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Saiyed ST, Fuentes A, Shaw E, Schurr MR, Gettler LT. Barbary macaques show sex-related differences in body weight based on anthropogenic food exposure despite comparable female-male stable isotope ratios. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3320. [PMID: 38336986 PMCID: PMC10858218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53641-9] [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: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
As the human-primate interface expands, many nonhuman primate (NHP) populations exploit anthropogenic foods to survive, while some populations opportunistically target them. Though anthropogenic food consumption is sometimes associated with greater reproductive output and survival in these populations, there is a dearth of research on possible health effects. We explore how differential exposure to anthropogenic foods is linked to variation in isotopic compositions (δ13C and δ15N) and body weights in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Gibraltar. We placed monkeys into three categories based on anthropogenic food exposure. We then analyzed individuals for isotopic signatures (N = 147) and body weight measurements (N = 80). Using the lowest exposure category as the comparison, we found body weights and δ15N values, but not δ13C values, significantly differed across key categories. Within categories, we found no significant associations between sex and δ13C or δ15N values, suggesting that individuals within categories consumed similar foods regardless of sex. We found a significant interaction effect between category and sex for predicting body weights. These results suggest that sex plays a role in how anthropogenic foods are accessed and consumed regardless of exposure, which may result in differential health profiles for female and male macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana T Saiyed
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
| | - Agustin Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Eric Shaw
- Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), Gibraltar, Gibraltar
| | - Mark R Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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2
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Loudon JE, Lewis AE, Turner TR, Howells ME, Lieurance A, Pender JE. Heavy metal ecotoxicology of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) across field sites in South Africa. Primates 2022; 63:525-533. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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3
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Andersson AA, Gibson L, Baker DM, Cybulski JD, Wang S, Leung B, Chu LM, Dingle C. Stable isotope analysis as a tool to detect illegal trade in critically endangered cockatoos. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Andersson
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - L. Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
| | - D. M. Baker
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - J. D. Cybulski
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - S. Wang
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - B. Leung
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - L. M. Chu
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - C. Dingle
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
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Inter-individual variation in the diet within a group of Japanese macaques and its relationship with social structure investigated by stable isotope and DNA analyses. Primates 2020; 62:103-112. [PMID: 32617910 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00840-3] [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: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated individual variation in diet in relation to age-sex class and kin relationship in 28 of 40 members of a small group of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). We used stable isotope ratios from hair as an index of individual dietary profiles, genetic relatedness as an index of kin relationship, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype as a marker of being an immigrant or native member of the group. The range of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios from hair of individual macaques (δ13C: -24.1‰ to -22.6‰, δ15N:3.8-5.5‰), which reflected their diet over a period of ~ 6 months, implied small individual variation in diet. The results of PERMANOVA implied that there were no significant effects of age class, sex, or mtDNA haplotype on hair stable isotope ratios between individuals, or on the variation in individual diet. However, the isotope values of males with mtDNA haplotypes that differed from those of the native females appeared to differ from those of other group members, which implies that immigrant males might have had a different diet profile from that of native group members. Furthermore, there was a weak correlation trend between genetic relatedness and differences in stable isotope ratios between pairs of individuals. Differences in stable isotope values were more marked in pairs with a more distant genetic relationship. This implies that within the group, closely related kin tended to forage together to avoid competing for food. However, this effect might have been weak because the size of the group was small relative to the size of the food patches, thereby reducing competition.
