2 Primate Ecology Flashcards
primate ecology
study of how primates interact with environment including other organisms
most primates live….
in the tropics
gallery forest
forest along a river
niche
ecological role of an organism in its environment
variables of a niche =
niche axes
diet
combination of foods used to satisfy nutritional needs (proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, water)
main diet categories (4)
animals = faunivore, insectivore
gums and sap = gummivore
fruit = frugivores
leaves = folivore
all primates eat fruit except….
tarsiers diet os 100% animals
homerange
area where a primate/group of primates live
niche axes (5)
diet locomotion activity pattern ranging pattern predators
home ranges (4 traits)
consistent over time
animals return to same resources during the
year
may overlap
no nomadic primates except humansday range
how far you travel in a day
territory
actively defended boundary of all or part of the home range
territory (4 traits)
conspecifics (members of the same species)
must be kept out
exclusive access
only some primate territorial
maintaining a territory is costly (boundaries
must by patrolled and defended)
locomotion
ranging = selected for efficient locomotion
activity pattern
time limited
3 ways to divide 24 hrs
diurnal
cathemeral (active day and night)
nocturnal
predators
things want to eat you
primates share habitats (2)
space and resources must be divided forest division (understory, main canopy, emergent)
competitive exclusion principle (4)
no two organisms can have the same niche
requirements may substantially overlap
one species will eventually out compete the
other
=if two species coexist in one habitat, they
must differ in their niche to avoid
competition
if niche overlaps and two species compete…. (2)
area of overlap incorporated into niche of one and other locally extinct
area divided between the two
realized niche
results as one or both species undergo ecological shift
character displacement
morphological change that enables 2 species to coexist sympatrically (in some habitats)
ecological release/competitive release
niche expansion following the removal of a constraining variable (for a species)
community ecology
study of interactions among species in communities on many spatial and temporal scales
communities
assemblages of interacting populations of the species (different types of species) living within a particular habitat
disease ecology (2)
study of interaction of the behavior and ecology of hosts with the biology of pathogens
looks at factors influencing the transmission of infectious diseases (environment, parasite, host)
eat fruit pros (4)
High in sugar (energy) and nutrients
Do not have to hunt them
Little energy in digestion
Do not need specialized gut
eat fruit cons (3)
Low in protein
Seasonal (limited in time and space)
Expend more energy in obtaining fruit (must travel farther)
eat fruit dental specializations (3)
Incisors are relatively large / broad
Low, rounded molar cusps (for crushing and grinding)
Shorter shearing crests
eat fruit gut specializations (1)
No distinctive specializations
eat Leaves pros (4)
High in protein
Mature leaves: often not seasonal / readily available year round
Easy to find (no hunting involved)
Expend little energy to get them
eat Leaves cons (6)
Low in sugars
Young leaves: seasonal
Hard to digest and masticate (high in cellulose), especially mature leaves
Energy expended in digestion but not in finding food
Secondary compounds
Need gut specializations
eat Leaves dental specializations (2)
Incisors are relatively small / narrow
Well developed shearing crests to “cut”
(shear) leaves
eat Leaves gut specializations (2)
Sacculated stomach or enlarged colon (which have colonies of microorganisms)
Elongated intestines (to increase digestion time)
eat insects pros (2)
High in protein & carbohydrates (chitin)
Abundant
eat insects cons (4)
Hard to catch (must hunt)
Hard to find (cryptic)
Expend energy to obtain them
Can be seasonal
eat insects dental specializations (2)
Sharp high cusps on molars
Shearing crests well developed
eat insects gut specializations (1)
Short simple gut
seed predators
some primates are specialized for consuming and digesting the seeds of unripe fruit
secondary compounds
Secondary compounds, such as alkaloids and tannins, are chemical components that are not directly involved in typical plant metabolic processes (e.g., growth, photosynthesis, etc.) and often play a protective role
chitin
tough structural carbohydrate like cellulose in insect exoskeleton
graminivorous.
Primates whose diets are primarily composed of grasses
gummivorous
Primates whose diets are primarily composed of plant exudates
cheek teeth used for
mastication
anterior teeth used for
ingestion
Kay’s Threshold
all insectivorous primates are smaller than 500g, while all folivorous primates are larger 500g
jarmen bell principle
small body -> rare high quality food (small volume of food at a time)
large body -> abundant, low quality food (large volume of food at a time)
special aye-aye features (2)
chisel shaped incisors to gnaw through wood
long, highly mobile middle finger to catch wood boring insects
chimps…
hunt
IP index (3)
incisors/premolars&molars * 100
high = frugivores low= folivores
