Irwin Mitchell T, Raharison Jean-Luc, Chapman Colin A, Junge Randall E, Rothman Jessica M
Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.
SADABE Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Am J Primatol. 2017 Apr;79(4):1-14. doi: 10.1002/ajp.22623. Epub 2017 Jan 17.
Minerals, though needed in small quantities, are essential to metabolic processes, and deficiencies can seriously threaten health, reproduction and survival. Despite this, few studies have measured mineral composition of wild primate foods and fewer have quantified mineral intake. Here we measured the concentration of nine minerals in 75 foods of diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema; five groups) in habitats with varying levels of disturbance at Tsinjoarivo and estimated daily intakes using focal-animal feeding data and intake rates over one year. For six minerals (Ca, P, Na, Fe, Zn, and Cu), mean concentrations in foods fell short of the National Research Council's (NRC) recommendations for captive primates. Concentrations were highest in lianas, herbs, and epiphytes, and hemiparasites had exceptionally high Na. Leaves tended to have higher concentrations than fruits or flowers, but overlap was extensive. Mineral concentrations in daily diets varied little seasonally, but absolute intakes (g/day) were higher in the abundant season, due to the increase in food ingested. Disturbed habitat groups' diets had higher mineral concentrations for five minerals, but this translated into increased intakes only for Cu, as these groups ate less food overall. Overall, comparisons with percentage-based NRC recommendations suggests deficiencies, but this is contradicted by: (1) the fact that mass-specific intakes exceeded human recommendations, and (2) the lack of observed signs of deficiency. Ongoing efforts to quantify mineral consumption across wild primate populations and better understanding requirements on both a percentage and absolute basis will help in understanding effects on food selection, managing primate habitats and formulating captive diets.
矿物质虽然需求量小，但对新陈代谢过程至关重要，缺乏矿物质会严重威胁健康、繁殖和生存。尽管如此，很少有研究测量过野生灵长类动物食物的矿物质组成，更少有人对矿物质摄入量进行量化。在这里，我们测量了津乔阿里武不同干扰程度栖息地中冕狐猴（冕狐猴属；五个群体）的75种食物中的9种矿物质浓度，并利用焦点动物的觅食数据和一年中的摄入率估算了每日摄入量。对于六种矿物质（钙、磷、钠、铁、锌和铜），食物中的平均浓度低于美国国家研究委员会（NRC）对圈养灵长类动物的建议。藤本植物、草本植物和附生植物中的矿物质浓度最高，半寄生植物的钠含量异常高。树叶中的矿物质浓度往往高于果实或花朵，但重叠范围很大。日常饮食中的矿物质浓度季节性变化不大，但由于摄入食物增加，丰富季节的绝对摄入量（克/天）更高。受干扰栖息地群体的饮食中，有五种矿物质的浓度较高，但这仅转化为铜摄入量的增加，因为这些群体总体上吃得较少。总体而言，与基于百分比的NRC建议进行比较表明存在缺乏情况，但以下两点与之矛盾：（1）按体重计算的摄入量超过了人类的建议摄入量；（2）没有观察到缺乏的迹象。持续努力量化野生灵长类种群的矿物质消耗量，并更好地从百分比和绝对摄入量两方面理解需求，将有助于理解对食物选择的影响、管理灵长类栖息地以及制定圈养饮食。