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Muñoz-Gallego R, Fedriani JM, Traveset A. Non-native Mammals Are the Main Seed Dispersers of the Ancient Mediterranean Palm Chamaerops humilis L. in the Balearic Islands: Rescuers of a Lost Seed Dispersal Service? Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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Schillaci MA, Lintlop J, Sumra M, Pizarro M, Jones-Engel L. Hair cortisol and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) from Gibraltar. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:831-838. [PMID: 30741464 PMCID: PMC8055468 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Prolonged exposure to the stress hormone cortisol can precipitate a catabolic state in animals resulting in a negative nitrogen balance and increased excreted nitrogen, possibly affecting stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in animal tissues. Here we test the hypothesis that stress, as measured by hair cortisol, is a significant contributor to variation in δ15 N and δ13 C values in hair. The results of the present study have important implications for the use of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios measured in animal and human tissues to make inferences regarding feeding ecology and diet. METHODS Samples containing roughly 10-20 hairs (approx. 4-6 cm long) were collected from 49 free ranging macaque monkeys (Macaca sylvanus) in Gibraltar. Hair samples were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes by continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Cortisol extracted from matched hair samples was measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Cortisol and stable isotope ratios were compared statistically using nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, as well as Spearman correlation. RESULTS Correlation analysis revealed that although hair δ15 N and δ13 C values were significantly correlated with each other, neither was correlated with cortisol concentrations. Cortisol concentrations were not correlated with age-adjusted body mass index. Age category was correlated with δ13 C values but not with δ15 N values. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest that the cumulative stress experienced by these macaques under typical social and environmental conditions is not a significant contributor to variation in δ15 N and δ13 C values, nor does it have a significant effect on relative body mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Schillaci
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Jessica Lintlop
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Monika Sumra
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Mark Pizarro
- Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic, Rosio Bay, Gibraltar, GX11 1|AA, Gibraltar
| | - Lisa Jones-Engel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Box 353100, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
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7
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8
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Dore KM. Ethnoprimatology without Conservation: The Political Ecology of Farmer–Green Monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) Relations in St. Kitts, West Indies. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0043-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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9
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10
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Lewis MC, West AG, O'Riain MJ. Isotopic assessment of marine food consumption by natural-foraging chacma baboons on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:77-93. [PMID: 29076130 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Stable isotope analysis has been used to investigate consumption of marine resources in a variety of terrestrial mammals, including humans, but not yet in extant nonhuman primates. We sought to test the efficacy of stable isotope analysis as a tool for such studies by comparing isotope- and observation-based estimates of marine food consumption by a troop of noncommensal, free-ranging chacma baboons. MATERIALS AND METHODS We determined δ13 C and δ15 N values of baboon hair (n = 9) and fecal samples (n = 144), and principal food items (n = 362). These values were used as input for diet models, the outputs of which were compared to observation-based estimates of marine food consumption. RESULTS Fecal δ13 C values ranged from -29.3‰ to -25.6‰. δ15 N values ranged from 0.9‰ to 6.3‰ and were positively correlated with a measure of marine foraging during the dietary integration period. Mean (± SD) δ13 C values of adult male and female baboon hairs were -21.6‰ (± 0.1) and -21.8‰ (± 0.3) respectively, and corresponding δ15 N values were 5.0‰ (± 0.3) and 3.9‰ (± 0.2). Models indicated that marine contributions were ≤10% of baboon diet within any season, and contributed ≤17% of dietary protein through the year. DISCUSSION Model output and observational data were in agreement, both indicating that despite their abundance in the intertidal region, marine foods comprised only a small proportion of baboon diet. This suggests that stable isotope analysis is a viable tool for investigating marine food consumption by natural-foraging primates in temperate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Adam G West
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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11
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Klegarth AR, Hollocher H, Jones-Engel L, Shaw E, Lee BPYH, Feeney T, Holmes D, Laguea D, Fuentes A. Urban primate ranging patterns: GPS-collar deployments for Macaca fascicularis and M. sylvanus. