Abstract
Food selection of different primate species is reviewed in relation to secondary plant chemicals such as alkaloids and tannins. Different species discriminate differently against these chemicals.
The tolerance of potentially toxic substances (e.g. alkaloids) is not restricted to species with enlarged foreguts but is also found among lemurs with rather unspecialized digestive systems.
On the community level different reactions towards food chemicals seem to be an important mechanism contributing to species separation and thus allowing coexistence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bate-Smith E.C., 1975.Phytochemistry of proanthocyanidins. Phytochemistry, 14: 1107–1113.
Bourlière F., 1985.Primate Communities: their structure and role in tropical ecosystems. Int. J. Primatol. 6: 1–26.
Calvert J. J., 1985.Food selection by western gorillas (G. g. gorilla)in relation to food chemistry. Oecologia, 65: 236–246.
Cromwell B. T., 1955.The alkaloids. pp. 367–374. In «Modern methods of plant analysis Vol. 4 (K. Paech and M. V. Tracey, eds.), Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.
Davies A. G., Bennett E. L., &Waterman P. G., 1988.Food selection by two South-east Asia colobine monkeys (Presbytis rubicunda andPresbttis maleophos) in relation to plant chemistry. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 34: 33–56.
Davies A. G., Caldecott J. O. & Chivers D. J., 1984.Natural food as a guide to the nutrition of Old World primates. Pp. 225–244 in «Standards in laboratory animal management» (UFAW, ed.). Hertfordshire.
Ehrlich P. R. &Raven P. H., 1964.Butterflies and plants: a study in coevolution, Evolution, 18: 586–606.
Estrada A., 1984.Resource use by howler monkeys (Aloautta palliata)in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Int. J. Primatol., 5: 105–131.
Freeland W. J. &Janzen D. H., 1974.Strategies of herbivory in mammals: the role of plant secondary compounds. Amer. Nat., 108: 269–289.
Ganzhorn J. U., 1987.Soil consumption in two groups of semi-free ranging lemurs (Lemur catta and Lemur fulvus). Ethology, 74: 146–154.
Ganzhorn J.U., 1988.Food partitioning among Malagasy primates. Oecologia, 75: 436–450.
Ganzhorn J. U., Abraham J. P. &Razanahoera-Rakotomalala M., 1985.Some aspects of the natural history and food selection of Avahi laniger. Primates, 26: 452–463.
Glander K. E., 1981.Feeding patterns in mantled howling monkeys. Pp. 231–257 in «Foraging behavior. Ecological, ethiological and psychological approaches» (A. C. Kamil and T. D. Sargent, eds.). Gartland STPM Press.
Glander K. E., 1982.The impact of plant secondary compounds on primate feeding behavior. Yearbook Physical Anthropology, 25: 1–18.
Glaser D., 1986.Geschmacksforschung bei Primaten. Vierteljahresschrift der Naturforschenden Gesell schaft in Zürich, 131: 92–110.
Glaser D. &Hobi G., 1985.Taste reponses in primates to citric and acetic acid. Int. J. Primatol., 6: 393–396.
Harborne J. B., 1982.Introduction to ecological biochemistry. Acad. Press, London.
Hladik C. M., 1977a.A comparative study of the feeding strategies of two sympatric species of leaf monkeys: Presbytis senexand P. entellus. Pp. 324–353 in «Primate ecology: studies of feeding and ranging behaviour in lemurs, monkeys and apes». (T. H. Clutton-Brock, ed.). Acad. Press, London.
Hladik C. M., 1977b.Chimpanzees of Gabon and chimpanzees of Gombe: some comparative data on diet. Pp. 481–501 in «Primate ecology» (T. H. Clutton-Brock, ed.). Acad. Press, London.
Hladik C. M., 1978.Adaptive strategies of primates in relation to leaf-eating. Pp. 373–395 in «The ecology or arboreal folivores» (G. G. Montgomery, ed.). Smithsonian Inst., Washington D. C.
Hladik C. M., 1979.Diet and ecology of prosimians. Pp. 307–357 in «The Study of prosimian behavior» (G. A. Doyle and R. D. Martin, eds.). Acad. Press, London.
