Specialist primates can be flexible in response to habitat Alteration

Abstract

An increasing number of field studies on behavioral adaptations and learning suggest that a capacity for flexibility in local responses to disturbance could buffer some so-called specialists against that disturbance. We discuss how specialization, rather than an intrinsic species trait, appears to be moderated by flexible and learned behavior and may not represent a useful trait in comparative analyses of extinction vulnerability. Furthermore, the use of primate species as indicators of the effects of disturbance on communities needs to be balanced with data on their capacity to adjust behaviorally. We present recent examples of innovative and flexible behavior in primate taxa, some of which have traditionally been viewed as highly specialized, for example species of red colobus. We also highlight research gaps in the ecological specialization-behavioral flexibility domain.