Exudativory in Primates: Interspecific Patterns

Abstract

This chapter reviews the extent of primate gummivory, identifies phylogentic patterns in the degree of gummivory across primates, and examines overlap in the plant species whose exudates are consumed. Plant exudates are exploited both rou- tinely and opportunistically by at least 69 species of strepsirrhine, platyrrhine, and catarrhine primates. Gummivory is particularly prevalent among the callitrichids, cheirogaleids, and galagos in terms of the number of species reported to consume gum, its contribution to their diet, and the number of plant species they exploit for it. While some marmosets, galagos and the fork-marked lemur are thought of as gum specialists, exudates may account for more than 10% of the diet in many other species. Gum feeding may increase further during periods of dry season resource scarcity with some, most notably Parkia pod gums, acting as a keystone resource for many New World monkeys. Exudates from at least 250 plant species in 170 genera and 63 families are eaten, with Fabaceae and Anacardiaceae being the most frequently exploited. The Callitrichidae were examined for patterns in the amount of gum they consumed. Differences in the prevalence of gummivory were linked to morphological adaptations, particularly dentition, and habitat seasonality. Cluster analysis of the plant families exploited by different primate genera revealed simi- larities based on the number of families they exploited for gums. Introduction