Carbon and strontium isotope ratios shed new light on the paleobiology and collapse of Theropithecus, a primate experiment in graminivory

Fannin, Luke D.; Yeakel, Justin D.; Venkataraman, Vivek V.; Seyoum, Chalachew; Geraads, Denis; Fashing, Peter J.; Nguyen, Nga; Fox-Dobbs, Kena; Dominy, Nathaniel J.

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110393

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…1 Ma) and Theropithecus atlanticus (Alemseged and Geraads, 1998) from Ahl al Oughlam (ca. 2.5 Ma) suggest a different pattern in carbon values, with a clear domination of C 3 plants, although other authors suggest bulk-feeding graminivory (Fannin et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Carbon isotopic signal of the Macaca from GFT-4.2 would indicate that these consumed grasses would be C 3 . Consumption of C 3 grasses has also been identified in the diet of T. oswaldi from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Ahl al Oughlam (Morocco), as well as in extant T. gelada at Guassa Plateau (Ethiopia; Fannin et al, 2021).…”

Section: Lophocebus Albigena and Cercocebus Atys)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

Ramírez-Pedraza

Martínez²,

Aouraghe³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The genus Macaca belongs to Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Cercopithecinae, Papionini. The presence of Macaca in North Africa is well known from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. However, the diet of fossil Macaca has been poorly described in the literature. In this study, we investigated the feeding habits of Macaca cf. sylvanus (n = 4) from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 in eastern Morocco through multiproxy analysis combining analyses of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from tooth enamel, buccal microtexture, and low-magnification occlusal dental microwear. For both microwear analyses, we compared the macaques with a new reference collection of extant members of Cercopithecoidea. Our occlusal microwear results show for the fossil macaque a pattern similar to the extant Cercocebus atys and Lophocebus albigena, African forest-dwelling species that are characterized by a durophagous diet based mainly on hard fruit and seed intake. Buccal microtexture results also suggest the consumption of some grasses and the exploitation of more open habitats, similar to that observed in Theropithecus gelada. The δ13C of M. cf. sylvanus indicates a C3 based-diet without the presence of C4 plants typical of the savanna grassland in eastern Africa during this period. The high δ18O values of M. cf. sylvanus, compared with the contemporary ungulates recovered from Guefaït-4.2, could be associated with the consumption of a different resource by the primate such as leaves or fresh fruits from the upper part of trees. The complementarity of these methods allows for a dietary reconstruction covering a large part of the individual’s life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Lophocebus Albigena and Cercocebus Atys)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

Ramírez-Pedraza

Martínez²,

Aouraghe³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Strontium isotopes track female dispersal in Taï chimpanzees

Boucher,

Wittig,

Lemoine

et al. 2024

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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ObjectivesChimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are patrilocal, with males remaining in their natal community and females dispersing when they reach sexual maturity. However, the details of female chimpanzee dispersal, such as their possible origin, are difficult to assess, even in habituated communities. This study investigates the utility of 87Sr/86Sr analysis for (1) assessing Sr baseline differences between chimpanzee territories and (2) identifying the status (immigrant or natal) of females of unknown origin within the territories of five neighboring communities in Taï National Park (Côte d'Ivoire).Materials and MethodsTo create a local Sr isoscape for the Taï Chimpanzee Project (TCP) study area, we sampled environmental samples from TCP‐established territories (n = 35). To assess dispersal patterns, 34 tooth enamel samples (one per individual) were selected from the Taï chimpanzee skeletal collection. 87Sr/86Sr analysis was performed on all 69 samples at the W.M. Keck Lab. The theoretical density and overlap of chimpanzee communities as well as generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to test each question.Results87Sr/86Sr ratios for natal male chimpanzees ranged from 0.71662 to 0.72187, which is well within the corresponding environmental baseline range of 0.70774–0.73460. The local Sr isoscapes fit was estimated with the root‐mean‐square error value, which was 0.0048 (22% of the whole 87Sr/86Sr data range). GLMMs identified significant differences in 87Sr/86Sr ratios between natal and unknown North community origin groups, suggesting that after 1980, females of unknown origin could be immigrants to North community (n = 7, z‐ratio = −4.08, p = 0.0001, power = 0.94).DiscussionThis study indicates that 87Sr/86This study indicates that 87Sr/86Sr analysis can successfully identify immigrant females in skeletal collections obtained from wild chimpanzee communities, enabling the tracking of female dispersal patterns historically. There are, however, significant limitations within the scope of this study, such as (1) the absence of reliable maps for the TCP study area, (2) limited capacity for environmental sampling, (3) small sample sizes, and (4) tooth formation in wild chimpanzees.

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The seventh annual northeastern evolutionary primatologists (NEEP) meeting: Back in‐person in Boston, MA!

Harwell

Gagnon

Henderson

2021

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Carbon and strontium isotope ratios shed new light on the paleobiology and collapse of Theropithecus, a primate experiment in graminivory

Cited by 7 publications

References 93 publications

Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

Strontium isotopes track female dispersal in Taï chimpanzees

The seventh annual northeastern evolutionary primatologists (NEEP) meeting: Back in‐person in Boston, MA!

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