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28419550 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The global increase in urbanization is leading to heavier interface between humans and wildlife. Within these anthropogenic landscapes, little is known about ranging patterns, particularly with regard to urban primates. Here we present the results of the first long-term deployment of multiple GPS collars on two species of macaques to investigate the impacts of urbanization on urban primate ranging patterns in Singapore and Gibraltar. Collars data acquisition were excellent with respect to the amount, quality, and accuracy of data collected; however, remote connectivity and drop-off functionality was poor across all deployments. Analyses highlighted high variability in ranging patterns between individuals within each species that aligned with access to human food resources and patterns of tourism. Individuals from troops with less access to human food had much larger home, core, and day ranges relative to those with regular provisioning or raiding opportunities. Almost no temporal range overlap was observed between any focal individuals at either site and spatial overlap was low for all but two troops at each site. We found no relationship between anthropogenic schedules and changes in ranging patterns. Significant seasonal variation existed for daily path length and day range size for both the Singapore long-tailed and the Gibraltar Barbary macaques, with long-tailed macaques increasing their range during the equatorial monsoon season and Barbary macaques increasing their range during drier, summer months. This study highlights how the behavioral plasticity found within the genus Macaca is reflected in ranging pattern variability within urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Klegarth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Hope Hollocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | - Lisa Jones-Engel
- National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Eric Shaw
- Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, Ape's Management Team, Gibraltar
| | - Benjamin P Y-H Lee
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,National Parks Board, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tessa Feeney
- Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, Ape's Management Team, Gibraltar
| | - Damian Holmes
- Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, Ape's Management Team, Gibraltar
| | - Dale Laguea
- Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, Ape's Management Team, Gibraltar
| | - Agustín Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
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12
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Loudon JE, Sandberg PA, Wrangham RW, Fahey B, Sponheimer M. The stable isotope ecology of Pan in Uganda and beyond. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:1070-85. [PMID: 27188271 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis has long been used to study the dietary ecology of living and fossil primates, and there has been increasing interest in using stable isotopes to study primate habitat use and anthropogenic impacts on non-human primates. Here, we examine the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) from seven communities in Uganda across a continuum of habitat structure (closed to more open) and access to anthropogenic resources (no reliance to heavy reliance). In general, the hair δ(13) C, but not δ(15) N, values of these communities vary depending on forest structure and degree of anthropogenic influence. When integrated with previously published hair δ(13) C and δ(15) N values for Pan, it is apparent that modern "savanna" and "forest" Pan form discrete clusters in carbon and nitrogen isotope space, although there are exceptions probably relating to microhabitat specialization. The combined dataset also reveals that Pan δ(13) C values (but not δ(15) N values) are inversely related to rainfall (r(2) = 0.62). We converted Pan hair δ(13) C values to enamel equivalents and made comparisons to the fossil hominoids Sivapithecus sp., Gigantopithecus blacki, Ardipithecus ramidus, and Australopithecus anamensis. The δ(13) C values of the fossil hominins Ar. ramidus and Au. anamensis do not cluster with the δ(13) C values of modern Pan in "forest" habitats, or with fossil hominoids that are believed to have inhabited forests. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1070-1085, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Loudon
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
| | - Paul A Sandberg
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
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13
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Crowley BE, Reitsema LJ, Oelze VM, Sponheimer M. Advances in primate stable isotope ecology-Achievements and future prospects. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:995-1003. [PMID: 26683892 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope biogeochemistry has been used to investigate foraging ecology in non-human primates for nearly 30 years. Whereas early studies focused on diet, more recently, isotopic analysis has been used to address a diversity of ecological questions ranging from niche partitioning to nutritional status to variability in life history traits. With this increasing array of applications, stable isotope analysis stands to make major contributions to our understanding of primate behavior and biology. Most notably, isotopic data provide novel insights into primate feeding behaviors that may not otherwise be detectable. This special issue brings together some of the recent advances in this relatively new field. In this introduction to the special issue, we review the state of isotopic applications in primatology and its origins and describe some developing methodological issues, including techniques for analyzing different tissue types, statistical approaches, and isotopic baselines. We then discuss the future directions we envision for the field of primate isotope ecology. Am. J. Primatol. 78:995-1003, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Crowley
- Departments of Geology and Anthropology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
| | | | - Vicky M Oelze
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
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14
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Oelze VM. Reconstructing temporal variation in great ape and other primate diets: A methodological framework for isotope analyses in hair. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:1004-16. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vicky M. Oelze
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
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15
