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Mineralogical and Chemical Interactions of Soils Eaten by Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream National Parks, Tanzania

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Abstract

Termite mound soils eaten by chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains and Gombe National Parks, Tanzania, have mineralogical and geochemical compositions similar to many soils eaten by higher primates, but release very low levels of either toxic or nutritional inorganic elements to solution at acid pH. Comparison with control (uneaten) soils from the same areas showed lower levels of carbon and nitrogen in the eaten soils, a relationship confirmed by surface analysis. Surface analysis also revealed lower levels of iron on particle surfaces versus interiors, and higher levels of iron on ingested versus control soil particle surfaces. The soils can adsorb dietary toxins, present in the plant diet or those produced by microorganisms. Taking the toxic alkaloids quinine, atropine, sparteine, and lupanine as examples, it is evident that soils from Mahale have a very good adsorptive capacity. A new adaptive advantage of geophagy is proposed, based on the prevention of iron uptake. The behavior of the soils in vitro is consistent with the theory that geophagy has a therapeutic value for these chimpanzees.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SLOWPOKE Reactor Facility and Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, M5S 3E5

    Susanne Aufreiter & Ronald G. V. Hancock

  2. Geomorphology and Pedology Laboratory, York University, Atkinson College, Toronto, Canada, M3J 1P3

    William C. Mahaney & Michael W. Milner

  3. Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan

    Michael A. Huffman

  4. Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologieim, Universität Heidelberg, Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Michael Wink

  5. Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, M5S 3E5

    Matthias Reich

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  1. Susanne Aufreiter
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  2. William C. Mahaney
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Aufreiter, S., Mahaney, W.C., Milner, M.W. et al. Mineralogical and Chemical Interactions of Soils Eaten by Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream National Parks, Tanzania. J Chem Ecol 27, 285–311 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005628405321

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