important role in the behavioral ecology of these animals. A total of 19 skulls of Chlorocebus aethiops were analyzed. The number of infraorbital foramina was assessed macroscopically using a magnifying glass and a small diameter probe. Three dimensional (3D) projections and morphometric analysis of the infraorbital foramina, IOCs, and IOGs were performed using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) for two skulls that represent one of the most common morphological types. Regardless of sex and body side, the most common morphological type observed in the studied species is the presence of three infraorbital foramina. The IOC takes a funnel or pinched shape. 3D projections were made to assess the course of the infraorbital vascular and nerve bundles in selected individuals. The results indicate a high morphological diversity within the species, although there appears to be a consistent distribution pattern of infraorbital neurovascular bundles in species of the Cercopithecidae family. The use of X-ray micro-CT allowed 3D visualization of the maxillary region to determine the variability of the infraorbital foramina and to track the division of the infraorbital neurovascular bundle in the case of the most common macroscopic expression of the number of the infraorbital foramen in C. aethiops, as well as the morphometric of the IOCs and IOGs which are related to mechanoreception of the primate's snout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Mrożek
- Nature Education Center, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Justyna Marchewka
- Department of Human Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Leszczyński
- Department of Medical Physics, Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Barnett AA, Stone AI, Shaw P, Ronchi‐Teles B, dos Santos‐Barnett T, Pimenta NC, Kinap NM, Spironello WR, Bitencourt A, Penhorwood G, Umeed RN, de Oliveira TG, Bezerra BM, Boyle SA, Ross C, Wenzel JW. When food fights back: Cebid primate strategies of larval paper wasp predation and the high‐energy yield of high‐risk foraging. AUSTRAL ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A. Barnett
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary & Environmental Anthropology Roehampton University London UK
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
- Animal and Agricultural Sciences Hartpury University Gloucester UK
| | - Anita I. Stone
- Biology Department California Lutheran Univ. Thousand Oaks California USA
| | - Peter Shaw
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Whitelands College University of Roehampton London UK
| | - Beatriz Ronchi‐Teles
- Entomology Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | | | - Natalia C. Pimenta
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
- Instituto Socioambiental, Programa Rio Negro Manaus Brazil
| | - Natalia M. Kinap
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Wilson R. Spironello
- Amazonian Mammal Research Group Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Aparecida Bitencourt
- Food Chemistry & Physics Laboratory, Food Technology Department Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Gemma Penhorwood
- Animal and Agricultural Sciences Hartpury University Gloucester UK
| | - Rebecca N. Umeed
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
| | | | - Bruna M. Bezerra
- Department of Zoology Pernambuco Federal University Recife Brazil
| | - Sarah A. Boyle
- Department of Biology and Environmental Studies and Sciences Program Rhodes College Memphis Tennessee USA
| | - Caroline Ross
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary & Environmental Anthropology Roehampton University London UK
| | - John W. Wenzel
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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6
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Veilleux CC, Dominy NJ, Melin AD. The sensory ecology of primate food perception, revisited. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:281-301. [PMID: 36519416 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21967] [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: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Twenty years ago, Dominy and colleagues published "The sensory ecology of primate food perception," an impactful review that brought new perspectives to understanding primate foraging adaptations. Their review synthesized information on primate senses and explored how senses informed feeding behavior. Research on primate sensory ecology has seen explosive growth in the last two decades. Here, we revisit this important topic, focusing on the numerous new discoveries and lines of innovative research. We begin by reviewing each of the five traditionally recognized senses involved in foraging: audition, olfaction, vision, touch, and taste. For each sense, we provide an overview of sensory function and comparative ecology, comment on the state of knowledge at the time of the original review, and highlight advancements and lingering gaps in knowledge. Next, we provide an outline for creative, multidisciplinary, and innovative future research programs that we anticipate will generate exciting new discoveries in the next two decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie C Veilleux
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Dominy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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7
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Melin AD, Veilleux CC, Janiak MC, Hiramatsu C, Sánchez-Solano KG, Lundeen IK, Webb SE, Williamson RE, Mah MA, Murillo-Chacon E, Schaffner CM, Hernández-Salazar L, Aureli F, Kawamura S. Anatomy and dietary specialization influence sensory behaviour among sympatric primates. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220847. [PMID: 35975434 PMCID: PMC9382214 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Senses form the interface between animals and environments, and provide a window into the ecology of past and present species. However, research on sensory behaviours by wild frugivores is sparse. Here, we examine fruit assessment by three sympatric primates (Alouatta palliata, Ateles geoffroyi and Cebus imitator) to test the hypothesis that dietary and sensory specialization shape foraging behaviours. Ateles and Cebus groups are comprised of dichromats and trichromats, while all Alouatta are trichomats. We use anatomical proxies to examine smell, taste and manual touch, and opsin genotyping to assess colour vision. We find that the frugivorous spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) sniff fruits most often, omnivorous capuchins (Cebus imitator), the species with the highest manual dexterity, use manual touch most often, and that main olfactory bulb volume is a better predictor of sniffing behaviour than nasal turbinate surface area. We also identify an interaction between colour vision phenotype and use of other senses. Controlling for species, dichromats sniff and bite fruits more often than trichromats, and trichromats use manual touch to evaluate cryptic fruits more often than dichromats. Our findings reveal new relationships among dietary specialization, anatomical variation and foraging behaviour, and promote understanding of sensory system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,German Primate Research Center, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Carrie C Veilleux
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
| | - Chihiro Hiramatsu
- Department of Human Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
| | | | - Ingrid K Lundeen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shasta E Webb
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Rachel E Williamson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Megan A Mah
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.,Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
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8
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Lang MM, Bertrand OC, San Martin Flores G, Law CJ, Abdul‐Sater J, Spakowski S, Silcox MT. Scaling Patterns of Cerebellar Petrosal Lobules in Euarchontoglires: Impacts of Ecology and Phylogeny. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:3472-3503. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madlen M. Lang
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
| | - Ornella C. Bertrand
- School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute Edinburgh Scotland UK
| | | | - Chris J. Law
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, Department of Mammalogy, and Division of Paleontology American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West New York NY
- Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle WA
- The University of Texas at Austin Austin TX
| | - Jade Abdul‐Sater
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
| | - Shayda Spakowski
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
| | - Mary T. Silcox
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
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9
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Masticatory and ingestive effort in Procolobus verus, a small-bodied African colobine. Primates 2022; 63:271-282. [PMID: 35362914 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00978-2] [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: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The olive colobus (Procolobus verus) is the smallest extant colobine. Based on the axiom that folivory is associated with larger body mass, the olive colobus is expected to be less folivorous than its sister taxon Piliocolobus badius, but previous studies show that the opposite is true. Here we test the hypothesis that masticatory and ingestive effort in the olive colobus is greater due to allometric factors related to bite force scaling and throughput of ingested foods. We analyzed oral processing data collected on olive colobus in the Taï Forest, Ivory Coast, between May 2016 and May 2018. We compare these with previously published data on P. badius and Colobus polykomos from Taï. In terms of overall feeding effort, olive colobus invest more effort (i.e., chewing cycles) than the larger colobines. When contrasts are restricted to commonly consumed foods, this greater energetic investment is not consistently observed. Ingestion of young leaves is associated with a reduced number of masticatory cycles in all three colobine species. A slightly elevated average effort in the olive colobus during young leaf feeding suggests this food source is more challenging in smaller monkeys, but mature leaf processing effort is generally the same among Taï colobines. Thus, for olive colobus, leaf ductility may be more problematic than leaf toughness in terms of masticatory effort. While there may be an allometric cost to being a small colobine, food selectivity is an important mitigating factor.
