Lecture 12: Primate Ecology - Dietary Adaptations and Nutritional Strategies

Content locked

The catalog is public. Reading this content requires approved access.

Important Announcements

Exam 2 Reminder - Monday, October 20

Week 7 Schedule (Oct. 13-17)

Taxonomy Review: Binomial Nomenclature

Linnaean Classification System

Binomial Nomenclature

Great Apes: Scientific Names and Characteristics

Family Hominidae (Great Apes)

Orangutans (Genus Pongo)

Gorillas (Genus Gorilla)

Chimpanzees (Species Pan troglodytes)

Bonobos (Species Pan paniscus)

Humans (Species Homo sapiens)

Review: Classic Model of Primate Socioecology

Primate Dietary Requirements

Essential Nutritional Components

How Primates Get Energy from Food

What Do Primates Eat?

Food Sources by Nutrient Type

Nutritional Content of Primate Foods

Comprehensive Food Comparison Table

Key Patterns

Dietary Specialists: Adaptations

1. Insectivores

2. Folivores (Leaf-Eaters)

3. Frugivores

4. Gummivores (Gum-Eaters)

The Role of Gut Microbes

Microbes Essential for Digestion

Adaptations to Optimize Microbial Digestion

Comparison: Human vs. Chimpanzee Digestive Tracts

Plant Defenses Against Herbivory

Plants Are Not Passive Food Sources

1. Physical Defenses

2. Plant Secondary Compounds

Extreme Example: Bamboo Lemurs and Cyanide

Coevolutionary Arms Race

Insects Have Defenses Too

How Primates Cope with Plant Chemical Defenses

Strategy 1: Be a Generalist Feeder

Strategy 2: Be a Specialist Feeder

Strategy 3: Evolve Physiological Detoxification Mechanisms

Primate Diets and Anthropogenic Change

Definition

Types of Anthropogenic Change Affecting Primate Diets

Crop Raiding Behavior

Why Primates Raid Crops

Nutritional Analysis: Mountain Gorilla Crop Raiding

Exotic Plants: Eucalyptus Example

Climate Change Impacts on Primate Nutrition

Predicted Effects on Plant Nutritional Content

Case Study: Red Colobus Monkeys in Kibale, Uganda

Cascading Effects

Course Advertisement

Spring 2026: Anthro 444 - Primate Nutritional Ecology

Connections to Course Themes

Building on Previous Lectures

Evolutionary Perspective

Key Takeaways