Ecological Distinctions in Diet, Food Toughness, and Masticatory Anatomy in a Community of Six Neotropical Primates in Guyana, South America

I examine the toughness of plant tissues (N = 14) handled and dentally processed by these primates. General dietary categories (e.g. fruits and leaves) provide only limited insights into the dietary patterns of the study species. However, analyses of opened and masticated plant tissues reveals three dietary patterns. These are described as (1) year round scraping of weak tissues with the anterior dentition and chewing weak tissues with the cheek teeth in A. paniscus, (2) seasonally chewing tissues with high average toughness using the molars, and occasionally opening tough tissues with the incisors and canines in A. seniculus, and (3) seasonally opening tough tissues with the anterior dentition to access weak tissues that are subsequently chewed with the cheek teeth in both Cebus species and both pitheciines. The dietary pattern for each Cebus and pitheciine species is described in detail. It is concluded, that the use of average toughness, maximum toughness, feeding frequency, and seasonal use of plant tissues in constructing dietary profiles offers a comprehensive framework for identifying the suite of ecological variables that impact the craniodental morphology of primates.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Wright, Barth Wilkinson

Contributors dc:contributor

• Garber, Paul A.

• Biology, Zoology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3160975

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85265