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10
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Non-visual senses in fruit selection by the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata). Primates 2022; 63:293-303. [PMID: 35289382 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00984-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive knowledge about the visual system and the implications of the evolution of trichromatic color vision in howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) related to food selection; however, information about the other sensory systems is limited. In this study we assessed the use of touch, sniffing, and taste in fruit evaluation by 20 adult mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Agaltepec Island, Mexico. During 9 months of observation, we recorded the frequency that each monkey used touch, sniffing, and taste in evaluating cryptic fruits (that remain green during their ripening process) and conspicuous fruits (with red, yellow, or orange colorations when they are ripe). Sucrose content and hardness measurements were made to establish the degree of ripeness of the fruits. We found that mantled howler monkeys used long behavioral sequences during conspicuous fruit investigations. Sniffing was used infrequently, but significantly more often in the evaluation of conspicuous-ripe and unripe fruits compared to cryptic-ripe and unripe fruits. During the evaluation of cryptic-ripe fruits, mantled howler monkeys increased the use of touch compared to evaluating cryptic-unripe fruits. We did not find significant differences in the use of taste in the evaluation of cryptic and conspicuous fruits (both ripe and unripe). Our results suggest that the non-visual senses play an essential role in fruit selection by howler monkeys, with differences in the behavioral strategy according to the fruit's conspicuity. The multimodal signals of ripe and unripe fruits allow the howler monkeys to assess their palatability before being consumed.
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11
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Matsuda I, Hashimoto C, Ihobe H, Yumoto T, Baranga D, Clauss M, Hummel J. Dietary Choices of a Foregut-Fermenting Primate, Colobus guereza: A Comprehensive Approach Including Leaf Chemical and Mechanical Properties, Digestibility and Abundance. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.795015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-ranging animals make dietary choices that affect their nutritional status and, ultimately, their health and fitness. We investigated food selection by a leaf-eating foregut-fermenting primate, the guereza (Colobus guereza), using multiple criteria, including chemical and mechanical properties, in vitro digestibility and leaf abundance, on the basis of 30 consecutive months of behavioral observations (4308 h in total) of a family group in the Kalinzu Forest, Uganda, as well as vegetation surveys. We noted that leaf toughness may be a proximate cue for the chemical properties of plant foods, especially for protein, which is an important selection factor used by primates. We also found that the in vitro digestibility of plant foods was greatly influenced by the concentrations of fiber and secondary compounds. At a broad level, none of the studied factors, including leaf chemical and mechanical properties, digestibility and abundance, affected whether guerezas consumed specific leaf items. At a more detailed level, however, protein content, digestibility and toughness were related to the percentage of foraging effort that guerezas devoted to specific items in our study site.