Janzen D. H., 1978.Complications in interpreting the chemical defense of trees against tropical arboreal plant-eating vertebrates. Pp. 73–84 in «The ecology of arboreal folivores» (G. G. Montgomery ed.). Smithsonian Inst., Washington D. C.
Janzen D. H. &Waterman P. G., 1984.A seasonal cencus of phenolics, fiber and alkaloids in foliage of forest trees in Costa Rica: Some factors influencing their distribution and relation to host selection by Sphingidaeand Saturniidae. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 21: 439–454.
Macdonald D., 1984.The encyclopedia of mammals. Facts on File Inc., New York.
Martin J. S. &Martin M. M., 1982.Tannin essays in ecological studies: lack of correlation between phenolics, proanthocyanidins and protein-precipitating constituent of mature foliage of six oak species. Oecologia, 54: 205–211.
McKey D. B., Gartlan J. S., Waterman P. G. &Choo G. M., 1981.Food selection by black colobus monkeys (Colobus satanas)in relation to plant chemistry. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 16: 116–146.
Milton K., 1979.Factors influencing leaf choice by howler monkeys: a test of some hypotheses of food selection by generalist herbivores. Am. Nat., 114: 362–378.
Mole S. &Waterman P. G., 1987a.A critical analysis of techniques for measuring tannins in ecological studies. I. Techniques for chemically defining tannins. Oecologia, 72: 137–147.
Mole S. &Waterman P. G., 1987b.A critical analysis of techniques for measuring tannins in ecological studies. II. Techniques for biochemically defining tannins. Oecologia 72: 148–156.
Moreno-Black G. S. &Bent E. F., 1982.Secondary compounds in the diet of Colobus angolensis. Afr. J. Ecol., 20: 29–36.
Oates J. F., Swain T. &Zantovska J., 1977.Secondary compounds and food selection by Colobus monkeys. Biochem. Syst. Ecol., 5: 317–321.
Oates J. F., Waterman P. G. &Choo G. M., 1980.Food selection by the South Indian leaf-monkey Presbytis johniiin relation to leaf chemistry. Oecologia, 45: 45–56.
Petter, J. J., Albignac R. &Rumpler Y., 1977.Faune de Madagascar 44: Mammifères, Lémuriens. ORSTOM/CNRS, Paris.
Richard A. F., 1985.Primates in nature. Freeman and Co, New York.
Robinson T., 1979.The evolutionary ecology of alkoloids. Pp. 413–448 in «Herbivores» (G. A. Rosenthal and D. H. Janzen, eds.). Acad. Press., New York.
Tattersall J., 1982.The primates of Madagascar. Columbia Univ. Press.
Terborgh J., 1983.Five New World Primates. Princeton Univ. Press., New Jersey.
Terborh J. &van Schaik C. P., 1987.Convergence vs nonconvergence in primate communities. Pp. 205–226 in «Organization of communities» (J. H. R. Gee and P. S. Giller, eds.). Blackwell Sci. Publ., Oxford.
van Schaik C. P. &van Hooff J. A. R. A. M., 1983.On the ultimate causes of primate social systems. Behaviour, 85: 91–117.
Waser P., 1977.Feeding, ranging and group size in the mangabey Cercocebus albigena. Pp. 183–222 in «Primate Ecology» (T. H. Clutton-Brock, ed.). Acad. Press, London.
Waterman P. G., 1984.Food acquisition and processing as a function of plant chemistry. Pp. 177–211 in «Food acquisition and processing in primates (D. J. Chivers, B. A. Wood, and A. Bilsborough, eds.). Plenum, New York.
Waterman P. G., Mbi C. N., McKey D. &Gartlan J. S., 1980.African rainforest vegetation and rumen microbes: phenolic compounds and nutrients as correlates of digestibility. Oecologia, 47: 22–33.
Wisdom C. S., Gonzales-Coloma, A. &Rundel P. W., 1987.Ecological tannin assays. Oecologia, 72: 395–401.
Wrangham R. W. &Waterman P. G., 1981.Feeding behaviour of vervet monkeys on Acacia tortilisand Acacia xanthophloea:with special reference to reproductive strategies and tannin production. J. Anim. Ecol., 50: 715–731.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ganzhorn, J.U. Primate species separation in relation to secondary plant chemicals. Hum. Evol. 4, 125–132 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435441
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435441