Title
Minerals in the foods and diet of diademed sifakas: Are they nutritional challenges?
Author(s)
Irwin, Mitchell T.;Raharison, Jean-Luc;Chapman, Colin A.;Junge, Randall E.;Rothman, Jessica M.
Published
2017
Publisher
American Journal of Primatology
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22623
Abstract
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. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Minerals, though crucial for survival, are an often-overlooked component of primate diets. We report mineral content in diademed sifakas’ diets, highlighting differences across foods, seasons and habitats, and the difficulty in assessing “adequacy”.
Keywords
habitat disturbance;lemurs;micronutrients;nutrition;seasonality

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