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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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2
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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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3
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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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4
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Valenta K, Bhramdat HD, Calhoun GV, Daegling DJ, Nevo O. Variation in ripe fruit hardness: a mechanical constraint? OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Dept of Anthropology, Univ. of Florida, Turlington Hall Gainesville FL USA
| | - Henna D. Bhramdat
- Dept of Anthropology, Univ. of Florida, Turlington Hall Gainesville FL USA
| | - Grace V. Calhoun
- Dept of Anthropology, Univ. of Florida, Turlington Hall Gainesville FL USA
| | - David J. Daegling
- Dept of Anthropology, Univ. of Florida, Turlington Hall Gainesville FL USA
| | - Omer Nevo
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena, Inst. of Biodiversity Jena Germany
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5
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Liu J, Zhao Y, Xu H, Zhao X, Tan Y, Li P, Li D, Tao Y, Liu D. Fruit softening correlates with enzymatic activities and compositional changes in fruit cell wall during growing in
Lycium barbarum
L. Int J Food Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.14948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Yuhui Zhao
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Hao Xu
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
- School of Food Science and Technology Jiangnan University Wuxi214122China
| | - Xiaolu Zhao
- School of Food & Wine Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Yutian Tan
- School of Food & Wine Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Peipei Li
- School of Food & Wine Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Dongdong Li
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Yingmei Tao
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
| | - Dunhua Liu
- School of Agriculture Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
- School of Food & Wine Ningxia University Yinchuan750021China
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Mahandran V, Murugan CM, Gang W, Jin C, Nathan PT. Multimodal cues facilitate ripe-fruit localization and extraction in free-ranging pteropodid bats. Behav Processes 2021; 189:104426. [PMID: 34048877 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensory cues play an important role in any plant-animal interaction. Yet, we know very little about the cues used by wild mammals during fruit selection. Existing evidence mainly comes from captive studies and suggests that the pteropodid bats rely on olfaction to find fruits. In this study, we avoided captivity-generated stressors and provide insights from natural selective forces by performing manipulative experiments on free-ranging fruit bats (Cynopterus sphinx) in a wild setting, in a tree species that exhibits a bat-fruit syndrome (Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia). We find that visual cues are necessary and sufficient to locate ripe fruits. Fruit experiments exhibiting visual cues alone received more bat visits than those exhibiting other combinations of visual and olfactory cues. Ripe fruit extractions were higher by bats that evaluated fruits by perching than hovering, indicating an additional cue, i.e., haptic cue. Visual cues appear to be informative over short distances, whereas olfactory and haptic cues facilitate the fruit evaluation for those bats that used hovering and perching strategies, respectively. This study also shows that adult bats were more skillful in extracting ripe fruits than the young bats, and there was a positive correlation between the weight of selected fruits and bat weight. This study suggests that the integration of multimodal cues (visual, olfactory and haptic) facilitate ripe-fruit localization and extraction in free-ranging pteropodid bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valliyappan Mahandran
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | | | - Wang Gang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - Chen Jin
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
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Sinnott-Armstrong MA, Donoghue MJ, Jetz WJ. Dispersers and environment drive global variation in fruit colour syndromes. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1387-1399. [PMID: 33908685 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The colours of fleshy fruits play a critical role in plant dispersal by advertising ripe fruits to consumers. Fruit colours have long been classified into syndromes attributed to selection by animal dispersers, despite weak evidence for this hypothesis. Here, we test the relative importance of biotic (bird and mammal frugivory) and abiotic (wet season temperatures, growing season length and UV-B radiation) factors in determining fruit colour syndrome in 3163 species of fleshy-fruited plants. We find that both dispersers and environment are important, and they interact. In warm areas, contrastive, bird-associated fruit colours increase with relative bird frugivore prevalence, whereas in cold places these colours dominate even where mammalian dispersers are prevalent. We present near-global maps of predicted fruit colour syndrome based on our species-level model and our newly developed characterisations of relative importance of bird and mammal frugivores.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J Donoghue
