Gut Passage Rate in Guenons and Mangabeys: Another Indicator of a Flexible Feeding Niche?

Citation

Maisels F (1993) Gut Passage Rate in Guenons and Mangabeys: Another Indicator of a Flexible Feeding Niche?. Folia Primatologica, 61 (1), pp. 35-37. https://doi.org/10.1159/000156725

Abstract
First paragraph: Recent work on the feeding ecology of arboreal guenons and mangabeys in Central Zaire showed that these normally frugivorous species fed largely on leaves, arils and seeds and ate only 5-12% fleshy fruit. Two main factors affect the level of available nutrients in a plant: firstly its digestibility, which depends largely on cell wall content and secondly the gut passage rate (GPR) of the consumer. Leaves, which have a higher proportion of cell wall material than succulent fruit, require a longer time in the gut for efficient digestion.

Keywords
gut passage rate; diet; digestibility; frugivory; folivory; Cercopithecus; Lophocebus; Mangabeys; Guenons

Journal
Folia Primatologica: Volume 61, Issue 1

People

Professor Fiona Maisels

Honorary Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences