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Primates of Gashaka pp 135–230Cite as

The Bush as Pharmacy and Supermarket: Mechanisms and Functions of Plant Use by Human and Non-human Primates at Gashaka

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Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR,volume 35))

Abstract

Both human and non-human primates exploit the plant resources of the woodland-savannah in Nigeria’s Gashaka area. We generated a database on the usage of more than 300 plant species that serve as food (including beverages and seasoning), medicine, or implements. We supplemented previously unpublished reports with original survey data and data accumulated by primate researchers. We compared four consumer groups, i.e., humans, domestic animals, baboons, and chimpanzees. Two case studies refer to discernible medicinal effects of plant use by non-human primates. One case concerns baboons, which consume African black plum; this has a contraceptive effect and potentially reduces mortality ­during the rainy season. A second case concerns chimpanzees, which swallow intact leaves of a coarse herbaceous plant, a practice that expels parasitic worms. We also reflect on potential co-evolutionary processes that lead to a preference for certain plant families and plant parts. The Gashaka area is clearly still under researched, as many taxa with ascribed medicinal values are not yet included in a standard compendium of medicinal plants in Nigeria. Future work should also engage with traditional concepts of how to classify plants, and explore plant properties in more detail as this might affect their usage as nutrition, for treatments, or as equipment. One would also want to work towards a further merger of ethno-botany and zoo-botany with its emerging sub-discipline of animal self-medication.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University College London, Goldalming, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Volker Sommer

Authors
  1. Yianna Koutsioni
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  2. Volker Sommer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Volker Sommer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Arts, Dept. Anthropology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

    Volker Sommer

  2. School of Human & Life Sciences, Roehampton University, Holybourne Ave., London, SW15 4JD, United Kingdom

    Caroline Ross

Appendix. Use of Plants as Food, Medicine, and Implements by Humans, Baboons, and Chimpanzees in the Gashaka Area: A Compilation of Current Knowledge

Family, Species (main references)

Chapman, J. D. & Chapman, H. M. (2001). The Forest Flora of Taraba and Adamawa States, Nigeria. An Ecological Account and Plant Species Checklist. Univ. of Canterbury / NZ: WWF / DFID

Dalziel, J. M. & Hutchinson, J. (1963). Flora of West Tropical Africa. London: Crown Agents

Keay, R. W. (1989). Trees of Nigeria. Oxford: Clarendon Press

Obot, Emmanuel; pers. comm. of Director of Technical Programs of NCF, Lekki / Lagos (leading expert on Nigerian Flora; visited Gashaka Jan – Feb 03)

English, Hausa, Fulfulde (Fulani)

Vernacular names in English and predominant local languages

Habit

  • T: Tree

  • L: Liana (woody climber)

  • S: Shrub

  • G: Grass

  • H: Herb

  • F: Fern

  • A: Animal

  • C: Crop

  • M: Mushroom

Habitat

  • MG: Montane grassland

  • MF: Montane forest

  • OS: Open savannah

  • WS: Woodland savannah

  • RF: Riperian forest

  • LF: Lowland forest

  • F: Forest

  • S: Savannah

  • FE: Forest edge

  • DC: Domesticated / Crop

Food, Medicine, Implements: Consumers

  • H: Humans

  • A: Animal (domestic, mostly cattle)

  • B: Baboon

  • C: Chimpanzee

Food, Medicine, Implements, Usage, Description: Plant Parts Used

  • ? part unknown

  • BA: Bark

  • BU: Bulb, Corm

  • FD: Fruit rind

  • FI: Fibre

  • FJ: Fruit juice

  • FL: Flower

  • FM: Fruit, ripe (mature)

  • FO: Frond

  • FP: Fruit pulp

  • FR: Fruit

  • FS: Floss (mostly in fruit)

  • FU: Fruit, unripe

  • GR: Grass

  • GU: Gum

  • LA: Latex / Sap

  • LF: Leaf

  • LO: Leaf, old

  • LY: Leaf, young

  • NE: Nectar

  • NU: Nut

  • PI: Pith

  • PO: Pod

  • RO: Root

  • SE: Seed, bean

  • SH: Shoot

  • ST: Stem

  • TH: Thorn

  • TR: Bole (trunk)

  • TU: Tuber

  • TW: Twig

  • WO: Wood

  • WP: Whole plant

  • Example. H: BA (= bark, used by humans)

Usage: Description, Category

  • F: Food

  • M: Medicine

  • I: Implement

  • H: Humans

  • A: Animal (domestic, mostly cattle)

  • B: Baboon

  • C: Chimpanzee

  • Examples. HM: (= human medicine); FB: (= baboon food)

Miscellaneous

&: and

*: to be clarified

?: uncertain (note, that this is not the same as *)

hf.: handful

O: Other

w.: with

w/o: without

GGH specimen: sample present in collection of Gashaka Gumti Herbarium

Sources

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Fowler, Andrew (p.c.). Unpubl. data collected for Ph.D. dissertation at Dept. of Anthropology, UCL, on chimpanzee socioecology at Gashaka-Kwano, Jan 01 - Mar 03. Field assistant: Hammounde Guruza

Martin, Marina (1996). The Use of Rural Appraisal Methods in the Study of Ethnoveterinary Medicine. Unpubl. dissertation, MSc in Tropical Animal Production and Health, Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Edinburgh

NCF (n.d. = no date; ca. 1998). Plants of Medicinal Value in Gashaka Gumti National Park. Unpubl. Compilation for NCF & WWF-UK

Pellaumail, Karine (1998). Women and Non-Timber Forest Products in the Gashaka Gumti National Park’s area, Nigeria. Unpubl. dissertation, MSc in the Anthropology of Development, Dept. of Anthropology, UCL, London

Warren, Ymke (p.c.). Unpubl. data collected for Ph.D. dissertation at Univ. of Surrey-Roehampton on baboon socioecology at Gashaka-Kwano, Jan 01 - Dec 02. Field assistant: Bobbo Buba

Local informants

Interviews. Conducted by YK during field visit to Gashaka area, Jan - Mar 03; interpreters: Doris Nyanganji, NCF women officer; Maigari Ahmadu, GPP assistant)

Locations. BD: Bodel; CH: Chappal Hendu; DM: Do Mayo; FI: Filinga; GK: Gashaka; KM: Karamti; MS: Mayo Selbe; SB: Selbe; ST: Serti

Individuals. F: Female; M: Male; H: Healer; A: assistant to Gashaka Primate Project (Hammaunde Guruza, Bobbo Buba, Maigari Ahmadu)

Examples. LI (ST-FH): Local Informant, Serti, Female Healer; LI (GK-MA): Local Informant, Gashaka, Male Assistant to Gashaka Primate Project

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Koutsioni, Y., Sommer, V. (2011). The Bush as Pharmacy and Supermarket: Mechanisms and Functions of Plant Use by Human and Non-human Primates at Gashaka. In: Sommer, V., Ross, C. (eds) Primates of Gashaka. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects, vol 35. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7403-7_5

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