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Walter J Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Nevo O, Valenta K, Kleiner A, Razafimandimby D, Jeffrey JAJ, Chapman CA, Ayasse M. The evolution of fruit scent: phylogenetic and developmental constraints. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:138. [PMID: 33109084 PMCID: PMC7590443 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fruit scent is increasingly recognized as an evolved signal whose function is to attract animal seed dispersers and facilitate plant reproduction. However, like all traits, fruit scent is likely to evolve in response to conflicting selective pressures and various constraints. Two major constraints are (i) phylogenetic constraints, in which traits are inherited from ancestors rather than adapted to current conditions and (ii) developmental constraints, if phenotypes are limited by the expression of other traits within the individual. We tested whether phylogenetic constraints play a role in fruit scent evolution by calculating the phylogenetic signal in ripe fruits of 98 species from three study sites. We then estimated the importance of developmental constraints by examining whether ripe fruits tend to emit compounds that are chemically similar to, and share biosynthetic pathways with, compounds emitted by conspecific unripe fruits from which they develop. RESULTS We show that closely related taxa are not more similar to each other than to very distinct taxa, thus indicating that fruit scent shows little phylogenetic signal. At the same time, although ripe and unripe fruits of the same species tend to emit different chemicals, they tend to employ chemicals originating from similar biosynthetic pathways, thus indicating that some developmental constraints determine ripe fruit scent. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the complex landscape in which fruit scent has evolved. On one hand, fruit scent evolution is not limited by common ancestry. On the other hand, the range of chemicals that can be employed in ripe fruits is probably constrained by the needs of unripe fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstr 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Annemarie Kleiner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037 USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Valenta K, Daegling DJ, Nevo O, Ledogar J, Sarkar D, Kalbitzer U, Bortolamiol S, Omeja P, Chapman CA, Ayasse M, Kay R, Williams B. Fruit Selectivity in Anthropoid Primates: Size Matters. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00158-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Thompson CL, Bottenberg KN, Lantz AW, de Oliveira MAB, Melo LCO, Vinyard CJ. What smells? Developing in-field methods to characterize the chemical composition of wild mammalian scent cues. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4691-4701. [PMID: 32551053 PMCID: PMC7297786 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfactory cues play an important role in mammalian biology, but have been challenging to assess in the field. Current methods pose problematic issues with sample storage and transportation, limiting our ability to connect chemical variation in scents with relevant ecological and behavioral contexts. Real-time, in-field analysis via portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has the potential to overcome these issues, but with trade-offs of reduced sensitivity and compound mass range. We field-tested the ability of portable GC-MS to support two representative applications of chemical ecology research with a wild arboreal primate, common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus). We developed methods to (a) evaluate the chemical composition of marmoset scent marks deposited at feeding sites and (b) characterize the scent profiles of exudates eaten by marmosets. We successfully collected marmoset scent marks across several canopy heights, with the portable GC-MS detecting known components of marmoset glandular secretions and differentiating these from in-field controls. Likewise, variation in the chemical profile of scent marks demonstrated a significant correlation with marmoset feeding behavior, indicating these scents' biological relevance. The portable GC-MS also delineated species-specific olfactory signatures of exudates fed on by marmosets. Despite the trade-offs, portable GC-MS represents a viable option for characterizing olfactory compounds used by wild mammals, yielding biologically relevant data. While the decision to adopt portable GC-MS will likely depend on site- and project-specific needs, our ability to conduct two example applications under relatively challenging field conditions bodes well for the versatility of in-field GC-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L. Thompson
- Department of Biomedical SciencesGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMIUSA
| | | | - Andrew W. Lantz
- Department of ChemistryGrand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMIUSA
| | - Maria A. B. de Oliveira
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia AnimalUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Leonardo C. O. Melo
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia AnimalUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
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11
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Valenta K, Nevo O. The dispersal syndrome hypothesis: How animals shaped fruit traits, and how they did not. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Ulm Germany
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13
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Nevo O, Razafimandimby D, Valenta K, Jeffrey JAJ, Reisdorff C, Chapman CA, Ganzhorn JU, Ayasse M. Signal and reward in wild fleshy fruits: Does fruit scent predict nutrient content? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10534-10543. [PMID: 31624565 PMCID: PMC6787828 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species with fleshy fruits offer animals rewards such as sugar, protein, and fat, to feed on their fruits and disperse their seeds. They have also evolved visual and olfactory signals indicating their presence and ripeness.In some systems, fruit color serves as a reliable visual signal of nutrient content. Yet even though many volatile chemicals used as olfactory signals derive from nutrients animals seek, it is still unknown whether fruit scent encodes information regarding nutrient content in wild fruits.We examine the relationship between olfactory signals and nutrient rewards in 28 fruiting plant species in Madagascar. We measured the relative amounts of four chemical classes in fruit scent using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, as well as the relative amounts of sugar and protein in fruit pulp.We found that protein levels are not associated with elevated amounts of chemically related volatile compounds in fruit scent. In contrast, sugar content is strongly associated with the chemical composition of fruit scent.To our knowledge, this is the first research to explore the connection between fruit chemical signals and nutrient rewards. Our results imply that in the case of sugar, fruit scent is predictive of nutrient content and hence an honest signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal BiodiversityUniversity of AntananarivoAntananarivoMadagascar
