Nakagawa Naofumi
Laboratory of Human Evolution Studies, Division of Biological Science, Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Primates. 2009 Apr;50(2):131-41. doi: 10.1007/s10329-009-0129-2. Epub 2009 Feb 11.
In this review I outline studies on wild non-human primates using information on feeding rate, which is defined as the food intake per minute on a dry-weight basis; further, I summarize the significance of feeding rate in primate feeding ecology. The optimal foraging theory has addressed three aspects of animal feeding: (1) optimal food patch choice, (2) optimal time allocation to different patches, and (3) optimal food choice. In order to gain a better understanding of these three aspects, the feeding rate itself or its relevance indices (e.g., rates of calorie and protein intake) could be appropriate measures to assess the quality of food and food patches. Moreover, the feeding rate plays an essential role in estimation of total food intake, because it varies greatly for different food items and the feeding time is not a precise measure. The feeding rate could also vary across individuals who simultaneously feed on the same food items in the same food patch. Body size-dependent and rank-dependent differences in the feeding rate sometimes cause individuals to take strategic behavioral options. In the closing remarks, I discuss the usefulness of even limited data on feeding rate obtained under adverse observational conditions in understanding primate feeding ecology.
在这篇综述中，我概述了关于野生非人灵长类动物的研究，这些研究利用了摄食率信息，摄食率定义为以干重为基础的每分钟食物摄入量；此外，我总结了摄食率在灵长类动物觅食生态学中的重要性。最优觅食理论涉及动物觅食的三个方面：（1）最优食物斑块选择，（2）对不同斑块的最优时间分配，以及（3）最优食物选择。为了更好地理解这三个方面，摄食率本身或其相关指标（如卡路里和蛋白质摄入率）可能是评估食物和食物斑块质量的合适指标。此外，摄食率在估计总食物摄入量方面起着至关重要的作用，因为不同食物的摄食率差异很大，而且摄食时间并不是一个精确的衡量标准。在同一食物斑块中同时食用相同食物的个体之间，摄食率也可能存在差异。摄食率的体型依赖性和等级依赖性差异有时会导致个体采取策略性行为选择。在结束语中，我讨论了即使在不利的观察条件下获得的有限摄食率数据，在理解灵长类动物觅食生态学方面的有用性。
