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Plastiras CA, Thiery G, Guy F, Alba DM, Nishimura T, Kostopoulos DS, Merceron G. Investigating the dietary niches of fossil Plio-Pleistocene European macaques: The case of Macaca majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia. J Hum Evol 2023; 185:103454. [PMID: 37977021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103454] [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: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The genus Macaca includes medium- to large-bodied monkeys and represents one of the most diverse primate genera, also having a very large geographic range. Nowadays, wild macaque populations are found in Asia and Africa, inhabiting a wide array of habitats. Fossil macaques were also present in Europe from the Late Miocene until the Late Pleistocene. Macaques are considered ecologically flexible monkeys that exhibit highly opportunistic dietary strategies, which may have been critical to their evolutionary success. Nevertheless, available ecological information regarding fossil European species is very sparse, limiting our knowledge of their evolutionary history in this geographic area. To further our understanding of fossil European macaque ecology, we investigated the dietary ecology of Macaca majori, an insular endemic species from Sardinia. In particular, we characterized the dental capabilities and potential dietary adaptations of M. majori through dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses of two M2s from the Early Pleistocene site of Capo Figari (1.8 Ma). We also assessed its diet through dental microwear texture analysis, while the microwear texture of M. majori was also compared with microwear textures from other European fossil macaques from mainland Europe. The dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses suggest that M. majori frequently consumes hard/mechanically challenging and/or abrasive foods. The results of the dental microwear analysis are consistent with this interpretation and further suggest that M. majori probably exhibited more durophagous dietary habits than mainland Plio-Pleistocene macaques. Overall, our results indicate that M. majori probably occupied a different dietary niche compared to its mainland fossil relatives, which suggests that they may have inhabited different paleoenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Alexandros Plastiras
- Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124 Thessaloniki, Greece; PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France.
| | - Ghislain Thiery
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
| | - Franck Guy
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
| | - David M Alba
- Insitut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Auntònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Takeshi Nishimura
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Dimitris S Kostopoulos
- Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Gildas Merceron
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
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Elliott T, Truong C, Jackson S, Zúñiga C, Trappe J, Vernes K. Mammalian mycophagy: A global review of ecosystem interactions between mammals and fungi. Fungal Syst Evol 2022; 9:99-159. [PMID: 36072820 PMCID: PMC9402283 DOI: 10.3114/fuse.2022.09.07] [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] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The consumption of fungi by animals is a significant trophic interaction in most terrestrial ecosystems, yet the role mammals play in these associations has been incompletely studied. In this review, we compile 1 154 references published over the last 146 years and provide the first comprehensive global review of mammal species known to eat fungi (508 species in 15 orders). We review experimental studies that found viable fungal inoculum in the scats of at least 40 mammal species, including spores from at least 58 mycorrhizal fungal species that remained viable after ingestion by mammals. We provide a summary of mammal behaviours relating to the consumption of fungi, the nutritional importance of fungi for mammals, and the role of mammals in fungal spore dispersal. We also provide evidence to suggest that the morphological evolution of sequestrate fungal sporocarps (fruiting bodies) has likely been driven in part by the dispersal advantages provided by mammals. Finally, we demonstrate how these interconnected associations are widespread globally and have far-reaching ecological implications for mammals, fungi and associated plants in most terrestrial ecosystems. Citation: Elliott TF, Truong C, Jackson S, Zúñiga CL, Trappe JM, Vernes K (2022). Mammalian mycophagy: a global review of ecosystem interactions between mammals and fungi. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 9: 99-159. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2022.09.07.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.F. Elliott
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - C. Truong
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - S.M. Jackson
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St., Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - C.L. Zúñiga
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - J.M. Trappe
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - K. Vernes
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
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Trapanese C, Meunier H, Masi S. Do primates flexibly use spatio-temporal cues when foraging? Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2020; 75:232-244. [PMID: 33084504 DOI: 10.1177/1747021820970724] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Foraging in seasonal environments can be cognitively demanding. Comparative studies have associated large brain size with a frugivorous diet. We investigated the ability of three semi-free-ranging primate species with different degrees of frugivory (Ntrials: Macaca tonkeana = 419, Macaca fascicularis = 197, Sapajus apella = 346) in developing a mental representation of the spatio-temporal distribution of food using foraging experiments. Forty-two boxes were fixed on trees, and each week ("season"), some of them were filled with fruits which were either highly preferred, or less preferred. Spatial (geometrical panels) and temporal (peel skin of the available fruit) cues were present at each season to indicate where (food location), what (which food) was available, and when. To test the flexible use of the cues in primate foraging behaviour, we first removed the spatial and temporal cues one at a time, and then, we manipulated the "seasonal" order of the available fruit. We compared the foraging performances in the absence and the presence of the cues and during the usual and unusual seasonal order. The average proportion of baited boxes chosen by the subjects in presence of both cues was high (between 73% and 98%) for all species. The primates seemed to remember the spatio-temporal food availability (or used other cues) because no difference was found between trials with or without our spatial and temporal cues. When the usual seasonal pattern was changed, they flexibly adjusted the feeding choice by using the provided temporal cues. We discuss these results also in view of a possible experimental bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Trapanese
- UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle-CNRS-Univ. Paris 7), Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France.,Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Hélène Meunier
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Niederhausbergen, France.,Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS et Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Shelly Masi
- UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle-CNRS-Univ. Paris 7), Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France
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Scott JE. Macroevolutionary effects on primate trophic evolution and their implications for reconstructing primate origins. J Hum Evol 2019; 133:1-12. [PMID: 31358174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The visual-predation hypothesis proposes that certain derived features shared by crown primates reflect an insectivorous ancestry. Critics of this idea have argued that because insectivory is uncommon among extant primates it is unlikely to have been a major influence on early primate evolution. According to this perspective, the low frequency of insectivory indicates that it is an apomorphic deviation from the mostly conserved primate ecological pattern of herbivory. The present study tests two alternative hypotheses that are compatible with an insectivorous ancestor: (1) that trophic evolution was biased, such that herbivory evolved repeatedly with few shifts back to insectivory, and (2) that insectivorous lineages have diversified at a lower rate than herbivorous lineages owing to differential trophic effects on speciation and extinction probabilities. Model-based analysis conducted using trait data for 307 extant primate species indicates that rates of transition into and out of insectivory are similar, rejecting the hypothesis of biased trophic evolution. On the other hand, the hypothesis of asymmetric diversification is supported, with insectivorous lineages having a lower rate of diversification than herbivorous lineages. This correlation is mediated by activity pattern: insectivory occurs mostly in nocturnal lineages, which have a lower diversification rate than diurnal lineages. The frequency of insectivory also appears to have been shaped by repeated transitions into ecological contexts in which insectivory is absent (large body size) or rare (diurnality). These findings suggest that the current distribution of trophic strategies among extant primates is the result of macroevolutionary processes that have favored the proliferation and persistence of herbivory relative to insectivory. This conclusion implies that the low frequency of insectivory is not necessarily evidence against the visual-predation hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah E Scott
- Department of Medical Anatomical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second St. Pomona, California, 91766-1854, USA.
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Scott JE. Reevaluating cases of trait-dependent diversification in primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:244-256. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah E. Scott
- Department of Medical Anatomical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific; Western University of Health Sciences; Pomona California 91766
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Guatelli‐Steinberg D, Pampush JD, O'Hara MC, Xing S, McGraw WS, Ferrell RJ. Do Mid‐Crown Enamel Formation Front Angles Reflect Factors Linked to the Pace of Primate Growth and Development? Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 301:125-139. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - James D. Pampush
- Department of Exercise ScienceHigh Point UniversityHigh Point North Carolina 27268
| | - Mackie C. O'Hara
- Department of AnthropologyThe Ohio State University, 4034 Smith LaboratoryColumbus Ohio 43210‐1106
| | - Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, 100044
| | - W. Scott McGraw
- Department of AnthropologyThe Ohio State University, 4034 Smith LaboratoryColumbus Ohio 43210‐1106
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Influence of Fruit Availability on Fruit Consumption in a Generalist Primate, the Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta. INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9933-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Forest seasonality shapes diet of limestone-living rhesus macaques at Nonggang, China. Primates 2015; 57:83-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-015-0498-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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José-Domínguez JM, Asensio N, García CJG, Huynen MC, Savini T. Exploring the Multiple Functions of Sleeping Sites in Northern Pigtailed Macaques (Macaca leonina). INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9865-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Heymann EW, Ganzhorn JU. History of primate behavioural and ecological field research at the German Primate Center. Primate Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.5194/pb-2-73-2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. This paper describes the background of the first behavioural and ecological field studies on primates conducted by German primatologists in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Field research by scientists from DPZ started in the middle 1980s at a time when this was not yet considered a major task for DPZ. Establishment of field research became possible due to recommendations from institutional and departmental evaluations and the formation of a working group "Ethology and Ecology", which was later transformed into a department in the 1990s. Since then, field research has gained momentum, and has become part of the research program of other DPZ departments. The DPZ is now unique, as it runs field sites in all major areas of primate distribution. The foresight and support of Hans-Jürg Kuhn during his period as scientific director was seminal and essential for the evolution of primate field research at DPZ.
