Welker B J, König W, Pietsch M, Adams R P
Department of Anthropology, State University of New York, Geneseo, NY, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2007 Jun;33(6):1186-96. doi: 10.1007/s10886-007-9292-3. Epub 2007 Apr 14.
This study is a quantitative examination of primate feeding selectivity in relation to secondary chemistry within a single plant species, Hymenaea courbaril. It provides the first evidence that sesquiterpenes may act as feeding deterrents in mantled howler monkeys. A free-ranging group of mantled howler monkeys at the study site of Sector Santa Rosa, Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica were observed for the 2-month period of H. courbaril leaf flush in 1999. Tree characteristic data and leaf specimens were collected from 22 focal trees. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to estimate relative percentages of sesquiterpenes in leaf specimens. The monkeys fed only on the youngest leaves and only from particular trees. Whereas leaf stage selectivity was likely governed by tannin content and structural carbohydrates in younger and older leaf stages, respectively, differential tree use may be related to variability in sesquiterpene content. There is evidence that alpha-copaene may have played a role in interindividual tree use, and that cyperene may also be implicated. However, there is no reported evidence of antiherbivore activity for cyperene.
本研究是对灵长类动物在单一植物物种——孪叶豆（Hymenaea courbaril）内与次生化学物质相关的取食选择性进行的定量研究。它首次提供了证据表明倍半萜烯可能对鬃毛吼猴起到取食威慑作用。1999年，在哥斯达黎加瓜纳卡斯特自然保护区圣罗莎地区的研究地点，对一群自由放养的鬃毛吼猴进行了为期两个月的孪叶豆树叶萌发期观察。从2棵焦点树上收集了树木特征数据和树叶标本。采用气相色谱法和质谱分析法来估算树叶标本中倍半萜烯的相对百分比。这些猴子只取食最嫩的树叶，且只从特定树木上取食树叶。虽然树叶阶段的选择性可能分别受嫩叶和老叶阶段单宁含量和结构性碳水化合物控制，但对不同树木利用的差异可能与倍半萜烯含量的变化有关。有证据表明α-可巴烯可能在个体对树木的选择中起作用，并且石竹烯可能也与之有关。然而并没有关于石竹烯具有抗食草动物活性的报道证据。
