Patterns of food transfer in temminck's red colobus

Abstract

This paper presents data on the behaviours and food types associated with the transfer of individual food items in Temminck's red colobus (Procolobus badius temminckii). The relevance of (a) male-female differences and (b) the properties of the individual food items are addressed. Although the data are limited, it does suggest that food transfer, in this species, is infrequent, not particularly related to increasing nutritional knowledge or value, usually involve highly visible large items and is predominantly an aggressive male behaviour-from infancy through adulthood. Aggr. Behav. 32:181-186.

Dental microwear texture and anthropoid diets

“…An ideal test for the relationship between dental microwear and diet would match data on wear facet texture with field observations of foods consumed prior to molding teeth (e.g., Teaford and Glander, 1991, 1996; Nystrom et al, 2004). Indeed, given the likelihood of a “Last Supper” effect on dental microwear (Grine, 1986), only data on foods consumed in the last few days, weeks, or perhaps months prior to dental molding would generally be relevant.…”

“…For instance, individual microwear features in some modern human populations can turnover very slowly, given clean and processed foods with limited abrasives likely to scratch teeth (Teaford and Tylenda, 1991). By contrast, people living in abrasive environments (e.g., Molnar, 1983), or wild‐caught nonhuman primates that consume phytolith‐rich foods (e.g., Teaford and Glander, 1991, 1996) often exhibit much faster rates of tooth wear, and thus could potentially show marked microwear changes in a matter of days. Similarly, deep pits left by especially large abrasives could potentially last longer on dental facets than shallower features (Noble and Teaford, 1995).…”

“…For instance, P. badius badius on Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone ate 52% leaves and 25% seeds (Davies et al, 1999). Similarly, populations of P. badius temminckii have a diet with a significant proportion of seeds, in the 18–19% range (Starin, 1991). Colobus polykomos appears to have a diet very similar to that of P. badius : 57% leaves and 33% seeds (Dasilva, 1989, 1994; Davies et al, 1999).…”

“…Another significant difficulty in pushing dental microwear to its potential is the limited nature of most studies of primate diets in the wild. Methods of data collection vary dramatically from study to study, and very few describe dietary preferences and strategies in terms of both food material properties and dietary variability on various geographic and temporal scales (e.g., microhabitat, regional, altitudinal, seasonal, phenological; Teaford and Glander, 1991, 1996; Teaford et al, 2006; see Teaford and Robinson, 1989). For instance, Conklin‐Brittain et al (2000) reviewed the literature on ape diets and found dramatic variability in diets among common chimpanzees, with reports from 24 studies evincing a range of percent fruit consumed of 19–99%.…”