Taste difference thresholds for sucrose in two species of nonhuman primates

Laska, Matthias; Scheuber, Heinz-Peter; Sanchez, Edith Carrera; Luna, Ernesto Rodríguez

doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-2345(1999)48:2<153::aid-ajp6>3.0.co;2-7

Cited by 25 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The taste preference difference thresholds of the chimpanzees for sucrose found in the present study are in the same range as those reported in squirrel monkeys, but higher than those in spider monkeys and olive baboons (Table 3). This finding is somewhat unexpected, as some studies suggest that the ability to distinguish between different concentrations of sweet-tasting food constituents should correlate positively with the degree of frugivory (Laska et al 1999a, b). Spider monkeys, for example, are clearly more frugivorous than squirrel monkeys and Ateles geoffroyi also displays lower Weber ratios, that is, a higher ability to discriminate between sucrose concentrations than Saimiri sciureus .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…[1] present study; [2] van Gemert (2011); [3] Simmen and Charlot (2003); [4] Laska (2000); [5] Glaser (1986); [6] Sunderland and Sclafani (1988); [7] Nishi et al (2016); [8] Laska et al (1999a, b); [9] Laska et al (1996); [10] Laska (1996); [11] Simmen and Hladik (1998); [12] Simmen (1994); [13] Wielbass et al (2015); [14] Simmen et al (1999)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1] present study; [2] Lundgren et al (1976); [3] Gilmore and Murphy (1989); [4] Laing et al (1993); [5] McBride (1983); [6] Geldard (1972); [7] Schutz and Pilgrim (1957); [8] Pfaffmann et al (1971); [9] Fischer et al (1965); [10] Berg et al (1955); [11] Laska et al (1999a, b); [12] Laska (1994); [13] Wagner et al (1965); [14] Brosvic and Slotnick (1986); [15] Scott and Giza (1987)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We chose this rather conservative criterion for reasons of comparability of data as the same criterion had been used in previous studies on sweet-taste responsiveness with other primate species (Laska 1996, 1997, 2000; Laska et al 1996, 1998, 1999a, b, 2001; Nicklasson et al 2018; Wielbass et al 2015), and in order to avoid misinterpretation due to a too liberal criterion. Additionally, we performed binomial tests, and regarded an animal as significantly preferring one of the two stimuli if it reached the criterion of 66.7% and consumed more from the bottle containing the preferred stimulus in at least eight out of ten trials (binomial test, P < 0.05).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For each animal, we recorded the amount of liquid consumed from each bottle, summed it for the ten trials with a given stimulus combination, converted it to percentages (relative to the total amount of liquid consumed from both bottles), and took 66.7% (i.e., 2/3 of the total amount of liquid consumed) as the criterion of preference. We chose this rather conservative criterion for reasons of comparability of data as the same criterion had been used in previous studies on sweet-taste responsiveness with other primate species (Laska 1996, 1997, 2000; Laska et al 1996, 1998, 1999a, b, 2001; Nicklasson et al 2018; Wielbass et al 2015), and in order to avoid misinterpretation due to a too liberal criterion. Additionally, we performed binomial tests, and regarded an animal as significantly preferring one of the two stimuli if it reached the criterion of 66.7% and consumed more from the bottle containing the preferred stimulus in at least eight out of ten trials (binomial test, P < 0.05).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides

