Primate Ecology Flashcards
Total Energy Required Depend on FOUR Components:
i) basal metabolism
ii) active metabolism
iii) growth/growth rate
iv) reproductive effort
Basal Metabolism
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) = rate at which an animal expends energy at rest, for basic body maintenance
Active Metabolic Rate
the energy required above and beyond baseline for daily activities
depends on size of animal + how far/fast it’s travelling
e.g. locomotion, digestion
Growth Rate
building new tissue requires energy beyond BMR and AMR
(infants/juveniles have higher energy requirements than predicted for their size)
Reproductive Rate
For females, additional cost of reproduction
Late pregnancy: +25 calories
Lactation: +50% calories
Nutritional Requirements
Diet must satisfy energy requirements & specific nutrients they cannot synthesize themselves
Protein/Amino Acids
for growth, reproduction, regulation of bodily functions
- We cannot make aa’s ourselves
Fats, oils, carbohydrates
provide energy
Trace vitamins & minerals
important for specific physiological functions
Diet must also…
minimize dangerous toxins
Secondary Compounds are plant defenses:
○ Alkaloids - can disrupt normal cell processes
○ Tannins - reduce digestibility of plants
Secondary Compound Concentration Is:
○ highest in mature leaves, seeds
○ lower in fruits, flowers, new leaves
Primate Food
- Fruit (frugivory)
- Leaves (folivory)
- Insects (insectivory)
Primates Diets are Diverse, But:
1) Most primates rely on one food type high in protein (P), one high in carbohydrates (CH)
2) Primates rely more heavily on some types of foods than others
3) Insectivores < frugivores < folivores
Smaller Animals (Food)
require small but high-quality foods that can be processed quickly (e.g. insects)
Larger Animals (Food)
not constrained by the quality of their food (more by quantity)
Food Availability Varies in Space and Time
- Can be patchy in space and/or time
- Can be unpredictable
Temporal Availability
Seasonality: in tropics, depends on day, length, rainfall
During scarcity, may switch to lower quality diet (unripe fruit, mature leaves) and/or reduce energy expenditures
Food Varies in Density
- Most abundant food are leaves/foliage
- Fruits and flowers (seasonal)
- Lowest density = small prey (insects, vertebrates, etc.)
Range
= the geographical area in which a group (not a species) can be found
Home Range
total area used by a group
Day Range
area used by an individual on a daily basis
Food Distribution
- Territoriality varies amongst species
- Some exclusive
- Territory = home range
- Some home ranges overlap
- Food distribution influences territoriality
- Resource distribution
- Even = not defensible
- Clumped/patchy = defensible
Territoriality: Costs
constant vigilance, advertising presence, engage in defense
Territoriality: Benefits
prevent outsiders from exploiting limited resources
When Do Benefits Outweigh Costs
Depends on the kinds of resources and their impact on fitness:
For females = access to food for them and their dependents
For males = access to females (mates)
Territoriality Serves Two Functions
- resource defense (food, nesting sites)
- mate defense
The 3 Ds
Detection (more eyes on the lookout)
Deterrence (swarming/mobbing)
Dilution (“better him than me”)
How to Avoid Predators
- alarm calls
- swarm
- associate with other primate species
Sociality Benefits
- resource control
- intERgroup competition
- predator avoidance
- access to mates
Sociality Costs
- feeding/mate competition
- IntRAgroup competition
- Disease risk
- Cuckoldry, incest, infanticide
Trade-offs Between Predation & Food
Small groups & solitary animals = predation risk high, intragroup food competition low
Large groups = predation risk lower, intragroup food competition higher (fission)
