ANIMAL FORUM

>
>See cites you have snipped. Also, in reference to the availability
>of plant foods, it seems to me that the recent observations of
>increased frequency in intentional consumption of invertebrates
>and in some cases carnivorous behaviour, may well be correlated
>to the fragmentation and shrinking of these apes habitats, causing
>crowding, and subsequently increased competition for resources.

>
>That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
>accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.

> Following up to pearl :
>
>>
>>See cites you have snipped. Also, in reference to the availability
>>of plant foods, it seems to me that the recent observations of
>>increased frequency in intentional consumption of invertebrates
>>and in some cases carnivorous behaviour, may well be correlated
>>to the fragmentation and shrinking of these apes habitats, causing
>>crowding, and subsequently increased competition for resources.
>
> Maybe, may not. It could also be a sign of more interest, more frequent
> and skilled observation.
>
>
>>
>>That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
>>accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.
>
>
> --
> Tim C.

> Following up to pearl :
>
> >
> >See cites you have snipped. Also, in reference to the availability
> >of plant foods, it seems to me that the recent observations of
> >increased frequency in intentional consumption of invertebrates
> >and in some cases carnivorous behaviour, may well be correlated
> >to the fragmentation and shrinking of these apes habitats, causing
> >crowding, and subsequently increased competition for resources.
>
> Maybe, may not. It could also be a sign of more interest, more frequent
> and skilled observation.

> >That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
> >accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.

>That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
>accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.

> Tim C. wrote in message
> news:igvcs15vnoj8l7o3er4oo20imt8ud9ov5c@4ax.com...
>> Following up to pearl :
>>
>> >
>> >See cites you have snipped. Also, in reference to the availability
>> >of plant foods, it seems to me that the recent observations of
>> >increased frequency in intentional consumption of invertebrates
>> >and in some cases carnivorous behaviour, may well be correlated
>> >to the fragmentation and shrinking of these apes habitats, causing
>> >crowding, and subsequently increased competition for resources.
>>
>> Maybe, may not. It could also be a sign of more interest, more frequent
>> and skilled observation.
>
> Of ... what I wrote, above.
>
>> >That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
>> >accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.
>
> Here you go ..
>
> Relating Chimpanzee Diets to Potential Australopithecine Diets
> Conklin-Brittain, Nancy Lou Wrangham, Richard W.
>
> We report data using an ape model to reconstruct the nutrient
> composition of the frugivorous diet of our last common ancestor
> with African great apes. We aimed to determine whether the
> African ape clade, from which hominids evolved, has any unusual
> features. We studied frugivory by comparing chimpanzee diets to
> that of three species of cercopithecine monkeys in Kibale Forest,
> Uganda.
>
> Data came from a 12-month period that showed inter-monthly
> variation in fruit abundance. The monkeys consumed stable
> nutrient levels except for lipid, which was low (3.2 +/- 2.0 %
> dry matter (DM)), but peaked at about 9% DM during ripe fruit
> abundance. Chimpanzees also consumed low lipid and sugar diets
> during fruit poor seasons. Protein intake reflected each species
> fallback food: leaf consumption kept the protein levels high for
> monkeys (16.7 +/- 1.9% DM); chimpanzees relied on herbaceous piths
> and maintained a low protein intake (9.5 +/- 3.0% DM). Fallback
> food was probably also responsible for the high fiber (NDF) intakes
> by monkeys, which was not significantly different from chimpanzees
> (32.4 +/- 3.6% NDF versus 33.6 +/- 4.5% NDF respectively).
>
> Three conclusions emerge: fat intake was low for all frugivores,
> protein intake was low for chimpanzees, and fiber intake was high
> for all species. Our data (from a lipid-poor habitat) show that
> high lipid or high protein is not needed for normal health and
> reproduction of chimpanzees. Therefore, hominids were probably
> capable of living on a low-fat, low-protein diet such as would be
> provided by fibrous roots commonly found in a seasonal woodland
> environment.
>
>
http://www.cast.uark.edu/local/icaes/conferences/wburg/posters/nconklin/abstract.html
>
>
>

> On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:40:57 -0000, pearl
> wrote in uk.politics.animals:
>
>>That is the reason why I regard the earlier studies as more
>>accurately indicative of apes usual, preferred, natural diet.
>
> Yes. Little monkeys!