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12
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Using a Phylogenetic Framework to Assess the Role of Fruit Size in Food Selection by the Andean Night Monkey (Aotus lemurinus). INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00274-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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13
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Rolland E, Trull S. Spatial mapping memory: methods used to determine the existence and type of cognitive maps in arboreal mammals. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Rolland
- 12 rue Pierre Viorrain Bagnères de Bigorre65200France
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Deutscher Pl. 6 Leipzig04103Germany
| | - Sam Trull
- The Sloth Institute at Tulemar Gardens Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas60601Costa Rica
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Borah
- Dept of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State Univ. Logan UT USA
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15
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He T, Lee W, Hanya G. Effects of diet and age-sex class on the fecal particle size of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23245. [PMID: 33638570 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23245] [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: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fecal particle size provides important information on the feeding and digestion of herbivores. Understanding the effects of the potential proximate determinants on fecal particle size helps us interpret this widely used measurement. In folivores, previous studies found that diet composition, dietary toughness, and age-sex-related factors, such as body size and tooth wear, influenced fecal particle size. However, the role of these factors remains unknown in frugivorous and omnivorous primates. This study aims to clarify how age-sex class and diet influence fecal particle size in omnivorous Japanese macaques in Yakushima. We expected that their variable diet and differences among age-sex classes would cause variations in fecal particle size. We simultaneously documented Japanese macaques' diet, dietary toughness, and fecal particle size in the lowland area of Yakushima in the period from March 2018 to April 2019. Unexpectedly, fecal particle size showed limited differences across months and no difference among age-sex classes. Dietary toughness showed no effects on fecal particle size, while the consumption of fruits showed only a marginally significant negative effect. Our data indicate that the results of chewing were not affected by dietary toughness in our study subjects, while age-sex classes showed no difference in food comminution. This lack of variation might derive from a diet with low dietary toughness. We also found that the physical structure of preferred foods played an important role in fecal particle size variations. These results suggest that food comminution is less variable in frugivorous and omnivorous primates compared to highly specialized species (e.g., geladas). Factors other than what we examined in this study, such as food physical structure and chewing behavior, should also be taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmeng He
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Wanyi Lee
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
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16
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Cunningham EP, Edmonds D, Stalter L, Janal MN. Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) use olfaction to locate distant fruit. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:300-307. [PMID: 33624841 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As many primates live in forests where visibility is limited, the ability to detect the aroma of distant fruit and navigate odor plumes would be highly adaptive. Our study is the first to investigate this ability with strepsirrhine primates. MATERIALS AND METHODS We tested the ability of a group of ring-tailed lemurs to detect hidden fruit from afar using scent alone. We hid containers in the underbrush of a semi-natural forest, some baited with real cantaloupe and some with sham cantaloupe, 4-17 m from a path routinely used by the lemurs. Crucially, the containers were not visible from the path. Therefore, the lemurs had to use olfactory cues, but did not have to prioritize them to locate the bait. RESULTS The lemurs found the real cantaloupe on days that the wind blew the scent of the fruit toward the trail. They did not find the sham cantaloupe. Upon detecting the odor of the bait, the lemurs sniffed the air at one or more locations as they moved toward the bait, a process of navigation known as klinotaxis. DISCUSSION The traditional belief is that primates are unable to track odor plumes. The untrained lemurs in this study were able to detect the odor of the cantaloupe among the complex odors of the forest and navigate the odor plume to the fruit. The results indicate that olfaction may be used to respond to cues from distant sources. The ability to track odor plumes may be a critical foraging skill for strepsirrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena P Cunningham
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, 10010, USA
| | - Devin Edmonds
- Lemur Conservation Foundation, Myakka City, Florida, USA.,Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Laura Stalter
- Lemur Conservation Foundation, Myakka City, Florida, USA.,University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Malvin N Janal
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, 10010, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, Burlington, Vermont, USA
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17
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Mantovani V, Hauzman E, Corredor VH, Goulart PRK, Galvão O, Talebi M, Pessoa DMA, Soares JGM, Fiorani M, Gattass R, Fix Ventura D, Bonci DMO. Genetic variability of the sws1 cone opsin gene among New World monkeys. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23199. [PMID: 32990997 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Vision is a major sense for Primates and the ability to perceive colors has great importance for the species ecology and behavior. Visual processing begins with the activation of the visual opsins in the retina, and the spectral absorption peaks are highly variable among species. In most Primates, LWS/MWS opsins are responsible for sensitivity to long/middle wavelengths within the visible light spectrum, and SWS1 opsins provide sensitivity to short wavelengths, in the violet region of the spectrum. In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic variation on the sws1 opsin gene of New World monkeys (NWM) and search for amino acid substitutions that might be associated with the different color vision phenotypes described for a few species. We sequenced the exon 1 of the sws1 opsin gene of seven species from the families Callitrichidae, Cebidae, and Atelidae, and searched for variation at the spectral tuning sites 46, 49, 52, 86, 90, 93, 114, 116, and 118. Among the known spectral tuning sites, only residue 114 was variable. To investigate whether other residues have a functional role in the SWS1 absorption peak, we performed computational modeling of wild-type SWS1 and mutants A50I and A50V, found naturally among the species investigated. Although in silico analysis did not show any visible effect caused by these substitutions, it is possible that interactions of residue 50 with other sites might have some effect in the spectral shifts in the order of ~14 nm, found among the NWM. We also performed phylogenetic reconstruction of the sws1 gene, which partially recovered the species phylogeny. Further studies will be important to uncover the mutations responsible for the phenotypic variability of the SWS1 of NWM, and how spectral tuning may be associated with specific ecological features such as preferred food items and habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviani Mantovani
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Einat Hauzman
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitor H Corredor
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo R K Goulart
- Núcleo de Teoria de Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Olavo Galvão
- Núcleo de Teoria de Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Talebi
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Campus Diadema, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Juliana G M Soares
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mario Fiorani
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Gattass
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Dora Fix Ventura
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela M O Bonci