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Christoph Reisdorff
- Institute of Plant Science and MicrobiologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of AnthropologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
- School of Life ScienceUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China of Ministry of EducationCollege of Life ScienceNorthwest UniversityXianChina
| | - Jörg U. Ganzhorn
- Animal Ecology and ConservationUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
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14
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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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16
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Valenta K, Kalbitzer U, Razafimandimby D, Omeja P, Ayasse M, Chapman CA, Nevo O. The evolution of fruit colour: phylogeny, abiotic factors and the role of mutualists. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14302. [PMID: 30250307 PMCID: PMC6155155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32604-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The adaptive significance of fruit colour has been investigated for over a century. While colour can fulfil various functions, the most commonly tested hypothesis is that it has evolved to increase fruit visual conspicuousness and thus promote detection and consumption by seed dispersing animals. However, fruit colour is a complex trait which is subjected to various constraints and selection pressures. As a result, the effect of animal selection on fruit colour are often difficult to identify, and several studies have failed to detect it. Here, we employ an integrative approach to examine what drives variation in fruit colour. We quantified the colour of ripe fruit and mature leaves of 97 tropical plant species from three study sites in Madagascar and Uganda. We used phylogenetically controlled models to estimate the roles of phylogeny, abiotic factors, and dispersal mode on fruit colour variation. Our results show that, independent of phylogeny and leaf coloration, mammal dispersed fruits are greener than bird dispersed fruits, while the latter are redder than the former. In addition, fruit colour does not correlate with leaf colour in the visible spectrum, but fruit reflection in the ultraviolet area of the spectrum is strongly correlated with leaf reflectance, emphasizing the role of abiotic factors in determining fruit colour. These results demonstrate that fruit colour is affected by both animal sensory ecology and abiotic factors and highlight the importance of an integrative approach which controls for the relevant confounding factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Duke University, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, 130 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Urs Kalbitzer
- McGill University, McGill School of the Environment and Department of Anthropology, 3534 University Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H3A-2A7, Canada
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Patrick Omeja
- Makerere University Biological Field Station, P.O. Box 907, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Colin A Chapman
- McGill University, McGill School of the Environment and Department of Anthropology, 3534 University Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H3A-2A7, Canada
| | - Omer Nevo
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, 89081, Germany.
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Price CJ, Banks PB. Food quality and conspicuousness shape improvements in olfactory discrimination by mice. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2629. [PMID: 28123093 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals locate nutritious but camouflaged prey items with increasing accuracy is not well understood. Olfactory foraging is common in vertebrates and the nutritional desirability of food should influence the salience of odour cues. We used signal detection analysis to test the effect of nutritional value relative to the conspicuousness of food patches on rates of foraging improvement of wild house mice Mus musculus searching for buried food (preferred peanuts or non-preferred barley). Olfactory cues were arranged to make food patches conspicuous or difficult to distinguish using a novel form of olfactory camouflage. Regardless of food type or abundance, mice searching for conspicuous food patches performed significantly better than mice searching for camouflaged patches. However, food type influenced how mice responded to different levels of conspicuousness. Mice searching for peanuts improved by similar rates regardless of whether food was easy or hard to find, but mice searching for barley showed significant differences, improving rapidly when food was conspicuous but declining in accuracy when food was camouflaged. Our results demonstrate a fundamental tenet of olfactory foraging that nutritional desirability influences rates of improvement in odour discrimination, enabling nutritious but camouflaged prey to be located with increasing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Valenta K, Chapman CA. Primate-Plant Mutualisms: Is There Evidence for Primate Fruit Syndromes? PRIMATE LIFE HISTORIES, SEX ROLES, AND ADAPTABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-98285-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Nevo O, Valenta K, Tevlin AG, Omeja P, Styler SA, Jackson DJ, Chapman CA, Ayasse M. Fruit defence syndromes: the independent evolution of mechanical and chemical defences. Evol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-017-9919-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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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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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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