Dataset Information

Infant cannibalism in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys.

ABSTRACT: Cannibalism has been observed in a variety of animal taxa; however, it is relatively uncommon in primates. Thus, we rely heavily on case reports of this behavior to advance our understanding of the contexts under which it occurs. Here, we report the first observation of cannibalism in a group of wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator). The subject was a dead infant, estimated to be 10 days old, and the probable victim of infanticide. Consumption of the corpse was initiated by a 2-year-old male (second cousin of the infant), though it was eventually taken over and monopolized by the group's alpha female (grandaunt of the infant). Although most group members expressed interest in the corpse (sniffing, touching, and threatening it), no others made an attempt to consume it. Given that this is the only observation of cannibalism recorded in over 37 years of study on this population, we consider it to be a rare behavior in this species. This detailed record contributes new data, which, when combined with other reports within and across species and contexts, enables the evaluation of adaptive explanations of cannibalism.

SUBMITTER: Nishikawa M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7713969 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Infant cannibalism in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys.

Nishikawa Mari M Ferrero Nuria N Cheves Saul S Lopez Ronald R Kawamura Shoji S Fedigan Linda M LM Melin Amanda D AD Jack Katharine M KM

Ecology and evolution 20201016 23

Cannibalism has been observed in a variety of animal taxa; however, it is relatively uncommon in primates. Thus, we rely heavily on case reports of this behavior to advance our understanding of the contexts under which it occurs. Here, we report the first observation of cannibalism in a group of wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (<i>Cebus imitator</i>). The subject was a dead infant, estimated to be 10 days old, and the probable victim of infanticide. Consumption of the corpse was initiated by a ...[more]

PMID: 33304485

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Project description:Understanding diet selectivity is a longstanding goal in primate ecology. Deciphering when and why primates consume different resources can provide insights into their nutritional ecology as well as adaptations to food scarcity. Plant pith, the spongy interior of plant stems, is occasionally eaten by primates, but the context is poorly understood. We examine the ecological, mechanical, chemical, and nutritional basis of plant pith selection by a wild, frugivorous-omnivorous primate (Cebus imitator). We test the hypothesis that pith is a fallback food, that is, consumed when fruit is less abundant, and test for differences between plant species from which pith is eaten versus avoided. We collected 3.5 years of capuchin pith consumption data to document dietary species and analyzed "pith patch visits" in relation to fruit availability, visits to fruit patches, and climatic seasonality. We analyzed dietary and non-dietary species for relative pith quantity, mechanical hardness, odor composition, and macronutrient concentrations. Capuchins ate pith from 11 of ~300 plant species common in the dry forest, most commonly Bursera simaruba. We find that pith consumption is not directly related to fruit availability or fruit foraging but occurs most frequently (84% of patch visits) during the months of seasonal transition. Relative to common non-dietary species, dietary pith species have relatively higher pith quantity, have softer outer branches and pith, and contain more terpenoids, a class of bioactive compounds notable for their widespread medicinal properties. Our results suggest that greater pith quantity, lower hardness, and a more complex, terpenoid-rich odor profile contribute to species selectivity; further, as pith is likely to be consistently available throughout the year, the seasonality of pith foraging may point to zoopharmacognosy, as seasonal transitions typically introduce new parasites or pathogens. Our study furthers our understanding of how climatic seasonality impacts primate behavior and sheds new light on food choice by an omnivorous primate.

Dataset Information

Infant cannibalism in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys.

Publications

Infant cannibalism in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys.

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