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Heuberger B, Paukner A, Wooddell LJ, Kasman M, Hammond RA. The role of novelty and fat and sugar concentration in food selection by captive tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23165. [PMID: 32618032 PMCID: PMC7790167 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Capuchins, like other primates, use feedback from sensory cues and digestion to make decisions about which foods to consume and which to avoid. However, little is known about how capuchins make consumption decisions when simultaneously presented with novel and familiar foods, or how food familiarity and macronutrient concentration together influence food choice, topics with potential implications for developmental and health research. In this study, we evaluated the role of familiarity, as well as fat and sugar concentration, in the food selections of captive tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella). In the first experiment, over 10 sessions, subjects were assigned to either a group that chose between one familiar and one novel food item both high in fat or sugar (high condition), or to a group that chose between one familiar and one novel food item both low in fat or sugar (low condition). In the second experiment, subjects were divided into three groups, familiarized with food over five feeding sessions, and then offered the familiarized food and a novel food that varied in fat or sugar for 10 sessions. When offered foods high in fat, capuchins showed no clear signs of neophobia, forming an initial preference for the novel food, rejecting foods less frequently, and selecting foods faster than when offered foods low in fat. These trends were generally not observed in response to foods with sugar. When presented with options that varied in macronutrient concentration, subjects showed an initial interest in the novel food irrespective of whether it was high in fat or sugar, yet formed a final preference for the higher-concentration item. Findings suggest that the concentration of fat or sugar in novel foods may be an important mediator of exploratory behavior and that capuchins rely on immediate feedback from taste and other sensory cues to make consumption decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Heuberger
- Center on Social Dynamics and Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Annika Paukner
- School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - Lauren J Wooddell
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Poolesville, Maryland
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California
| | - Matt Kasman
- Center on Social Dynamics and Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Ross A Hammond
- Center on Social Dynamics and Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
- Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Sante Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico
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19
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Poindexter SA, Garrett EC. Particle deposition and sensory drive. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:168-172. [PMID: 32686887 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21855] [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: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mutualism between chemical cues emitted into the air and variations in how primates respond to them using olfaction has demonstrated aspects of species-specific adaptations. Building on this mutualism we can look at particle deposition as another means to understanding how various environments may have elicited biological changes that enable efficient communication. Research on particle movement and deposition within the nasal cavity is largely based on questions about health as it relates to drug delivery systems and overall olfactory function in modern humans. With increased access to 3D models and the use of computational fluid dynamic analysis, researchers have been able to simulate site-specific deposition, to determine what particles are making it through the nasal cavity to the main olfactory epithelium, which ultimately leads to processing in the olfactory bulb. Here we discuss particle deposition research, sensory drive and their potential applications to evolutionary anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Poindexter
- Anthropology Department, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.,Anthropology Department, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eva C Garrett
- Anthropology Department, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Williams J, Ringsdorf A. Human odour thresholds are tuned to atmospheric chemical lifetimes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190274. [PMID: 32306881 PMCID: PMC7209931 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the odour thresholds (OT) and atmospheric lifetimes (AL) were compared for a suite of volatile organic compounds. It was found that odour threshold, as determined by the triangle bag method, correlated surprisingly well with atmospheric lifetime for a given chemical family. Molecules with short atmospheric lifetimes with respect to the primary atmospheric oxidant OH tend to be more sensitively detected by the human nose. Overall the correlation of odour threshold with atmospheric lifetime was better than with mass and vapour pressure. Several outliers from the correlations for particular chemical families were examined in detail. For example, diacetyl was an outlier in the ketone dataset that fitted the trend when its more important photolysis lifetime was included; and similarly, the relatively low odour threshold of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) was interpreted in terms of uptake by vegetation. The OT/AL relationship suggests that OH rate constants can be used as a first-order estimate for odour thresholds (and vice versa). We speculate that the nose's high sensitivity to chemicals that are reactive in the air is likely an evolved rather than a learned condition. This is based on the lack of dependence on ozone in the aliphatics, that the anthropogenically emitted aromatic compounds had the worst correlation, and that OCS had a much lower than predicted OT. Finally, we use the OT/AL relationships derived to predict odour thresholds and rate constants that have not yet been determined in order to provide a test to this hypothesis. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Williams
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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21
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Knez S, Šajn L. Food object recognition using a mobile device: Evaluation of currently implemented systems. Trends Food Sci Technol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2020.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Martina C, Cowlishaw G, Carter AJ. Exploring individual variation in associative learning abilities through an operant conditioning task in wild baboons. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230810. [PMID: 32251443 PMCID: PMC7135308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities underpin many of the behavioural decisions of animals. However, we still have very little understanding of how and why cognitive abilities vary between individuals of the same species in wild populations. In this study, we assessed the associative learning abilities of wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) across two troops in Namibia with a simple operant conditioning task. We evaluated the ability of individuals to correctly associate a particular colour of corn kernels with a distasteful flavour through repeated presentations of two small piles of corn dyed different colours, one of which had been treated with a non-toxic bitter substance. We also assessed whether individual variation in learning ability was associated with particular phenotypic traits (sex, social rank and neophilia) and states (age and prior vigilance). We found no evidence of learning the association either within each trial or across trials, nor any variation based on individuals' phenotypes. This appeared to be due to a high tolerance for bitter foods leading to similar acceptance of both palatable and unpalatable kernels. Earlier avoidance of the bitter kernels during pilot trials suggests this higher tolerance may have been largely driven by a drought during the experiments. Overall, our findings highlight the potential influence of current environmental challenges associated with conducting cognitive tests of animals in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Martina
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Cowlishaw
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Alecia J. Carter
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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23
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He T, Honda T, Kurihara Y, Thiery G. Variation in chewing efficiency of Yakushima Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata yakui). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:110-119. [PMID: 31675108 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Chewing efficiency plays an important role in the survival and distribution of primates. Yet, little is known about the intra-specific variation of chewing efficiency. The purpose of this study is to report the pattern of seasonal and regional variation in chewing efficiency among Yakushima Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). MATERIALS AND METHODS Fecal samples of Yakushima Japanese macaques were collected from lowland, highland and summit areas in Yakushima between July 2015 and March 2016 (n = 236). Using sieving analysis, we compared fecal particle size (dMEAN) and proportion of finest particles p(0) between different geographical areas and seasons. RESULTS Seasonally, in the lowland zone, there was a non-significant decrease in dMEAN during spring, while p(0) was significantly higher during summer than it was during winter and spring. Regionally, dMEAN was higher in the summit zone than it was in other areas during autumn, while p(0) was also higher in the summit zone. CONCLUSIONS While seasonal variation in dMEAN can be explained by the reported difference in the proportions of food categories in diet between seasons, its influence is mitigated, possibly by the selective feeding of less mechanically challenging parts in each category. Regional variation in dMEAN and p(0) may be the results of bamboo consumption in this area. Combining our data with studies that focus on seasonal and regional variations of food properties or gut microbes might provide a better understanding of the relation between diet, chewing and digestion in Yakushima macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmeng He
