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Animal foods in the diets of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Why cross-cultural variation?

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Abstract

The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in nature is an omnivore, i.e. it eats animals as well as plants. Six long-term field studies reveal differences in diet amongst populations of chimpanzees in east, central and west Africa. Specific comparisons can be made for social insect (ants, bees, termites) and mammalian (primates, ungulates) prey. Most of the differences can be explained in terms of environmental influences: presence or absence of prey species, abundance and distribution of prey, range of potential prey secies, competing predators, characteristics of habitat, human interference. However, other differences appear to reflect true social customs, independent of the bio-physical environment, and therefore can be termed cross-cultural.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, Scotland

    W. C. McGrew

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McGrew, W.C. Animal foods in the diets of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Why cross-cultural variation?. J. Ethol. 1, 46–61 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347830

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347830

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