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Blumenthal SA, Rothman JM, Chritz KL, Cerling TE. Stable isotopic variation in tropical forest plants for applications in primatology. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:1041-54. [PMID: 26444915 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis is a promising tool for investigating primate ecology although nuanced ecological applications remain challenging, in part due to the complex nature of isotopic variability in plant-animal systems. The aim of this study is to investigate sources of carbon and nitrogen isotopic variation at the base of primate food webs that reflect aspects of primate ecology. The majority of primates inhabit tropical forest ecosystems, which are dominated by C3 vegetation. We used stable isotope ratios in plants from Kibale National Park, Uganda, a well-studied closed-canopy tropical forest, to investigate sources of isotopic variation among C3 plants related to canopy stratification, leaf age, and plant part. Unpredictably, our results demonstrate that vertical stratification within the canopy does not explain carbon or nitrogen isotopic variation in leaves. Leaf age can be a significant source of isotopic variation, although the direction and magnitude of this difference is not consistent across tree species. Some plant parts are clearly differentiated in carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition, particularly leaves compared to non-photosynthetic parts such as reproductive parts and woody stem parts. Overall, variation in the isotopic composition of floral communities, plant species, and plant parts demonstrates that stable isotope studies must include analysis of local plant species and parts consumed by the primates under study from within the study area. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1041-1054, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Blumenthal
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York. .,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York. .,Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York.,Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Kendra L Chritz
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Thure E Cerling
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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McKinney T. A classification system for describing anthropogenic influence on nonhuman primate populations. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:715-26. [PMID: 25809676 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Many nonhuman primates live in proximity to humans, and all studied primate populations are influenced in some ways by human interaction. While the effects of human interference on primate behavior and ecology are an important area of research in contemporary primatology, to date there is no systematic way to report the types or level of anthropogenic influence for a primate study population. In this paper, I introduce a diagnostic classification system that will allow primate field researchers to clearly and consistently report anthropogenic conditions at their study sites. This system provides a way to identify population conditions for four major variables: landscape, human-nonhuman primate interface, diet, and predation risk. The incredible diversity of the Order Primates necessitates a descriptive system that is applicable across a wide range of habitat types, social groupings, and ecological roles, so the proposed classification system has been specifically designed to avoid quantitative ranking. Instead, the system is intended to provide a standardized way to report a wealth of population and site information in a simple format. This will allow for meta-analysis of specific conditions across study sites, leading to a greater understanding of the effects of different forms of anthropogenic influence on primate behavior and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracie McKinney
- Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen has revolutionized anthropology's approach and understanding of the evolution of human diet. A baseline comparison across extant nonhuman primates reveals that they all depend on C3 plants in forests, forest patches, and woodlands except during rare seasonal intake, in marginal regions, or where maize fields exist. Even large-bodied hominoids that could theoretically rely on hard-to-digest C4 plants do not do so. Some Plio-Pleistocene hominins, however, apparently relied heavily on C4 and/or CAM plants, which suggests that they relied extensively on cecal-colon microbial fermentation. Neanderthals seem less carnivorous than is often assumed when we compare their δ15Nbone collagen values with those of recent human populations, including recent human foragers who also fall at or near the top of their local trophic system. Finally, the introduction of maize into North America is shown to have been more sporadic and temporally variable than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret J. Schoeninger
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0532
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18
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Loudon JE, Grobler JP, Sponheimer M, Moyer K, Lorenz JG, Turner TR. Using the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to examine questions in ethnoprimatology. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100758. [PMID: 25010211 PMCID: PMC4091945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This study seeks to understand how humans impact the dietary patterns of eight free-ranging vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) groups in South Africa using stable isotope analysis. Vervets are omnivores that exploit a wide range of habitats including those that have been anthropogenically-disturbed. As humans encroach upon nonhuman primate landscapes, human-nonhuman primate interconnections become increasingly common, which has led to the rise of the field of ethnoprimatology. To date, many ethnoprimatological studies have examined human-nonhuman primate associations largely in qualitative terms. By using stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis, we use quantitative data to understand the degree to which humans impact vervet monkey dietary patterns. Based on initial behavioral observations we placed the eight groups into three categories of anthropogenic disturbance (low, mid, and high). Using δ13C and δ15N values we estimated the degree to which each group and each anthropogenically-disturbed category was consuming C4 plants (primarily sugar cane, corn, or processed foods incorporating these crops). δ13C values were significantly different between groups and categories of anthropogenic-disturbance. δ15N values were significantly different at the group level. The two vervet groups with the highest consumption of C4 plants inhabited small nature reserves, appeared to interact with humans only sporadically, and were initially placed in the mid level of anthropogenic-disturbance. However, further behavioral observations revealed that the high δ13C values exhibited by these groups were linked to previously unseen raiding of C4 crops. By revealing these cryptic feeding patterns, this study illustrates the utility of stable isotopes analysis for some ethnoprimatological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E. Loudon
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - J. Paul Grobler
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Moyer
- University of Colorado, Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Joseph G. Lorenz
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Trudy R. Turner
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconisn, United States of America
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Schillaci MA, Castellini JM, Stricker CA, Jones-Engel L, Lee BPYH, O'Hara TM. Variation in hair δ(13)C and δ (15)N values in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) from Singapore. Primates 2013; 55:25-34. [PMID: 23729223 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0361-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Much of the primatology literature on stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N) has focused on African and New World species, with comparatively little research published on Asian primates. Here we present hair δ(13)C and δ(15)N isotope values for a sample of 33 long-tailed macaques from Singapore. We evaluate the suggestion by a previous researcher that forest degradation and biodiversity loss in Singapore have led to a decline in macaque trophic level. The results of our analysis indicated significant spatial variability in δ(13)C but not δ(15)N. The range of variation in δ(13)C was consistent with a diet based on C3 resources, with one group exhibiting low values consistent with a closed canopy environment. Relative to other macaque species from Europe and Asia, the macaques from Singapore exhibited a low mean δ(13)C value but mid-range mean δ(15)N value. Previous research suggesting a decline in macaque trophic level is not supported by the results of our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Schillaci
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada,
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Nakashita R, Hamada Y, Hirasaki E, Suzuki J, Oi T. Characteristics of stable isotope signature of diet in tissues of captive Japanese macaques as revealed by controlled feeding. Primates 2013; 54:271-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0346-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Sha JCM, Hanya G. Diet, activity, habitat use, and ranging of two neighboring groups of food-enhanced long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Am J Primatol 2013; 75:581-92. [PMID: 23447101 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We conducted observations of two neighboring groups of food-enhanced long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) over a period of one year. We examined their diet, behavior, habitat use, and ranging and how within-population variability reflected differential utilization of anthropogenic food resources. The group that consumed more anthropogenic food spent less time feeding on wild fruits and flowers, less time resting, and more time locomoting. They used forest habitats less often, and had a larger total home range and mean monthly home range. Some of these results contrasted with previous studies of food-enhanced primates which reported that food-enhancement resulted in smaller home ranges, shorter daily ranges, less time traveling and feeding, and more time resting. These contrasting patterns may relate to the nature of anthropogenic foods. In most studies of food-enhanced primates, anthropogenic food resources were abundant and concentrated but the macaques in this study used anthropogenic foods mainly from a few refuse sites where they had limited access, and from dispersed and irregular human provisioning. The group consuming more anthropogenic food therefore showed more spatially dispersed feeding activity and home range use, an effect that was likely further enhanced by lower natural food resource availability within their home range. The Singapore macaque population shows small-scale variability in feeding and ranging behavior, contributing to the complexity of their adaptive variability in a human-altered habitat. Our findings could have important implications for mitigating human-macaque conflict as measures applied at a higher spatial or population level may achieve highly inconsistent results, intensifying the challenges for wildlife managers.
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Sandberg PA, Loudon JE, Sponheimer M. Stable isotope analysis in primatology: a critical review. Am J Primatol 2013; 74:969-89. [PMID: 23015270 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis has become an important tool in ecology over the last 25 years. A wealth of ecological information is stored in animal tissues in the relative abundances of the stable isotopes of several elements, particularly carbon and nitrogen, because these isotopes navigate through ecological processes in predictable ways. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes have been measured in most primate taxonomic groups and have yielded information about dietary content, dietary variability, and habitat use. Stable isotopes have recently proven useful for addressing more fine-grained questions about niche dynamics and anthropogenic effects on feeding ecology. Here, we discuss stable carbon and nitrogen isotope systematics and critically review the published stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data for modern primates with a focus on the problems and prospects for future stable isotope applications in primatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Sandberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 80309-0233, USA.
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Abstract
Humans are literal and figurative kin to other primates, with whom many of us coexist in diverse social, ecological, symbolic, conflictual, and even hopeful contexts. Anthropogenic action is changing global and local ecologies as fast as, or faster than, we can study them. Ethnoprimatology, the combining of primatological and anthropological practice and the viewing of humans and other primates as living in integrated and shared ecological and social spaces, is becoming an increasingly popular approach to primate studies in the twenty-first century. This approach plays a core linking role between anthropology and primate studies and may enable us to more effectively assess, and better understand, the complex ecologies and potential for sustainability in human–other primate communities. Here I review the basic theoretical underpinnings, historical contexts, and a selection of current research outcomes for the ethnoprimatological endeavor and indicate what this approach can tell us about human–other primate relations in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46545
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