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Takeaki Honda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kurihara
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Ghislain Thiery
- School of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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24
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DeCasien AR, Higham JP. Primate mosaic brain evolution reflects selection on sensory and cognitive specialization. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1483-1493. [PMID: 31548648 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain is composed of numerous functionally distinct structures that vary in size within and between clades, reflecting selection for sensory and cognitive specialization. Primates represent a particularly interesting case in which to examine mosaic brain evolution since they exhibit marked behavioural variation, spanning most social structures, diets and activity periods observed across mammals. Although studies have consistently demonstrated a trade-off between visual and olfactory specialization in primates, studies of some regions (for example, the neocortex) have produced conflicting results. Here, we analyse the socioecological factors influencing the relative size of 33 brain regions, using updated statistical techniques and data from more species and individuals than previous studies. Our results confirm that group-living species and those with high-quality diets have expanded olfactory or visual systems, depending on whether they are nocturnal or diurnal. Conversely, regions associated with spatial memory are expanded in solitary species and those with low-quality diets, suggesting a trade-off between visual processing and spatial memory. Contrary to previous work, we show that diet quality predicts relative neocortex size at least as well as, if not better than, social complexity. Overall, our results demonstrate that primate brain structure is largely driven by selection on sensory and cognitive specializations that develop in response to divergent socioecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Melin AD, Nevo O, Shirasu M, Williamson RE, Garrett EC, Endo M, Sakurai K, Matsushita Y, Touhara K, Kawamura S. Fruit scent and observer colour vision shape food-selection strategies in wild capuchin monkeys. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2407. [PMID: 31160592 PMCID: PMC6546703 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10250-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The senses play critical roles in helping animals evaluate foods, including fruits that can change both in colour and scent during ripening to attract frugivores. Although numerous studies have assessed the impact of colour on fruit selection, comparatively little is known about fruit scent and how olfactory and visual data are integrated during foraging. We combine 25 months of behavioural data on 75 wild, white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) with measurements of fruit colours and scents from 18 dietary plant species. We show that frequency of fruit-directed olfactory behaviour is positively correlated with increases in the volume of fruit odours produced during ripening. Monkeys with red-green colour blindness sniffed fruits more often, indicating that increased reliance on olfaction is a behavioural strategy that mitigates decreased capacity to detect red-green colour contrast. These results demonstrate a complex interaction among fruit traits, sensory capacities and foraging strategies, which help explain variation in primate behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mika Shirasu
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
- ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Rachel E Williamson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Eva C Garrett
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mizuki Endo
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kodama Sakurai
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yuka Matsushita
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
- ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan.
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26
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Niimura Y, Matsui A, Touhara K. Acceleration of Olfactory Receptor Gene Loss in Primate Evolution: Possible Link to Anatomical Change in Sensory Systems and Dietary Transition. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1437-1450. [PMID: 29659972 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates have traditionally been regarded as vision-oriented animals with low olfactory ability, though this "microsmatic primates" view has been challenged recently. To clarify when and how degeneration of the olfactory system occurred and to specify the relevant factors during primate evolution, we here examined the olfactory receptor (OR) genes from 24 phylogenetically and ecologically diverse primate species. The results revealed that strepsirrhines with curved noses had functional OR gene repertoires that were nearly twice as large as those for haplorhines with simple noses. Neither activity pattern (nocturnal/diurnal) nor color vision system showed significant correlation with the number of functional OR genes while phylogeny and nose structure (haplorhine/strepsirrhine) are statistically controlled, but extent of folivory did. We traced the evolutionary fates of individual OR genes by identifying orthologous gene groups, demonstrating that the rates of OR gene losses were accelerated at the ancestral branch of haplorhines, which coincided with the acquisition of acute vision. The highest rate of OR gene loss was observed at the ancestral branch of leaf-eating colobines; this reduction is possibly linked with the dietary transition from frugivory to folivory because odor information is essential for fruit foraging but less so for leaf foraging. Intriguingly, we found accelerations of OR gene losses in an external branch to every hominoid species examined. These findings suggest that the current OR gene repertoire in each species has been shaped by a complex interplay of phylogeny, anatomy, and habitat; therefore, multiple factors may contribute to the olfactory degeneration in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihito Niimura
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Lead Contact
| | - Atsushi Matsui
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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27
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Abreu F, Souto A, Bonci DMO, Mantovani V, Pessoa DMA, Schiel N. Detection of insect prey by wild common marmosets: The effect of color vision. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22963. [PMID: 30809840 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Most species of New World primates have an unusual color vision pattern that can affect an individual's ability to detect food. Whereas males can only be dichromatic, females can be either dichromatic or trichromatic. Trichromats are expected to have an advantage in detecting conspicuous food whereas dichromats should be better at locating cryptic resources. Here we aimed to understand how color vision phenotype influences insect foraging by five groups of common marmosets living in a semiarid environment. We recorded insect predation events, noting morphotype and color of the captured insect, and the substrate from which it was captured. Color modeling suggested that, for all values of chromatic contrast resulting from comparing the measured insect-substrate pairs, trichromats outperformed dichromats. Females showed an overall higher insect capture rate than males. Females also showed a higher capture rate of conspicuous insects but there was no sex difference for the capture of cryptic insects. When we compared only dichromatic individuals there was no difference between sexes. These findings suggest that differences found in capture rate related not only to sex but also to visual polymorphism and that the latter is a crucial factor determining insect capture rate in common marmosets. Nevertheless, these results should be interpreted with caution because of the small number (three) of dichromat females and the unknown phenotype of the remaining females. Our results support the balancing selection hypothesis, suggesting that the advantage of one phenotype over the other may depend on environmental circumstances. This hypothesis has recently been considered as the most plausible for the maintenance of visual polymorphism in New World primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Abreu
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Ethology, Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Antonio Souto
- Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Daniela M O Bonci
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Viviani Mantovani
