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Comparability among measures of primate diets

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Abstract

Feeding niche constitutes one of the most basic ecological parameters defining any species. Unfortunately, our picture of primate feeding niches is suspect because field workers have used a variety of observational techniques to assess diet in the wild. Here the question of the comparability of these techniques is explored empirically, by comparing the dietary profiles of a small group of primate species that have been studied by two methods in a single locality. These methods are shown to yield quite different results, both in the realm of simple description, and in the realm of behavioral-ecological hypothesis testing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, 16802, University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

    Jeffrey A. Kurland

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, 15260, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

    Steven J. C. Gaulin

Authors
  1. Jeffrey A. Kurland
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  2. Steven J. C. Gaulin
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Additional information

This is publication No. 2 in the Pittsburgh-Penn State series on methods in primate behavioral ecology. For publication No. 1 seeSailer et al. (1985) (Primates, 26: 14–27).

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Kurland, J.A., Gaulin, S.J.C. Comparability among measures of primate diets. Primates 28, 71–77 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382184

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382184

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