Methods for Studying the Ecological Physiology of Feeding in Free-Ranging Howlers (Alouatta palliata) at La Pacifica, Costa Rica
Abstract
We lack a general understanding of how primates perform physiologically during feeding
to cope with the challenges of their natural environments. We here discuss several
methods for studying the ecological physiology of feeding in mantled howlers (Alouatta
palliata) at La Pacifica, Costa Rica. Our initial physiological effort focuses on
recording electromyographic activity (EMG) from the jaw muscles in free-ranging howlers
while they feed in their natural forest habitat. We integrate these EMG data with
measurements of food material properties, dental wear rates, as well as spatial analyses
of resource use and food distribution. Future work will focus on incorporating physiological
measures of bone deformation, i. e., bone strain; temperatures; food nutritional data;
and hormonal analyses. Collectively, these efforts will help us to better understand
the challenges that howlers face in their environment and the physiological mechanisms
they employ during feeding. Our initial efforts provide a proof of concept demonstrating
the methodological feasibility of studying the physiology of feeding in free-ranging
primates. Although howlers offer certain advantages to in vivo field research, many
of the approaches described here can be applied to other primates in natural habitats.
By collecting physiological data simultaneously with ecological and behavioral data,
we will promote a more synthetic understanding of primate feeding and its evolutionary
history. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/16155Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1007/s10764-012-9579-2Publication Info
Vinyard, CJ; Glander, KE; Teaford, MF; Thompson, CL; Deffenbaugh, M; & Williams, SH (2012). Methods for Studying the Ecological Physiology of Feeding in Free-Ranging Howlers
(Alouatta palliata) at La Pacifica, Costa Rica. International Journal of Primatology, 33(3). pp. 611-631. 10.1007/s10764-012-9579-2. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/16155.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kenneth Earl Glander
Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Anthropology
Primate ecology and social organization: the interaction between feeding patterns
and social structure; evolutionary development of optimal group size and composition;
factors affecting short and long-term demographic changes in stable groups; primate
use of regenerating forests.

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