O'Malley Robert C, Power Michael L
Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
Nutrition Laboratory and Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
J Hum Evol. 2014 Jun;71:46-58. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.014. Epub 2014 Apr 1.
Insectivory is hypothesized to be an important source of macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), yet nutritional data based on actual intake are lacking. Drawing on observations from 2008 to 2010 and recently published nutritional assays, we determined the energy, macronutrient and mineral yields for termite-fishing (Macrotermes), ant-dipping (Dorylus), and ant-fishing (Camponotus) by the Kasekela chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. We also estimated the yields from consumption of weaver ants (Oecophylla) and termite alates (Macrotermes and Pseudacanthotermes). On days when chimpanzees were observed to prey on insects, the time spent in insectivorous behavior ranged from <1 min to over 4 h. After excluding partial bouts and those of <1 min duration, ant-dipping bouts were of significantly shorter duration than the other two forms of tool-assisted insectivory but provided the highest mass intake rate. Termite-fishing bouts were of significantly longer duration than ant-dipping and had a lower mass intake rate, but provided higher mean and maximum mass yields. Ant-fishing bouts were comparable to termite-fishing bouts in duration but had significantly lower mass intake rates. Mean and maximum all-day yields from termite-fishing and ant-dipping contributed to or met estimated recommended intake (ERI) values for a broad array of minerals. The mean and maximum all-day yields of other insects consistently contributed to the ERI only for manganese. All forms of insectivory provided small but probably non-trivial amounts of fat and protein. We conclude that different forms of insectivory have the potential to address different nutritional needs for Kasekela chimpanzees. Other than honeybees, insects have received little attention as potential foods for hominins. Our results suggest that ants and (on a seasonal basis) termites would have been viable sources of fat, high-quality protein and minerals for extinct hominins employing Pan-like subsistence technology in East African woodlands.
食虫行为被认为是黑猩猩（Pan troglodytes）获取大量营养素、矿物质和维生素的重要来源，但目前仍缺乏基于实际摄入量的营养数据。基于2008年至2010年的观察结果以及最近发表的营养分析，我们确定了坦桑尼亚贡贝国家公园卡塞克拉黑猩猩采用钓白蚁（大白蚁属）、蘸蚂蚁（矛蚁属）和钓蚂蚁（弓背蚁属）方式所获得的能量、大量营养素和矿物质产量。我们还估算了食用织叶蚁（黄猄蚁属）和有翅白蚁（大白蚁属和伪棘白蚁属）的产量。在观察到黑猩猩捕食昆虫的日子里，其食虫行为所花费的时间从不到1分钟到超过4小时不等。在排除部分较短的捕食时段以及持续时间不足1分钟的时段后，蘸蚂蚁的捕食时段明显短于其他两种使用工具捕食昆虫的方式，但提供了最高的质量摄入率。钓白蚁的捕食时段明显长于蘸蚂蚁，质量摄入率较低，但提供了更高的平均和最大质量产量。钓蚂蚁的捕食时段与钓白蚁相当，但质量摄入率明显较低。钓白蚁和蘸蚂蚁的全天平均和最大产量对多种矿物质的估计推荐摄入量（ERI）有贡献或达到了该值。其他昆虫的全天平均和最大产量仅对锰的ERI有持续贡献。所有形式的食虫行为都提供了少量但可能并非微不足道的脂肪和蛋白质。我们得出结论，不同形式的食虫行为有可能满足卡塞克拉黑猩猩不同的营养需求。除了蜜蜂之外，昆虫作为古人类潜在食物的关注度一直很低。我们的研究结果表明，对于在东非林地采用类似黑猩猩生存技术的已灭绝古人类来说，蚂蚁和（季节性的）白蚁可能是脂肪、优质蛋白质和矿物质的可行来源。
