Spatio-temporal complexity of chimpanzee food: How cognitive adaptations can counteract the ephemeral nature of ripe fruit

American Journal of Primatology
Karline R L JanmaatLeo Polansky

Abstract

Ecological complexity has been proposed to play a crucial role in primate brain-size evolution. However, detailed quantification of ecological complexity is still limited. Here we assess the spatio-temporal distribution of tropical fruits and young leaves, two primary chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) foods, focusing on the predictability of their availability in individual trees. Using up to 20 years of information on monthly availability of young leaf, unripe and ripe fruit in plant species consumed by chimpanzees from tropical forests in East, Central, and West Africa, we estimated: (1) the forest-wide frequency of occurrence of each food type and (2) the predictability of finding ripe fruit-bearing trees, focusing on the timing, frequency, and amount of ripe fruit present. In all three forests, at least half of all encountered trees belonged to species that chimpanzees were known to feed on. However, the proportion of these trees bearing young leaves and fruit fluctuated widely between months. Ripe fruit was the most ephemeral food source, and trees that had more than half of their crown filled were at least nine times scarcer than other trees. In old growth forests only one large ripe fruit crop was on average encountered per 1...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 10, 2016·American Journal of Primatology·Katherine R AmatoPaul A Garber
Sep 14, 2018·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Cinzia TrapaneseShelly Masi
Sep 20, 2020·Science Advances·Catherine CrockfordRoman M Wittig
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May 18, 2021·IScience·Karline R L JanmaatSarie Van Belle
Jun 17, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Jun Ying LimW Daniel Kissling
Aug 13, 2021·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Miguel de GuineaSarie Van Belle
Aug 18, 2021·American Journal of Primatology·Haneul JangJae C Choe
Mar 24, 2021·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·Yntze van der HoekDamien Caillaud

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