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Nicola Schiel
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Ethology, Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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28
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Chae KS, Oh IT, Lee SH, Kim SC. Blue light-dependent human magnetoreception in geomagnetic food orientation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211826. [PMID: 30763322 PMCID: PMC6375564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Earth's geomagnetic field (GMF) is known to influence magnetoreceptive creatures, from bacteria to mammals as a sensory cue or a physiological modulator, despite it is largely thought that humans cannot sense the GMF. Here, we show that humans sense the GMF to orient their direction toward food in a self-rotatory chair experiment. Starved men, but not women, significantly oriented toward the ambient/modulated magnetic north or east, directions which had been previously food-associated, without any other helpful cues, including sight and sound. The orientation was reproduced under blue light but was abolished under a blindfold or a longer wavelength light (> 500 nm), indicating that blue light is necessary for magnetic orientation. Importantly, inversion of the vertical component of the GMF resulted in orientation toward the magnetic south and blood glucose levels resulting from food appeared to act as a motivator for sensing a magnetic field direction. The results demonstrate that male humans sense GMF in a blue light-dependent manner and suggest that the geomagnetic orientations are mediated by an inclination compass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwon-Seok Chae
- Department of Biology Education Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Taek Oh
- Department of Biology Education Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyup Lee
- Department of Biology Education Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Chan Kim
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Institute for IT Convergence, Hankyong National University, Anseong, Republic of Korea
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Norlén E, Sjöström D, Hjelm M, Hård T, Laska M. Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides. Primates 2019; 60:29-39. [PMID: 30443802 PMCID: PMC6331657 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0697-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Using a two-bottle choice test of short duration, we determined taste preference thresholds for sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, and maltose in three Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Further, we assessed relative preferences for these five saccharides when presented at equimolar concentrations and determined taste preference difference thresholds for sucrose, that is, the smallest concentration difference at which the chimpanzees display a preference for one of the two options. We found that the chimpanzees significantly preferred concentrations as low as 20 mM sucrose, 40 mM fructose, and 80 mM glucose, lactose, and maltose over tap water. When given a choice between all binary combinations of these five saccharides presented at equimolar concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 mM, respectively, the animals displayed significant preferences for individual saccharides in the following order: sucrose > fructose > glucose = maltose = lactose. The taste difference threshold for sucrose, expressed as Weber ratio (ΔI/I), was 0.3 and 0.4, respectively, at reference concentrations of 100 and 200 mM. The taste sensitivity of the chimpanzees to the five saccharides falls into the same range found in other primate species. Remarkably, their taste preference thresholds are similar, and with two saccharides even identical, to human taste detection thresholds. The pattern of relative taste preferences displayed by the chimpanzees was similar to that found in platyrrhine primates and to the pattern of relative sweetness as reported by humans. Taken together, the results of the present study are in line with the notion that taste sensitivity for food-associated carbohydrates may correlate positively with phylogenetic relatedness. Further, they support the notion that relative preferences for food-associated carbohydrates, but not taste difference thresholds, may correlate with dietary specialization in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Norlén
- IFM Biology, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Matthias Laska
- IFM Biology, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
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Trapanese C, Meunier H, Masi S. What, where and when: spatial foraging decisions in primates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:483-502. [PMID: 30211971 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
When exploiting the environment, animals have to discriminate, track, and integrate salient spatial cues to navigate and identify goal sites. Actually, they have to know what can be found (e.g. what fruit), where (e.g. on which tree) and when (in what season or moment of the year). This is very relevant for primate species as they often live in seasonal and relatively unpredictable environments such as tropical forests. Here, we review and compare different approaches used to investigate primate spatial foraging strategies: from direct observations of wild primates to predictions from statistical simulations, including experimental approaches on both captive and wild primates, and experiments in captivity using virtual reality technology. Within this framework, most of these studies converge to show that many primate species can (i) remember the location of most of food resources well, and (ii) often seem to have a goal-oriented path towards spatially permanent resources. Overall, primates likely use mental maps to plan different foraging strategies to enhance their fitness. The majority of studies suggest that they may organise spatial information on food resources into topological maps: they use landmarks to navigate and encode local spatial information with regard to direction and distance. Even though these studies were able to show that primates can remember food quality (what) and its location (where), still very little is known on how they incorporate the temporal knowledge of available food (when). Future studies should attempt to increase our understanding of the potential of primates to learn temporal patterns and how both socio-ecological differences among species and their cognitive abilities influence such behavioural strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Trapanese
- École Doctorale Frontières du Vivant (FdV) - Programme Bettencourt, Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires, Tour Maine Montparnasse, Paris, 75015, France.,Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Fort Foch, Niederhausbergen, 67207, France.,Faculté de psychologie Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS et Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67000, France.,Département Hommes et Environnements Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme, UMR 7206-CNRS/MNHN, Paris, 75116, France
| | - Hélène Meunier
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Fort Foch, Niederhausbergen, 67207, France.,Faculté de psychologie Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS et Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Shelly Masi
- Département Hommes et Environnements Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme, UMR 7206-CNRS/MNHN, Paris, 75116, France
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31
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Jänig S, Weiß BM, Widdig A. Comparing the sniffing behavior of great apes. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22872. [PMID: 29756687 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The importance of smell in humans is well established but we know little about it in regard to our closest relatives, the great apes, as systematic studies on their olfactory behavior are still lacking. Olfaction has long been considered to be of lesser importance in hominids given their relatively smaller olfactory bulbs, fewer functional olfactory receptor genes than other species and absence of a functional vomeronasal organ. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of olfaction in hominids. In particular, we observed sniffing behavior in captive groups of four species (Sumatran orangutans, Pongo abelii; Western lowland gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gorilla; Western chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus; bonobos, Pan paniscus) and evaluated in which contexts sniffing was used. Our results show that all investigated species frequently used the sense of smell, and that the sniffing frequency varied with species, sex, age, and context. Most sniffing events were observed in gorillas in comparison to the three other species. Sniffing frequencies were also influenced by sex, with males sniffing slightly more often than females. Furthermore, our results revealed an effect of age, with younger individuals sniffing more often than older individuals. All species mainly sniffed in the non-social context (i.e., toward food and other environmental items) rather than in the social context (i.e., at conspecifics), suggesting that the evaluation of the environment and the nutritional value of food items is of major importance to all great ape species investigated here. In contrast to the other species and female chimpanzees, however, male chimpanzees most often used olfaction to inspect their conspecifics. Together, our study suggests that olfaction is likely to be more important in great apes than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Jänig