et al. 2018

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Using a two-bottle choice test of short duration, we determined taste preference thresholds for sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, and maltose in three Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Further, we assessed relative preferences for these five saccharides when presented at equimolar concentrations and determined taste preference difference thresholds for sucrose, that is, the smallest concentration difference at which the chimpanzees display a preference for one of the two options. We found that the chimpanzees significantly preferred concentrations as low as 20 mM sucrose, 40 mM fructose, and 80 mM glucose, lactose, and maltose over tap water. When given a choice between all binary combinations of these five saccharides presented at equimolar concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 mM, respectively, the animals displayed significant preferences for individual saccharides in the following order: sucrose > fructose > glucose = maltose = lactose. The taste difference threshold for sucrose, expressed as Weber ratio (ΔI/I), was 0.3 and 0.4, respectively, at reference concentrations of 100 and 200 mM. The taste sensitivity of the chimpanzees to the five saccharides falls into the same range found in other primate species. Remarkably, their taste preference thresholds are similar, and with two saccharides even identical, to human taste detection thresholds. The pattern of relative taste preferences displayed by the chimpanzees was similar to that found in platyrrhine primates and to the pattern of relative sweetness as reported by humans. Taken together, the results of the present study are in line with the notion that taste sensitivity for food-associated carbohydrates may correlate positively with phylogenetic relatedness. Further, they support the notion that relative preferences for food-associated carbohydrates, but not taste difference thresholds, may correlate with dietary specialization in primates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides

et al. 2018

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Sugar concentration of fruits and their detection via color in the Central American spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

Riba‐Hernández

Stoner

Lucas

2005

American J Primatol

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Although most arguments explaining the predominance of polymorphic color vision in platyrrhine monkeys are linked to the advantage of trichromacy over dichromacy for foraging for ripe fruits, little information exists on the relationship between nutritional reward and performance in fruit detection with different types of color vision. The principal reward of most fruits is sugar, and thus it seems logical to investigate whether fruit coloration provides a long-distance sensory cue to primates that correlates with sugar content. Here we test the hypothesis that fruit detection performance via trichromatic color vision phenotypes provides better information regarding sugar concentration than dichromatic phenotypes (i.e., is a color vision phenotype with sufficient red-green (RG) differentiation necessary to "reveal" the concentration of major sugars in fruits?). Accordingly, we studied the fruit foraging behavior of Ateles geoffroyi by measuring both the reflectance spectra and the concentrations of major sugars in the consumed fruits. We modeled detection performance with different color phenotypes. Our results provide some support for the hypothesis. The yellow-blue (YB) color signal, which is the only one available to dichromats, was not significantly related to sugar concentration. The RG color vision signal, which is present only in trichromats, was significantly correlated with sugar content, but only when the latter was defined by glucose. There was in fact a consistent negative relationship between fruit detection performance and sucrose concentration, although this was not significant for the 430 nm and 550 nm phenotypes. The regular trichromatic phenotypes (430 nm, 533 nm, and 565 nm) showed higher correlations between fruit performance and glucose concentration than the other two trichromatic phenotypes. Our study documents a trichromatic foraging advantage in terms of fruit quality, and suggests that trichromatic color vision is advantageous over dichromatic color vision for detecting sugar-rich fruits.

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Taste difference thresholds for monosodium glutamate and sodium chloride in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

Laska

Suorra

Bautista

et al. 2008

American J Primatol

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The purpose of this study was to determine taste difference thresholds for monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sodium chloride (NaCl) in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Using a two-bottle preference test of brief duration, three animals of each species were presented with four different reference concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 400 mM of a tastant and tested for their ability to discriminate these from lower concentrations of the same tastant. The just noticeable differences (JNDs), expressed as Weber ratios (DeltaI/I), were found to range from 0.1 to 0.5 for MSG and 0.2 to 0.45 for NaCl in the pigtail macaques, with a significant tendency for higher Weber ratios with higher reference concentrations. In the spider monkeys, JNDs ranged from 0.15 to 0.4 for MSG and 0.1 to 0.25 for NaCl, with Weber ratios staying fairly constant across the reference concentrations tested. Thus, the JNDs were found to be generally similar in both species and to be at least as low as those found in humans for MSG and NaCl, as well as those found in spider monkeys for sucrose. The results support the assumption that both pigtail macaques and spider monkeys may use differences in perceived intensity of MSG and NaCl as a criterion for food selection.

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Taste difference thresholds for sucrose in two species of nonhuman primates

Cited by 25 publications

References 22 publications

Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides

Taste responsiveness of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) to five food-associated saccharides

Sugar concentration of fruits and their detection via color in the Central American spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

Taste difference thresholds for monosodium glutamate and sodium chloride in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

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