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Where and what? Frugivory is associated with more efficient foraging in three semi-free ranging primate species.

ABSTRACT: Foraging in seasonal environments can be cognitively challenging. Comparative studies have associated brain size with a frugivorous diet. We investigated how fruit distribution (where) and preference (what) affect foraging decisions in three semi-free ranging primate species with different degrees of frugivory: Macaca tonkeana (N indiv = 5; N trials = 430), M. fascicularis (N indiv = 3; N trials = 168) and Sapajus apella (N indiv = 6; N trials = 288). We used 36 boxes fixed on trees and filled with highly and less preferred fruits with different (weekly) spatio-temporal distributions. Individuals were tested in two conditions: (1) same fruit provided concurrently in the same quantity but in a scattered and in a clumped distribution, (2) highly preferred fruit was scattered while the less preferred was clumped. Generally, primates preferred feeding first on the boxes of the clumped distribution in both conditions, with the more frugivorous species at a higher degree than the less frugivorous species in condition (1), but not (2). Therefore, what fruit was available changed the foraging decisions of the more frugivorous species who also engaged more in goal-directed travel. When feeding on preferred fruit, primates probably maximized foraging efficiency regardless of their degree of frugivory. Our findings emphasize that the food type and distribution may be a preponderant driver in cognitive evolution.

SUBMITTER: Trapanese C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6549983 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Where and what? Frugivory is associated with more efficient foraging in three semi-free ranging primate species.

Trapanese Cinzia C Robira Benjamin B Tonachella Giordana G di Gristina Silvia S Meunier Hélène H Masi Shelly S

Royal Society open science 20190501 5

Foraging in seasonal environments can be cognitively challenging. Comparative studies have associated brain size with a frugivorous diet. We investigated how fruit distribution (where) and preference (what) affect foraging decisions in three semi-free ranging primate species with different degrees of frugivory: Macaca tonkeana (N indiv = 5; N trials = 430), M. fascicularis (N indiv = 3; N trials = ...[more]

PMID: 31218025

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Project description:BackgroundThe intestinal tract harbours a complex and diverse microbial population that is important for health, yet has been poorly described in many species. This study explored the fecal microbiota of semi-free-ranging Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae).ResultsA total of 2081936 16S rRNA (V4) sequences from 40 bison were evaluated. CatchAll analysis of richness predicted a mean of 10685 species per sample (range 5428-24764, SD 4136). Diversity was high, with an average inverse Simpson's index of 31.78 (SD 15.3, range 8.55-86.7). Twenty-one different phyla were identified; however, only Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria accounted for >1% of sequences. Two distinct population clusters (Group A, n?=?19 and Group B, n?=?21) were evident based on both community membership and population structure. Group A had a significantly lower relative abundance of Actinobacteria (6.4 vs 11.8%, P?=?0.002), Chloroflexi (0.002 vs 0.013%, P?=?0.014), Gemmatimonadetes (0.007 vs 0.15%, P?=?0.038) and Proteobacteria (18.7 vs 42.5%, P?=?<0.0001) and a greater relative abundance of Firmicutes (70.9 vs 39.3%, P?<?0.0001) than Group B. Within Group B, Alphaproteobacteria was the most common class of Proteobacteria (28% of all sequences), while Caulobacteraceae (18.5%), Pseudomonadaceae (3.5%), Hyphomicrobiaceae (3.5%), Alcaligenaceae (3.1%) and Xanthomonadaceae (2.6%) were the most abundant families. The twenty (3.1%) most abundant genera accounted for 71% of sequences. No operational taxon units (OTUs) were found in all samples at a relative abundance of 1% or greater. One OTU (Clostridium cluster XI) was present at 1% or more in all Group A samples, with two other Clostridium cluster XI OTUs in 18/19 (95%) samples. No OTUs were found at that abundance in all Group B sample, but an unclassified Lachnospiraceae was present in 20/21 (95%) and Clostridium cluster XI and Brevundimonas were found in 19 (90%) samples.ConclusionsThe fecal microbiota of Wood bison is rich and diverse. The presence of two distinct populations not associated with housing, age or gender suggest that enterotypes, distinctly different microbial population compositions that can achieve the same ultimate function, might be present in bison, as has been suggested in humans.

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Where and what? Frugivory is associated with more efficient foraging in three semi-free ranging primate species.

Publications

Where and what? Frugivory is associated with more efficient foraging in three semi-free ranging primate species.

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