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Richter C, Heesen M, Nenadić O, Ostner J, Schülke O. Males matter: Increased home range size is associated with the number of resident males after controlling for ecological factors in wild Assamese macaques. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 159:52-62. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christin Richter
- Department of Behavioral Ecology; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Göttingen 37077 Germany
| | - Marlies Heesen
- Department of Behavioral Ecology; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Göttingen 37077 Germany
| | - Oleg Nenadić
- Chair of Econometrics, University of Erfurt; Erfurt 99089 Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Göttingen 37077 Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center; Göttingen 37077 Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Göttingen 37077 Germany
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José-Domínguez JM, Savini T, Asensio N. Ranging and site fidelity in northern pigtailed macaques (Macaca leonina) over different temporal scales. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:841-53. [PMID: 25864438 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Space-use patterns are crucial to understanding the ecology, evolution, and conservation of primates, but detailed ranging data are scarce for many species, especially those in Southeast Asia. Researchers studying site fidelity to either home ranges or core areas have focused mainly on territorial species, whereas less information is available for non-territorial species. We analyzed the ranging patterns and site fidelity of one wild troop of northern pigtailed macaques over 16 months at different temporal scales. We used characteristic hull polygons in combination with spatial statistics to estimate home ranges and core areas. The total home range and core areas were 449 ha and 190 ha, respectively. Average daily path length was 2,246 m. The macaques showed a high defendabili--ty index according to the expected ranging of a non-territorial species in which movement does not theoretically permit the defense of a large territory. Overall, the study troop ranged more extensively than conspecific groups and closely related species studied elsewhere. These differences may reflect variable troop size, degree of terrestriality and habitat characteristics, but could also reflect methodological differences. The location, size and shape of home ranges and core areas, and extent of daily path lengths changed on a monthly basis resulting in low site fidelity between months. The macaques also showed clear shifts in the location of daily home ranges with low site fidelity scores between consecutive days. Daily home range and daily path length were related to seasonality, with greater values during the fruit-abundant period. Low site fidelity associated with lack of territoriality is consistent with macaques structuring their movement based on available food sources. However, ranging patterns and site fidelity can also be explained by macaques feeding on the move, a foraging strategy that hinders frequent and long visits to the same location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel José-Domínguez
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, Spain
| | - Tommaso Savini
- Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Norberto Asensio
- Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies. Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand
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Richter C, Gras P, Hodges K, Ostner J, Schülke O. Feeding behavior and aggression in wild Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu) living under low predation risk. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:741-52. [PMID: 25736828 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Investigating which factors influence feeding competition is crucial for our understanding of the diversity of social relationships. Socio-ecological models differ in their predictions whether predation risk directly influences feeding competition and which factors exactly predict contest competition. We investigated feeding competition in Siberut macaques (Macaca siberu), a species endemic to Siberut Island (West Sumatra, Indonesia). Siberut macaques experience low predation risk, as major predators (felids, raptors) are absent. They are therefore appropriate subjects to test the prediction that low predation risk reduces feeding competition. To estimate contest potential, we quantified size, spatial distribution and density of food plants, and the availability of alternative resources. We recorded behavior in food patches using a modified focal tree method. Food patches, sorted by decreasing average feeding group size, included large trees (40% of focal plant observations), lianas/strangler (16%), medium trees (9%), small (palm) trees (20%), and rattan (15%). Most food patches were clumped but occurred at low densities relative to the area of average group spread. Thus, availability of alternative food patches was low. Although food patch characteristics indicate high contest potential, the