Deck 6: Food and Foraging

Question 1

Compared to leaves, fruits are generally much better sources of:

A) Protein
B) Carbohydrates and lipids
C) Tannins
D) Fiber

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Large food patches full of high quality fruits:

A) Are not worth defending because there is enough food for all
B) Lead some primate groups to fission into smaller feeding parties
C) Can be worth defending from other groups
D) Lead to low foraging efficiency

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Subsistence diets are:

A) Low quality foods that primates exploit on when preferred foods are scarce
B) The full description of foods exploited by primates
C) Preferred, high quality foods essential for reproduction and growth
D) Fruits that are rich in easy-to-digest protein

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Sharp, shearing crests on their molars are typical of:

A) Gumnivores
B) Frugivores
C) Folivores
D) Nectivores

Question 5

Tannins:

A) Disrupt metabolism
B) Are avoided by all primates
C) Reduce the digestibility of proteins
D) Are swallowed by chimpanzees for their physical properties

Question 6

The use of plants with possible medicinal properties:

A) Has only been described for chimpanzees
B) Is impossible to study
C) Includes a variety of foods that are also eaten for their nutritional content
D) Is suspected to occur in a variety of primates and other animals

Question 7

Patas monkeys:

A) Consume more gum and insects than other primates of similar body size
B) Rely heavily on herbaceous vegetation, which helps them to maintain their relatively fast reproductive rates
C) Have diets that are typical of other semiterrestrial primates
D) Fission into small feeding parties to avoid competition when their preferred patches of fruit are seasonally scarce

Question 8

Pronounced sexual dimorphism:

A) Has no effects on male and female diets
B) Results in sex differences in dietary and foraging patterns
C) Is known to be a consequence of sex differences in diet
D) Leads to lower quality diets when females are larger than males

Question 9

Small food patches full of high quality fruits:

A) Are not worth defending because there is enough food for all
B) Lead some primate groups to fission into smaller feeding parties
C) Can be worth defending from other groups
D) Lead to low foraging efficiency

Question 10

The effects of fruit masting on orangutans:

A) Result in sexual bimaturism among males
B) Affect energy balance, and may therefore contribute to their long birth intervals
C) Are responsible for the extreme levels of sexual dimorphism in this primate
D) Provide a permanent supply of high quality food

Question 11

Compared to folivores, specialized frugivores tend to:

A) Have smaller home ranges than more folivorous primates
B) Expend less energy than folivores
C) Devote more time to resting than folivores
D) Have longer day ranges

Question 12

High levels of between-group contest competition favor:

A) Female dispersal from their natal groups
B) Fluid associations among females
C) Cooperative resource defense by cohesive matrilines
D) Solitary lifestyles

Question 13

Scramble competition occurs when:

A) Resources are evenly distributed in time and space
B) Individuals or groups can exclude others from resources by fighting
C) Males can monopolize access to females
D) Females maintain despotic, nepotistic relationships with one another

Question 14

The energetic demands of reproduction are greatest on females during:

A) Pregnancy
B) Lactation
C) The breeding season
D) Ovulation

Question 15

Altered habitats pose the greatest risks to:

A) Primates capable of reproducing at rapid rates
B) Primates with generalized diets
C) Primates that shift their diets when preferred foods are scarce
D) Primates with specialized diets

Question 16

The greater proportion of fruit in the diets of lowland gorillas compared to mountain gorillas:

A) Reflects the preferences of mountain gorillas for herbaceous vegetation
B) Can be attributed to greater availability of fruit in the lowland gorillas' forests
C) Is not likely to correspond with differences in their ranging patterns
D) Indicates the inability of lowland gorillas to process leaves and herbs

Question 17

Reproductive seasonality:

A) Tends to be more pronounced in highly seasonal environments
B) Leads to high levels of competition among males throughout the year
C) Tends to be more pronounced in larger species
D) Occurs only in species with highly generalized diets

Question 18

In sympatric lemurs, reproductive seasonality results in:

A) Different species giving birth at the same time of the year
B) Different species mating at the same of the year
C) Different species weaning their infants at the same time of the year
D) Different species having similar life histories despite body size variation

Question 19

List two anatomical specializations that distinguish folivores from frugivores.

Question 20

Discuss three factors that must be considered in characterizing primate diets.

Question 21

Describe the different kinds of behavioral trade-offs that primates can make when preferred, high quality foods are seasonally scarce. Include specific examples in your answer.

Question 22

Using your knowledge of the Jarman/Bell principle and reproductive energetics, explain how and why male and female diets may differ.

Question 23

Peruvian squirrel monkeys exhibit male-biased dispersal and high rates of aggressive competition over food, whereas Costa Rican squirrel monkeys exhibit female-biased dispersal and very low rates of feeding competition. Describe the differences in their feeding ecologies that could predict these divergent behavioral patterns.

Question 24

List two of the possible ways in which primates can adjust their behavior in response to seasonal shortages in the availability of their preferred foods, and provide an example of a primate that responds in each way.

Question 25

List three of the ways in which a female's nutritional condition can affect her reproductive success.

Question 26

Briefly explain the different between contest competition and scramble competition, and discuss the ways in which the distribution of different types of foods interact with group size to affect levels of these kinds of competition in primate groups