Food transfers in immature wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Nowell, Angela A.; Fletcher, Alison W.

doi:10.1007/s10329-006-0181-0

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…This reason for this may be attributed to the abundance of THV in the montane forest (unnecessary to transfer) and observations are limited to the bais where fruit is less available (Nowell and Fletcher 2006). The 18 cases of food transfer observed in this study support the previous report on food transfer between immatures and their mothers or caretakers (Watts 1985;Nowell and Fletcher 2006) by adding new findings that juveniles and infants even took pieces of fruits from the silverback and their mothers. Our observations also suggest that food transfer among western gorillas had similar features to those among chimpanzees and bonobos.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Nevertheless, food transfer has rarely been reported, either in the wild or in captivity. Recently, Nowell and Fletcher (2006) reported the occurrence of food transfer among mothers and immature western lowland gorillas at Mbeli Bai in the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo. Most of the cases (47 of 55) occurred in a mother-offspring (infant or juvenile) dyad, and the offspring tended to initiate the transfer (80.9 %).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The majority (over 92 %) of food transferred involved the aquatic herb Hydrocharis chevalieri, the roots and rhizomes of which were usually washed before being eaten separately. Food transfer of these aquatic plants is considered to benefit immatures by giving them the opportunity to acquire manual skills for processing foods, but such observations were limited to the bai, the open clearing of swamp, with few defendable foods (Nowell and Fletcher 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From these preliminary observations, most interactions over the fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in Moukalaba were not active transfer by the possessor but probably passive sharing. They were not only interpreted as a means of acquiring foraging skills by immatures (Nowell and Fletcher 2006) but also similar to behaviors observed in chimpanzees and bonobos in various social contexts.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

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Sharing fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon: Preliminary report

et al. 2014

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We report the first 18 observed cases of fruit (Treculia africana) transfer among western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. The fruit transfer occurred during our observations of a habituated group of gorillas in 2010 and 2013. Pieces of the fruits were transferred among adults and immatures, and three cases involved a silverback male. Once an individual picked up a fallen fruit of Treculia africana, other members of the group approached the possessor, who laid pieces of the fruits nearby and tolerated the others getting them. Agonistic interaction was rarely observed between the possessor and the non-possessor. Only the silverback male seemed to force another gorilla, a subadult male, to relinquish the fruit on the ground. He tolerated an adult female taking a piece of fruit on his leg and copulated with her on the following days. From these preliminary observations, most interactions over the fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in Moukalaba were not active transfer by the possessor but probably passive sharing. They were not only interpreted as a means of acquiring foraging skills by immatures (Nowell and Fletcher 2006) but also similar to behaviors observed in chimpanzees and bonobos in various social contexts.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 95%

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Sharing fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon: Preliminary report

et al. 2014

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“…Food sharing (henceforth: sharing) is defined as the unresisted transfer of food 50 from one food-motivated individual, the "possessor", to another, the "recipient" 51 (Feistner and McGrew 1989). We define possession as being in physical contact with 52 the food and this definition excludes transfers in which there was no clear possession, 53 such as collecting scraps from the vicinity of a feeding individual. Thus, it should be 54 clear that our trait of interest is that possessors voluntarily (as far as we can infer) 55 relinquish food to the benefit of the recipient, which requires an evolutionary 56 explanation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolution of food sharing in primates

Jaeggi

Schaik

2011

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

151

128

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The aim of this study is to explain the occurrence of food sharing across primates. Defined as the unresisted transfer of food, evolutionary hypotheses have to explain why possessors should relinquish food rather than keep it. While sharing with offspring can be explained by kin selection, explanations for sharing among unrelated adults are more controversial. Here we test the hypothesis that sharing occurs with social partners that have leverage over food possessors due to the opportunity for partner choice in other contexts. Thus, we predict that possessors should relinquish food to potential mates or allies, who could provide or withhold matings or coalitionary support in the future. We used phylogenetic analyses based on both maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches in a sample of 68 primate species to test these predictions. The analyses strongly indicate that (1) sharing with offspring is predicted by the relative processing difficulty of the diet, as measured by the degree of extractive foraging, but not overall diet quality, (2) food sharing among adults only evolved in species already sharing with offspring, regardless of diet, and (3) male-female sharing co-evolved with the opportunity for female mate choice and sharing within the sexes with coalition formation. These results provide comparative support for the hypothesis that sharing is "traded" for matings and coalitionary support in the sense that these services are statistically associated and can thus be selected for. Based on this, we predict that sharing should occur in any species with opportunities for partner choice. The aim of this study is to explain the occurrence of food sharing across 26 primates. Defined as the unresisted transfer of food, evolutionary hypotheses have to 27 explain why possessors should relinquish food rather than keep it. While sharing with 28 offspring can be explained by kin selection, explanations for sharing among unrelated 29 adults are controversial. Here we test the hypothesis that sharing occurs with social 30 partners that have leverage over food possessors due to the opportunity for partner 31 choice in other contexts. Thus, we predict that possessors should relinquish food to 32 potential mates or allies, who could provide or withhold matings or coalitionary support 33 in the future. We used phylogenetic analyses based on both maximum likelihood and 34Bayesian approaches in a sample of 68 primate species to test these predictions. The 35 analyses strongly indicate that (i) sharing with offspring is predicted by the relative 36 processing difficulty of the diet, as measured by the degree of extractive foraging, but 37 not overall diet quality, (ii) food sharing among adults only evolved in species already 38 sharing with offspring, regardless of diet, and that (iii) male-female sharing co-evolved 39 with the opportunity for female mate choice and sharing within the sexes with coalition 40 formation. These results provide comparative support for the hypothesis that sharing is 41 "traded" for matin...

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Begging for information: mother–offspring food sharing among wild Bornean orangutans

Jaeggi

Noordwijk

Schaik

2008

American J Primatol

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Transfer of solid food from mothers or other adults to dependent offspring is commonly observed in various primate species and both nutritional and informational benefits have been proposed to explain the function of such food sharing. Predictions from these hypotheses are tested using observational data on wild orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) at Tuanan, Central Borneo, Indonesia. In 1,145 hr of focal observation and 458 recorded food interactions between four pairs of females with offspring it was found that virtually all transfers were initiated by the offspring and that younger infants solicited food more often and did so for a greater variety of items than older offspring. All offspring primarily solicited food that was difficult to process, i.e., inaccessible to them. Furthermore, the amount of food solicitation was negatively correlated with ecological competence. Hence food sharing seemed to be related to an offspring's skill level, as suggested by the informational hypothesis. In contrast, offspring did not solicit high-quality items more than low-quality items and food sharing did not peak around the age of weaning, as predicted by the nutritional hypothesis. Mothers were usually passively tolerant, allowing offspring to take food but hardly ever provisioned. Parent-offspring conflict concerning food sharing was only observed well after weaning. Thus, by taking food directly from the mother, young orangutans were able to obtain information about the affordances and nutritional value of food items that were otherwise out of their reach and could familiarize themselves with the mother's diet. In species such as orangutans or other apes, characterized by a broad diet that requires extractive foraging, informational food transfer may be vital for an immature to acquire complex feeding skills and adult diet.

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Food transfers in immature wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Cited by 30 publications

References 22 publications

Sharing fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon: Preliminary report

Sharing fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon: Preliminary report

The evolution of food sharing in primates

Begging for information: mother–offspring food sharing among wild Bornean orangutans

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