Lemurs. Lemurs are only found in Madagascar and the Comores islands. They are arboreal.
They mostly live in dense rain-forest environments, with lots of trees and vegetation. Lemurs diet is mostly leaves and fruit and sometimes insects and bird eggs.
Spider Monkeys. Spider Monkeys live in rain-forests of south and central America. They can be found in numerous places such as Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil and even in the Andes mountains. They are arboreal and mostly live a top the tree canopy of lush green environments. Their diet consists of fruit, seeds young leaves and sometimes insects or bird eggs.
Baboons. Baboons live in Africa and parts of the middle east. They have a wide range of habitats usually not far from water sources and trees. The other important factor in their habitat appears to be cliffs or tall trees to hide in. Baboons diet consist of mostly grass. they will also eat berries, seeds, insects, birds and fish.
Gibbons. Gibbons live in Aisia. They can be found in old growth rain-forests. They have a diet that consists of mostly fruit. They also eat leaves, some bark, flowers, insects, bird eggs and even small birds. 
Chimpanzees. Chimpanzees live in Western Africa. They can be found in a variety of habitats including rain forests, swamps and grasslands.Their diet involves many things including leaves, fruit, soft plat shoots, termites, ants and small animals.All five of these primate groups are omnivores. Each group eats more plants than animals but they all eat at least insects. All five primates can be found in rain-forests.Some vary in environment more than others but they all can be found in areas of dense vegetation. Their diets make sense to their environment. Rain-forests are filled with plants, fruit, insects. More so in vegetation and they all eat more plants than animals. If they ate exclusively fish or something not found in such abundance, their diets would not be as obviously affected by their environments. They are all intelligent species who get proteins which help with brain function.
Hello Kris,
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued to find out that Gibbons feed on bird eggs and small birds. I assumed that all of the primates showcased were strictly vegetarians, whose main source of food was plants and fruits with the occasional insect meals. You can see the obvious connection of habitat and diets according to each species. They adapted to what is available and rely mostly on lush greens with additional proteins, as you mentioned to assist in developing brain function. I can also see how these adaptations coincide with mating patters, which was my blog assignment. If you get a chance, check it out at see how their diets affect their breeding patterns.
Lynnet Rodriguez
Great observation at the end on the importants of protein (also fat) in brain function.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your summary but I have a chicken and the egg question for you. Do you think the primate's omnivorous diet arose in response to environmental pressures or did the diet arise independently first and the primates moved to an environment that fit the diet?
I think it was about safety and observation. I am looking at it through an opposite prospective. Man to monkey instead of monkey to man. Early man first started using tools as scavengers. They used small sharp stones to get to meat and cartilage. I would guess they saw predators kill and eat meat and be a top the food chain. The best chance to avoid predators is adaption. I think they developed eating meat as an attempt to be like the predators they were afraid of. The food supply in the forest conditions would allow for plenty of vegetarian food. The race to live and positive benefits of eating meat, made it essential to primate progression. There are several species that don't eat any meat that have lived in the same environment for just as long so there must be another factor other than food supply.
ReplyDeleteAnother guess might be accident. Primates eating fruits could have eaten fruits with bugs in or on them. The proteins and fats in jested could have fired up brain function and make for smarter or better feeling primates. Those primates might have started looking for fruit with insects and then just insects.
ReplyDelete