observed aggression rate (0.13 bouts between adults/h) was low relative to other primates. Average feeding group size was small relative to total group size, and feeding group size matched crown volume. Perceived predation risk was low, based on spatial and feeding behavior of juveniles. Together, these results suggest that predation risk may influence feeding competition. Social and temporal factors (patch feeding time), but not ecological factors (fruit abundance in patch and forest, alternative resources) predicted aggression frequency in food patches. Overall, comparative data are still relatively scarce, and researchers should collect more data on group spread, sub-grouping, perceived predation risk, and aggression in food patches before we can draw final conclusions about the role of predation risk for feeding competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Richter
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Gras
- Department of Agroecology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Keith Hodges
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Huang Z, Huang C, Tang C, Huang L, Tang H, Ma G, Zhou Q. Dietary adaptations of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) in limestone forests in Southwest China. Am J Primatol 2014; 77:171-85. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghao Huang
- School of Life Sciences; South China Normal University; Guangzhou China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology; Guangxi Normal University; Guilin China
| | - Chengming Huang
- National Zoological Museum; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | - Chuangbin Tang
- College of Forest Resources and Environment; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
| | - Libin Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology; Guangxi Normal University; Guilin China
| | - Huaxing Tang
- The Administration of Nonggang Nature Reserve; Chongzuo China
| | - Guangzhi Ma
- School of Life Sciences; South China Normal University; Guangzhou China
- Guangdong Institute of Science and Technology; Zhuhai China
| | - Qihai Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology; Guangxi Normal University; Guilin China
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Kato A, Tang N, Borries C, Papakyrikos AM, Hinde K, Miller E, Kunimatsu Y, Hirasaki E, Shimizu D, Smith TM. Intra- and interspecific variation in macaque molar enamel thickness. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:447-59. [PMID: 25146639 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Enamel thickness has played an important role in studies of primate taxonomy, phylogeny, and functional morphology, although its variation among hominins is poorly understood. Macaques parallel hominins in their widespread geographic distribution, relative range of body sizes, and radiation during the last five million years. To explore enamel thickness variation, we quantified average and relative enamel thickness (AET and RET) in Macaca arctoides, Macaca fascicularis, Macaca fuscata, Macaca mulatta, Macaca nemestrina, and Macaca sylvanus. Enamel area, dentine area, and enamel-dentine junction length were measured from mesial sections of 386 molars scanned with micro-computed tomography, yielding AET and RET indices. Intraspecific sex differences were not found in AET or RET. Macaca fuscata had the highest AET and RET, M. fascicularis showed the lowest AET, and M. arctoides had the lowest RET. The latitudinal distribution of macaque species was associated with AET for these six species. Temperate macaques had thicker molar enamel than did tropical macaques, suggesting that thick enamel may be adaptive in seasonal environments. Additional research is needed to determine if thick enamel in temperate macaques is a response to intensified hard-object feeding, increased abrasion, and/or a broader diet with a greater range of food material properties. The extreme ecological flexibility of macaques may prohibit identification of consistent trends between specific diets and enamel thickness conditions. Such complications of interpretation of ecological variability, dietary diversity, and enamel thickness may similarly apply for fossil Homo species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Kato
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138; Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya, 4648650, Japan
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Sengupta A, McConkey KR, Radhakrishna S. Seed dispersal by rhesus macaquesMacaca mulattain Northern India. Am J Primatol 2014; 76:1175-84. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asmita Sengupta
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering; National Institute of Advanced Studies; Indian Institute of Science Campus; Bangalore 560 012 India
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering; National Institute of Advanced Studies; Indian Institute of Science Campus; Bangalore 560 012 India
| | - Sindhu Radhakrishna
- School of Natural Sciences and Engineering; National Institute of Advanced Studies; Indian Institute of Science Campus; Bangalore 560 012 India
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