Stable isotopic investigation of the feeding ecology of wild Bornean orangutans

Tsutaya, Takumi; Wong, Anna; Malim, Peter; Bernard, Henry; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Hongo, Satoshi; Tajima, Tomoyuki; Kanamori, Tomoko; Kuze, Noko

doi:10.1002/ajpa.24598

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 104 publications

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“…Because faeces are thought to integrate diet over a relatively short period of time, they can help elucidate seasonal dietary shifts (e.g. Botha & Stock, 2005; Blumenthal et al ., 2012; Tsutaya et al ., 2022). Significant intra‐annual variability in faecal isotope values for wild mountain gorilla ( Gorilla beringei beringei ), for example, has been documented with faecal isotope ratios; even within a purely C 3 ecosystem, different plant foods were isotopically distinguishable and faecal isotope values reflected seasonal reliance on fruit (higher δ 13 C values during periods of increased frugivory; Blumenthal et al ., 2012).…”

Section: Applications Of C and N Isotopes In Faecesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prospects of poop: a review of past achievements and future possibilities in faecal isotope analysis

2023

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What can the stable isotope values of human and animal faeces tell us? This often under‐appreciated waste product is gaining recognition across a variety of disciplines. Faecal isotopes provide a means of monitoring diet, resource partitioning, landscape use, tracking nutrient inputs and cycling, and reconstructing past climate and environment. Here, we review what faeces are composed of, their temporal resolution, and how these factors may be impacted by digestive physiology and efficiency. As faeces are often used to explore diet, we clarify how isotopic offsets between diet and faeces can be calculated, as well as some differences among commonly used calculations that can lead to confusion. Generally, faecal carbon isotope (δ13C) values are lower than those of the diet, while faecal nitrogen isotope values (δ15N) values are higher than in the diet. However, there is considerable variability both within and among species. We explore the role of study design and how limitations stemming from a variety of factors can affect both the reliability and interpretability of faecal isotope data sets. Finally, we summarise the various ways in which faecal isotopes have been applied to date and provide some suggestions for future research. Despite remaining challenges, faecal isotope data are poised to continue to contribute meaningfully to a variety of fields.

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Section: Applications Of C and N Isotopes In Faecesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prospects of poop: a review of past achievements and future possibilities in faecal isotope analysis

2023

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Investigating infant feeding development in wild chimpanzees using stable isotopes of naturally shed hair

Bădescu,

Curteanu,

Sellen

et al. 2023

American J Primatol

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Measuring the relative contributions of milk and non‐milk foods in the diets of primate infants is difficult from observations. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in hair can be used to physiologically track infant feeding through development, but few wild studies have done so, likely due to the difficulty in collecting hair non‐invasively. We assessed infant feeding at different ages in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Uganda using δ13C and δ15N of keratin in 164 naturally shed hairs from 29 infants (61 hairs), 6 juveniles (7 hairs), 28 mothers (67 hairs) and 14 adult males (29 hairs). Hairs were collected when they stuck to feces during defecation or from the ground after chimpanzees groomed or rested. We could not distinguish between the hairs of infants and mothers using strand length and diameter. Infants 1–2 years old were most enriched in 13C and 15N and showed means of 1.1‰ in δ13C and 2.1‰ in δ15N above their mothers. Infants at 2 years had hair δ13C values like those of their mothers, which suggests infants began relying more heavily on plants around this age. While mother‐infant δ13C and δ15N differences generally decreased with offspring age, as is expected when infants rely increasingly more on independent foraging through development, milk seemed to remain an important dietary component for infants older than 2.5 years, as evidenced by continuing elevated δ15N. We showed that stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in naturally shed hairs can feasibly detect trophic level differences between chimpanzee infants and mothers. Since it can mitigate some of the limitations associated with behavioral and fecal stable isotope data, the use of hair stable isotopes is a useful, non‐invasive tool for assessing infant feeding development in wild primates.

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Preliminary isotopic assessment of weaning in bonobos shows evidence for extended nursing, sibling competition and invested first‐time mothers

Oelze,

Ott,

Lee

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

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Although considered a hallmark in early ontogeny, weaning from breastmilk is difficult to monitor in wild primates and weaning ages remain unknown for wild bonobos (Pan Paniscus). Here, we calculated inter‐birth intervals from demographic data and measured the isotopic offsets (Δ15N and Δ13C) between mother (n = 17) and offspring (n = 28) fecal sample pairs (n = 131, total n = 246) in the LuiKotale bonobos to assess nutritional weaning for the first time. We tested the effects of infant age, female parity, and sibling competition on Δ15N and Δ13C values. We found bonobo inter‐birth intervals ranging from 2.2 to 7.3 years (x̄ = 4.7 ± 1.3 years) at LuiKotale. The Δ15N and Δ13C values suggested nutritional weaning on average by 6.6 and 7.0 years of age respectively, considerably exceeding weaning ages reported for chimpanzees (P. troglodytes) using the same approach. Our Δ13C data suggested that the number of offspring present affected nursing, with first‐time mothers nursing more and possibly longer. The Δ15N and Δ13C values decreased with the arrival of the next sibling, suggesting sibling competition reduces milk access. Nevertheless, offspring may continue nursing 2.5–3 years after the birth of the next sibling, corresponding well with observations on low infant mortality. In conclusion, bonobo mothers provide remarkably enduring materna l support in the form of nursing concurrently to several offspring.

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Stable isotopic investigation of the feeding ecology of wild Bornean orangutans

Cited by 4 publications

References 104 publications

The prospects of poop: a review of past achievements and future possibilities in faecal isotope analysis

The prospects of poop: a review of past achievements and future possibilities in faecal isotope analysis

Investigating infant feeding development in wild chimpanzees using stable isotopes of naturally shed hair

Preliminary isotopic assessment of weaning in bonobos shows evidence for extended nursing, sibling competition and invested first‐time mothers

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