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Jr. Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Jr. Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Jr. Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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McConkey KR. Seed Dispersal by Primates in Asian Habitats: From Species, to Communities, to Conservation. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-0013-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Hügel T, van Meir V, Muñoz-Meneses A, Clarin BM, Siemers BM, Goerlitz HR. Does similarity in call structure or foraging ecology explain interspecific information transfer in wild Myotis bats? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017; 71:168. [PMID: 29200602 PMCID: PMC5661007 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Animals can gain important information by attending to the signals and cues of other animals in their environment, with acoustic information playing a major role in many taxa. Echolocation call sequences of bats contain information about the identity and behaviour of the sender which is perceptible to close-by receivers. Increasing evidence supports the communicative function of echolocation within species, yet data about its role for interspecific information transfer is scarce. Here, we asked which information bats extract from heterospecific echolocation calls during foraging. In three linked playback experiments, we tested in the flight room and field if foraging Myotis bats approached the foraging call sequences of conspecifics and four heterospecifics that were similar in acoustic call structure only (acoustic similarity hypothesis), in foraging ecology only (foraging similarity hypothesis), both, or none. Compared to the natural prey capture rate of 1.3 buzzes per minute of bat activity, our playbacks of foraging sequences with 23-40 buzzes/min simulated foraging patches with significantly higher profitability. In the flight room, M. capaccinii only approached call sequences of conspecifics and of the heterospecific M. daubentonii with similar acoustics and foraging ecology. In the field, M. capaccinii and M. daubentonii only showed a weak positive response to those two species. Our results confirm information transfer across species boundaries and highlight the importance of context on the studied behaviour, but cannot resolve whether information transfer in trawling Myotis is based on acoustic similarity only or on a combination of similarity in acoustics and foraging ecology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Animals transfer information, both voluntarily and inadvertently, and within and across species boundaries. In echolocating bats, acoustic call structure and foraging ecology are linked, making echolocation calls a rich source of information about species identity, ecology and activity of the sender, which receivers might exploit to find profitable foraging grounds. We tested in three lab and field experiments if information transfer occurs between bat species and if bats obtain information about ecology from echolocation calls. Myotis capaccinii/daubentonii bats approached call playbacks, but only those from con- and heterospecifics with similar call structure and foraging ecology, confirming interspecific information transfer. Reactions differed between lab and field, emphasising situation-dependent differences in animal behaviour, the importance of field research, and the need for further studies on the underlying mechanism of information transfer and the relative contributions of acoustic and ecological similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Hügel
- Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Acoustic and Functional Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, Seewiesen, 82319 Germany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology (Zoology III), Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vincent van Meir
- Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Acoustic and Functional Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, Seewiesen, 82319 Germany
| | - Amanda Muñoz-Meneses
- Acoustic and Functional Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, Seewiesen, 82319 Germany
- Graduate School for Evolution, Ecology and Systematics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - B.-Markus Clarin
- Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Björn M. Siemers
- Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Holger R. Goerlitz
- Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Acoustic and Functional Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, Seewiesen, 82319 Germany
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35
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Beaune D, Hohmann G, Serckx A, Sakamaki T, Narat V, Fruth B. How bonobo communities deal with tannin rich fruits: Re-ingestion and other feeding processes. Behav Processes 2017; 142:131-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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36
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Glowacka H, McFarlin SC, Vogel ER, Stoinski TS, Ndagijimana F, Tuyisingize D, Mudakikwa A, Schwartz GT. Toughness of the Virunga mountain gorilla (
Gorilla beringei beringei
) diet across an altitudinal gradient. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Halszka Glowacka
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human OriginsArizona State UniversityTempeArizona
| | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington UniversityWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
| | - Erin R. Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, RutgersThe State University of New JerseyNew BrunswickNew Jersey
| | | | - Felix Ndagijimana
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund InternationalKarisoke Research CenterMusanzeRwanda
| | - Deo Tuyisingize
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund InternationalKarisoke Research CenterMusanzeRwanda
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and ConservationRwanda Development BoardKigaliRwanda
| | - Gary T. Schwartz
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human OriginsArizona State UniversityTempeArizona
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37
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A comparative analysis of infraorbital foramen size in Paleogene euarchontans. J Hum Evol 2017; 105:57-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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38
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Matsuda I, Clauss M, Tuuga A, Sugau J, Hanya G, Yumoto T, Bernard H, Hummel J. Factors Affecting Leaf Selection by Foregut-fermenting Proboscis Monkeys: New Insight from in vitro Digestibility and Toughness of Leaves. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42774. [PMID: 28211530 PMCID: PMC5314408 DOI: 10.1038/srep42774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-living animals must make dietary choices in terms of chemical and physical properties, depending on their digestive physiology and availability of food resources. Here we comprehensively evaluated the dietary choices of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) consuming young leaves. We analysed the data for leaf toughness and digestibility measured by an in vitro gas production method, in addition to previously reported data on nutrient composition. Leaf toughness, in general, negatively correlated with the crude protein content, one of the most important nutritional factors affecting food selection by leaf-eating primates. This result suggests that leaf toughness assessed by oral sensation might be a proximate cue for its protein content. We confirmed the importance of the leaf chemical properties in terms of preference shown by N. larvatus; leaves with high protein content and low neutral detergent fibre levels were preferred to those of the common plant species. We also found that these preferred leaves were less tough and more digestible than the alternatives. Our in vitro results also suggested that N. larvatus were little affected by secondary plant compounds. However, the spatial distribution pattern of plant species was the strongest factor explaining the selection of the preferred leaf species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikki Matsuda
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, 1200, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi 487-8501, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre, 26 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-0081, Japan
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Augustine Tuuga
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia, 5th Floor, B Block, Wisma MUIS, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - John Sugau
