Search citation statements
Paper Sections
Citation Types
Year Published
Publication Types
Relationship
Authors
Journals
In this study, the behavioral responses of Barbary macaques to seasonal and interhabitat variations in resource availability were analyzed over an entire annual cycle. Two groups, one in an evergreen cedar–oak forest (Djurdjura) and the other in a deciduous oak forest (Akfadou), were observed. In this paper, references to data on resource availability published elsewhere are made. Time budget has been studied. Variations in foraging and moving time, in day–range lengths, and in time moving in trees have been considered to estimate the variations in foraging effort and thus energy expenditure. Great monthly variations in foraging effort and other activities were observed in both habitats. In early spring, when resource availabilities were maximal, foraging effort was low while monkeys maximized their feeding time (about 5 h/day). In June, during the peak of the birth season and the rearing period, monkeys minimized their feeding time to the benefit of social interactions (to 1.6–2.7 h/day), whatever the food availability, which was low in Akfadou and high in Djurdjura. In addition, foraging effort remained low in Djurdjura, while it increased in Akfadou. Thus, at the beginning of the dry summer period, monkeys in Akfadou were in a less favorable position than those in Djurdjura. At both sites, in periods of food shortage in summer or in winter, monkeys displayed two different strategies. In the former case, their foraging effort increased, while in the second one it remained relatively low. Whatever the foraging effort, monkeys did not reach the same amount of feeding time as in early spring. In the poorest site of Akfadou, foraging effort was globally greater than in the richest site of Djurdjura, especially for adults. At both sites, adult males spent more time feeding than juveniles and less time in social interactions. Results are discussed according to rearing period, temperatures, and day length constraints. The limits of adaptability to different habitats are considered in light of the demographic parameters. Am. J. Primatol. 43:285–304, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In this study, the behavioral responses of Barbary macaques to seasonal and interhabitat variations in resource availability were analyzed over an entire annual cycle. Two groups, one in an evergreen cedar–oak forest (Djurdjura) and the other in a deciduous oak forest (Akfadou), were observed. In this paper, references to data on resource availability published elsewhere are made. Time budget has been studied. Variations in foraging and moving time, in day–range lengths, and in time moving in trees have been considered to estimate the variations in foraging effort and thus energy expenditure. Great monthly variations in foraging effort and other activities were observed in both habitats. In early spring, when resource availabilities were maximal, foraging effort was low while monkeys maximized their feeding time (about 5 h/day). In June, during the peak of the birth season and the rearing period, monkeys minimized their feeding time to the benefit of social interactions (to 1.6–2.7 h/day), whatever the food availability, which was low in Akfadou and high in Djurdjura. In addition, foraging effort remained low in Djurdjura, while it increased in Akfadou. Thus, at the beginning of the dry summer period, monkeys in Akfadou were in a less favorable position than those in Djurdjura. At both sites, in periods of food shortage in summer or in winter, monkeys displayed two different strategies. In the former case, their foraging effort increased, while in the second one it remained relatively low. Whatever the foraging effort, monkeys did not reach the same amount of feeding time as in early spring. In the poorest site of Akfadou, foraging effort was globally greater than in the richest site of Djurdjura, especially for adults. At both sites, adult males spent more time feeding than juveniles and less time in social interactions. Results are discussed according to rearing period, temperatures, and day length constraints. The limits of adaptability to different habitats are considered in light of the demographic parameters. Am. J. Primatol. 43:285–304, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) in Kala Maloue, Cameroon, have their birth season in the mid‐dry season, whereas closely related, sympatric tantalus monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops tantalus) have their birth season in the wet season. To evaluate the optimality of a species‐specific birth season, I estimated the daily intake of available energy and gross protein, and energy expenditure for one individual of each sex of each species between respective birth and mating seasons. The monkeys obtained a larger amount of available energy and gross protein in the birth season than in the mating season. No significant seasonal differences in energy expenditure between the birth and mating season were found. Thus, the birth season appears to be timed to the season when the monkeys can obtain more surplus energy and protein. Interspecific differences in the optimality of birth season were attributed to widely exploitative foraging, supported by the patas’ high locomotive ability, which may enable them to obtain more energy from seeds of Acacia seyal and gums of A. sieberiana, and more protein from grasshoppers and seeds of A. seyal in the mid‐dry season than the tantalus monkeys. A review of preceding studies suggests that the availability of seeds of Acacia fruiting during the dry season may exert the dominant influence on timing of birth not only in patas but also in savanna monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), which include the tantalus monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 52:169–185, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body size is one of the most important characteristics of any animal because it affects a range of behavioral, ecological, and physiological traits including energy requirements, choice of food, reproductive strategies, predation risk, range size, and locomotor style. This article focuses on the implications of being large bodied for Homo erectus females, estimated to have been over 50% heavier than average australopithecine females. The energy requirements of these hominins are modeled using data on activity patterns, body mass, and life history from living primates. Particular attention is given to the inferred energetic costs of reproduction for Homo erectus females based on chimpanzee and human reproductive scheduling. Daily energy requirements during gestation and lactation would have been significantly higher for Homo erectus females, as would total energetic cost per offspring if the australopithecines and Homo erectus had similar reproductive schedules (gestation and lactation lengths and interbirth intervals). Shortening the interbirth interval could considerably reduce the costs per offspring to Homo erectus and have the added advantage of increasing reproductive output. The mother would, however, incur additional daily costs of caring for the dependent offspring. If Homo erectus females adopted this reproductive strategy, it would necessarily imply a revolution in the way in which females obtained and utilized energy to support their increased energetic requirements. This transformation is likely to have occurred on several levels involving cooperative economic division of labor, locomotor energetics, menopause, organ size, and other physiological mechanisms for reducing the energetic load on females.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.