Doctoral Dissertation Research: Assessing the physiological consequences of diet and environment for gorillas in zoological settings

现代人类的饮食和活动水平与人类生理学不匹配，人类生理学已经适应了人类在进化历史中可能经历的相对较高的活动水平和波动的食物供应。这种不匹配导致了当代社会肥胖率和慢性健康状况的不断上升。有趣的是，一些动物园饲养的大猩猩表现出与人类相当的心血管和代谢疾病的发病率。这一博士论文研究项目调查了雄性大猩猩的饮食、营养、活动量和能量消耗，跨越了年龄组和健康状况。了解它们在动物学环境中所经历的改变的饮食和活动模式所产生的影响，可以让我们了解与久坐的生活方式和由加工、修改和种植的食物组成的饮食有关的人类健康问题。该项目还向灵长类饲养实践提供信息，以更准确地模仿在自然栖息地发现的大猩猩食物来源，并改善灵长类的健康和福利。这项研究有助于为在STEM工作的博士生提供专业和科学的培训，并为对动物行为和保护感兴趣的多名本科生提供高级技能发展机会。这项研究评估了饮食和环境如何影响生活在动物机构的雄性大猩猩的营养、活动模式和心血管健康。这项研究中获得的数据可以为人类学理论以及这种极度濒危的类人猿物种的动物福利实践和管理策略提供参考。这项研究结合了行为观察来确定雄性大猩猩的日常活动模式和进食行为。此外，对这些大猩猩食用的食物进行分析，以确定它们的营养价值。总能量消耗使用双标记水和尿液收集来测量。这些数据被用来设计模型，以确定目标营养和实际营养摄入之间的差异。饮食和营养数据与体力活动预算和总能量消耗指标相结合，以识别和评估影响生活在托管护理中的类人猿的心脏和代谢性疾病风险因素。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Present-day human diets and activity levels are mismatched with human physiology, which has been adapted for the comparatively higher activity levels and fluctuating food availability likely experienced by hominins in the evolutionary past. This mismatch has contributed to increasing levels of obesity and chronic health conditions in contemporary society. Interestingly, some zoo-housed gorillas show comparable rates of cardiovascular and metabolic disease to humans. This doctoral dissertation research project investigates the diet, nutrition, activity profiles, and energy expenditure of male gorillas, across age groups and health statuses. Understanding the repercussions associated with the altered diet and activity patterns that they experience in zoological settings can inform our knowledge of human health issues associated with sedentary lifestyles and diets consisting of processed, modified, and cultivated foods. The project also informs primate husbandry practices to more accurately emulate gorilla food sources found in natural habitats and improve primate health and welfare. This research facilitates the professional and scientific training of a doctoral student pursuing a career in STEM and supports advanced skill development opportunities for multiple undergraduate students interested in animal behavior and conservation. This study assesses how diet and environment affect the nutrition, activity patterns and cardiovascular health of male gorillas that live in zoological institutions. Data obtained in this study can inform anthropological theory as well as animal welfare practices and management strategies for this critically endangered ape species. The study employs a combination of behavioral observations to establish daily activity patterns and feeding behavior among gorilla males. Additionally, food items consumed by these gorillas are analyzed to determine their nutritional value. Total energy expenditure is measured using doubly labeled water and urine collection. These data are used to design models that identify discrepancies between target nutrition and actual nutrient ingestion. Diet and nutrition data are paired with physical activity budgets and total energy expenditure measures, to identify and assess the cardiac and metabolic disease risk factors that affect apes that live in managed care.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.