- Forest Research Center, P.O. Box 1407, 90715 Sandakan Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Takakazu Yumoto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Renda S, le Roux A. The sensory ecology of prey detection in the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis). BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the absence of direct sunlight, nocturnal animals face sensory challenges different to those affecting their diurnal counterparts whilst foraging. Anecdotal observations have led to the general prediction that the auditory sensory mode is the most prominent for the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), a nocturnal, insectivorous canid. The present study aimed to clarify the relative importance of different sensory modes to foraging bat-eared foxes by conducting sensory trials with individuals belonging to a habituated population in the Kuruman River Reserve in South Africa. Foxes were tested in repeated trials controlling for particular sensory stimuli using live or pre-killed prey. Auditory cues proved significant () predictors of fox foraging success with olfactory and visual cues indicated as being of secondary importance. This study thus provides empirical confirmation for anecdotal reports that the bat-eared fox is predominantly reliant on auditory cues to determine hunting success.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Renda
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa
| | - A. le Roux
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa
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Primate Audition: Reception, Perception, and Ecology. SPRINGER HANDBOOK OF AUDITORY RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-59478-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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41
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Kawamura S, Melin AD. Evolution of Genes for Color Vision and the Chemical Senses in Primates. EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN GENOME I 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-4-431-56603-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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42
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Sayers K, Menzel CR. Risk sensitivity, phylogenetic reconstruction, and four chimpanzees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017; 71:26. [PMID: 32549648 PMCID: PMC7299205 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2234-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to variance, or risk, has been considered elementary to economic decision making, featured prominently in discussions of primate species-typical behaviors and phylogeny, and heralded as a challenge to deterministic foraging theory. Most risk sensitivity studies involve dichotomous choices and small spatial scales, providing only limited bases for predicting how variance information might be used across contexts. We examined foraging risk-sensitivity in four chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) which were presented containers associated with particular mean food rewards/variances. Preferences were measured via indoor dichotomous choice tests. Subsequent tasks, designed to assess how well these preferences held up across situations, involved a differing food type, rank-ordering arrays of containers, and/or recovering them in a large outdoor testing area. In addition, some variations involved memory for containers previously observed being hidden. Risk preferences varied by subject, experimental context, reward type, and mean reward quantity. In rank-ordering experiments, under the reward contingencies utilized, mean food quantity was a better predictor of selection order than variance. These results bring into question arguments that species-typical primate risk traits-in the sense of enduring, generalized dispositional features of organisms-have been firmly identified, and suggest that many popular experimental strategies are alone inadequate for reconstructing risk-related traits in primate/human evolution. Models from classical foraging theory, which do not address variance, have likely been successful because they include crucial variables with robust predictive value. Determining the importance of variance to naturalistic decision-making, on the other hand, will require further testing in a wide range of experimental and observational contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Sayers
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, 3401 Panthersville Rd., Decatur GA 30034 U.S.A
| | - Charles R. Menzel
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, 3401 Panthersville Rd., Decatur GA 30034 U.S.A
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43
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Valenta K, Nevo O, Martel C, Chapman CA. Plant attractants: integrating insights from pollination and seed dispersal ecology. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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44
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Chimpanzees can visually perceive differences in the freshness of foods. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34685. [PMID: 27708365 PMCID: PMC5052608 DOI: 10.1038/srep34685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour vision in primates is believed to be an adaptation for finding ripe fruit and young leaves. The contribution of the luminance distribution, which influences how humans evaluate the freshness of food, has not been explored with respect to the detection of subtle distinctions in food quality in non-human primates. We examined how chimpanzees, which are closely related to humans, perceive the freshness of foods. The findings suggest that chimpanzees were able to choose fresher cabbage based on both colour and grey-scale images. Additional tests with images of novel cabbage, spinach, and strawberries revealed that one chimpanzee could detect the freshness of other fruits and vegetables. The critical factor in determining the judgements of freshness made by the chimpanzees was the spatial layout of luminance information. These findings provide the first known evidence that chimpanzees discriminate between images representing various degrees of freshness based solely on luminance information.
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45
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McGraw WS, van Casteren A, Kane E, Geissler E, Burrows B, Daegling DJ. Feeding and oral processing behaviors of two colobine monkeys in Tai Forest, Ivory Coast. J Hum Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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46
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Estienne V, Mundry R, Kühl HS, Boesch C. Exploitation of underground bee nests by three sympatric consumers in Loango National Park, Gabon. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Estienne
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Hjalmar S. Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research; Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
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Dunham NT, Lambert AL. The role of leaf toughness on foraging efficiency in Angola black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis palliatus). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:343-54. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Department of Anthropology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH 43210
| | - Alexander L. Lambert
- Engineering Department; Star Dynamics Corporation; 4455 Reynolds Dr Hilliard Ohio 43026
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Membrane-plate transition in leaves as an influence on dietary selectivity and tooth form. J Hum Evol 2016; 98:18-26. [PMID: 27265521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Primates need accurate sensory signals about food quality to forage efficiently. Current evidence suggests that they target leaf foods based on color at long-range, reinforcing this with post-ingestive sensations relating to leaf toughness evoked during chewing. Selection against tough leaves effectively selects against high fiber content, which in turn gives a greater opportunity of acquiring protein. Here we consider a novel intermediate mechanical factor that could aid a folivore: leaves may transform mechanically from membranes (sheets that cannot maintain their shape under gravitational loads and thus 'flop') early on in development into plates (that can maintain their shape) as they mature. This transformation can be detected visually. Mechanical tests on two species of leaf eaten by southern muriqui monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides) in Southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil, support a membrane-to-plate shift in turgid leaves during their development. A measure of this mechanical transition, termed lambda (λ), was found to correlate with both leaf color and toughness, thus supporting a potential role in leaf selection. Muriquis appear to select membranous leaves, but they also eat leaves that are plate-like. We attribute this to the degree of cresting of their molar teeth. A dietary choice restricted to membranous leaves might typify the type of 'fallback' leaf that even frugivorous primates will target because membranes of low toughness are relatively easily chewed. This may be relevant to the diets of hominins because these lack the bladed postcanine teeth seen in mammals with a specialized folivorous diet. We suggest that mammals with such dental adaptations can consume tougher leaf 'plates' than others.
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Fruit Ripening Signals and Cues in a Madagascan Dry Forest: Haptic Indicators Reliably Indicate Fruit Ripeness to Dichromatic Lemurs. Evol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-016-9374-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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