Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Nutritional ecology of Mexican black howler monkeys: The role of nutrient mixing, plant secondary metabolites, and behavioral flexibility

博士论文改进：墨西哥黑吼猴的营养生态学：营养混合的作用、植物次生代谢物和行为灵活性

• 批准号: 1128821
• 负责人: Paul Garber
• 金额: $ 1.17万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-01 至 2013-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1128821&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Nutritional; ecology

Many primate species exploit low quality and difficult to process resources year-round or as fallback foods during food-limited times of the year. In addition to anatomical specializations, primates have developed behavioral and cognitive solutions that serve to increase foraging efficiency or reduce energetic requirements when exploiting low quality foods. Optimal Foraging Theory has been used to explain foraging behavior in primates, and predicts that individual food choice is best described in terms of maximization of energy intake. However, according to recent nutritional ecology models, a nutrient mixing framework may provide a stronger explanation of primate foraging strategies. This study examines the nutritional ecology of Alouatta pigra, an endangered primate that feeds on low quality resources and yet is characterized by rapid growth rates and a high reproductive output compared to closely related species. Specifically, by integrating nutritional, energetic, ecological, and behavioral data, this research investigates how factors such as food and patch choice, food intake rates, the nutritional composition of plant resources, seasonal changes in food availability, the nutritional requirements of reproduction, and within-group feeding competition affect male and female foraging strategies in two neighboring groups of black howler monkeys living in Southern Mexico. The explanatory power of three models will be tested using a Geometric Framework for nutrition. This will be accomplished by detailed behavioral observations of marked individuals; vegetation assessments and determination of food availability in the groups' home ranges; and phytochemical analyses of foods collected from feeding trees.While there are data on howler monkey feeding ecology, the precise nutritional factors affecting male and female food choices are poorly understood. By constructing complete dietary profiles for each focal animal, and analyzing individual foraging decisions using a nutritionally explicit model, this research provides critical insight into the importance of nutrient balancing in assessing primate food choice and decision-making. The project also will provide valuable nutritional information for the management of captive primates, strengthen partnerships between Mexican and US universities, and offer training opportunities for Mexican undergraduates, including female students in science.

许多灵长类动物全年都在利用低质量和难以加工的资源，或者在一年中食物有限的时候作为后备食物。除了解剖学上的专业化，灵长类动物还开发了行为和认知解决方案，用于提高觅食效率或减少利用低质量食物时的能量需求。最优觅食理论被用来解释灵长类动物的觅食行为，并预测个体的食物选择最好用能量摄入最大化来描述。然而，根据最近的营养生态学模型，营养混合框架可能会提供一个更强有力的解释灵长类动物觅食策略。本研究探讨了营养生态的Alouatta pigra，一种濒危灵长类动物，饲料的低质量的资源，但其特点是快速增长率和高繁殖输出相比，密切相关的物种。具体而言，通过整合营养，精力充沛，生态和行为数据，本研究调查的因素，如食物和补丁的选择，食物摄入率，植物资源的营养成分，季节性变化的食物供应，繁殖的营养需求，和组内喂养竞争影响男性和女性觅食策略在两个相邻的黑吼猴群体生活在墨西哥南部。三个模型的解释力将使用营养的几何框架进行测试。这将通过对标记个体的详细行为观察、植被评估和确定群体活动范围内的食物供应、以及对从觅食树收集的食物进行植物化学分析来完成。虽然有关于吼猴觅食生态学的数据，但对影响雄性和雌性食物选择的精确营养因素知之甚少。通过构建每个焦点动物的完整饮食概况，并使用营养明确的模型分析个体觅食决策，这项研究提供了关键的洞察力，营养平衡的重要性，在评估灵长类动物的食物选择和决策。该项目还将为圈养灵长类动物的管理提供有价值的营养信息，加强墨西哥和美国大学之间的伙伴关系，并为墨西哥本科生提供培训机会，包括理科女学生。