Dissertation Research: Intraspecific Variation in Foraging of Redtail Monkeys in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya

灵长类觅食策略和适应的进化研究经常 假设存在物种典型的觅食模式。 的程度 然而，这种物种典型模式的存在是有争议的， 在大多数物种中，物种内变异尚未得到研究。 本研究 研究了两个物种的摄食和测距行为的种内变化， 肯尼亚森林里的红尾猴群。 组 它们的大小和组成相似，但它们的栖息地不同， 一群人沿着森林边缘生活，而另一群人则居住在森林内部。 我们将比较两组的每月饮食，并将记录 他们对特定食物的偏好在多大程度上是共享的， 群体之间的差异与差异的相关程度 食物的种类， 模式与饮食有关。 关于觅食和食物丰富度的数据将被 通过直接观察动物，每年收集一次， 监控他们的食物来源。 这项研究不仅将提供洞察力， 红尾鱼种内变异的程度和解释 觅食，但也将提供有价值的比较数据， 对于最佳饮食模型和规划保护和 管理战略。

Evolutionary studies of primate foraging strategies and adaptations often assume that there are species-typical foraging patterns. The degree to which such species-typical patterns exist is debatable however, as within-species variation has not been studied in most species. This study examines within-species variation in feeding and ranging behavior of two neighboring groups of redtailed monkeys in a Kenyan forest. The groups are similar in size and composition, but their habitats differ, as one group lives along the forest edge while the other occupies the interior. We will compare the monthly diets of the two groups, and will document the degree to which preferences for particular foods are shared between them, the degree to which differences between groups are related to differences in which foods are available, and the ways in which specific ranging patterns are related to diet. Data on foraging and food abundance will be collected over an annual cycle by directly observing the animals and monitoring their food sources. This study will not only provide insight into the extent and explanations of within-species variation in redtail foraging, but will also contribute valuable comparative data that are useful for models of optimal diet, and for planning conservation and management strategies.