Primate Diets

 Lemurs

Wild lemurs live on the island of Madagascar and the nearby Comoro Islands off the coast of Africa. Lemurs are the only non-human primates that live on the island, thus they have evolved to fit several niches without competition. Most lemurs live in the tropical rainforests of the islands while others live in the drier forests. A few species of lemurs, such as ring-tail lemurs are mostly terrestrial animals while most others are arboreal. Lemurs tend to form small groups in which the females dominate the males in social interactions.

Most lemurs are herbivores but some lemurs, such as the mouse lemur, are omnivores. Diets consist of fruits, leaves, flowers, seeds, sap, and bark. Omnivores will eat plants as well as insects, frogs, and lizards.

Lemurs are thought to have evolved into small primates due to limited food supplies. They have evolved to survive to eat less food than the other primates. The lemurs that live in tropical rainforest where water is not limited have plentiful fruits and plants to eat, while the lemurs living in drier areas tend to live off a more varied diet due to lower resources. The lemurs with limited resources have also adapted a type of fat storage for certain seasons when food is scarce.

 

Spider Monkey

 Spider Monkeys live in tropical rainforests in the New World, their habitats range from south Mexico to South America. Spider monkeys are semi-brachiators adapted to swing from tree to tree. They have evolved a prehensile tail which is used as a “third hand” and is able to grasp limbs. Spider monkeys are social creatures which live in groups of two to three dozen animals that then split up into smaller groups for tasks such as sleeping, and foraging. Spider monkeys find most of their food on the tops of trees. Spider monkeys use different forms of communication including screeches, calls, and barks.

Spider monkey diets consist of nuts, fruits, leaves, spiders, and bird eggs. They have adapted to eat the foods found high in treetops. Tropical rainforests tend to have plentiful fruits and leaves accounting for spider monkeys mostly herbivore diet.

Baboons

Baboons are adapted to live in many different environments across Africa.  They are considered opportunistic animals with a wide variety of habitats and diets. Some baboons live in the savannas of East Africa, and some live in the tropical rainforests of West Africa, some live in the savannas of South Africa as well as the mountains of South Africa. Desert baboons live in North Africa such as Ethiopia, Namibia, and the southwest Arabian Peninsula. Baboons live in large social groups that vary depending on their habitat and risk of predation. Groups can range anywhere from 10 to 200 baboons. Those baboons that live in fertile savannas usually have the most baboons living in a colony while those that live in arid deserts have only a few members. Their home range also varies depending on which environment they live in. In environments where water is plentiful, baboons tend to have a small home range. In environments where resources are scarce, baboons will have a larger home range in order to scavenge for food and water. Baboon sleeping sites are located mostly in cliffs or trees but can also sleep in caves and under rocky overhangs. 

Baboons are omnivorous and opportunistic; they eat an especially large variety of foods depending on their environment. Baboon diets consist of fruit, flowers, leaves, roots, seeds, and small animals.

Baboons are the most flexible of primates in terms of diets. Depending on their environment they will eat whatever is ready available. Baboons living in Cape Peninsula will eat seafood such as mussels, shellfish, and crabs. Baboons are capable of using their strength and dexterity to dig up underground plants. When food sources are limited baboons will even turn to eating human garbage for sustenance. Baboons prefer to eat food that is high in protein. The ability to eat a wide variety of food allows baboons to live in diverse environments.

Gibbons

Gibbons are found in the forest of Southern Asia. Their habitats range from northeastern India to southern China, as well as Borneo. Gibbons are arboreal animals; they spend most of their lives in trees and are rarely found on the ground. Gibbons are fully adapted brachiators; they have large powerful arms and long legs which they use to swing from tree to tree. Gibbons live in small family groups which consist of two (monogamous) adult parents and their offspring.  They are territorial animals that defend their sites with loud calls and complex songs.

Gibbons diets consist of mostly fruits. They favor figs and will occasionally eat leaves as well as insects.

Gibbons have adapted strong hands and a wide range of motion while swinging from tree to tree, this unique ability allows gibbons to grab fruits hanging on the edge of branches. This adaptation has given gibbons an advantage over their competitors. Fruits are plentiful in the tropical forests in which they reside.

Chimpanzees

 Chimpanzees live in Africa near the equator ranging from the Atlantic Ocean to the east in Lake Tanganyika. Chimpanzees tend to live in tropical forests and savannas. They also spend more time in trees when compared to gorillas. Chimpanzee social groups range from 10-50 individuals. The males of the group stay in the same group which they are born into while the females move to different communities in search of new mates. Male chimpanzees are highly territorial animals; violent, noisy fights can break out between different communities which sometimes result in deaths. Chimpanzees are high sociable primates that form complex relationships with lifelong attachments to friends and relatives.

Chimpanzees are omnivorous frugivores, they eat fruits, leaves, berries and sometimes insects as well as bird’s eggs. Sometimes groups will hunt small mammal prey, including small monkeys, and share the prey amongst the members.

Chimps have adapted to eat the fruit that is “in season”. Chimps have also adapted to eat exclusively plants if that is what is available. Chimps do not have to have a specialized diet unlike most other animals. They can survive off one specific food their entire lives. This ability allows them to survive in environments where competition is high. Chimpanzees will eat whatever type of fauna is available to them. Since chimps themselves are inefficient hunters they use their power in numbers to hunt small prey. They high social skills allows them to work together to procure food for the group and keep predators at bay.

 Conclusion:

 The environment in which primates live in is mostly arboreal, the arboreal species have adapted to eat food which grows on trees, such as fruits. These primates have adapted strong limbs and special climbing techniques.  Primates that spend their time on the ground have a more varied diet but fruit is still their preferred food. Those which have adapted the most variety, the baboons, are able to thrive in many more environments than those that have a more specialized diet. The environment in which primates live in tends to greatly shape their diets and determines whether they thrive or become extinct.

Sources:

Introduction to Physical Anthropology, The primates, Lemur evolution, Spider monkeys, Baboons, Gibbons, and Chimpanzees