1. Factors influencing terrestriality in primates of the Americas and Madagascar.
- Author
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Eppley TM, Hoeks S, Chapman CA, Ganzhorn JU, Hall K, Owen MA, Adams DB, Allgas N, Amato KR, Andriamahaihavana M, Aristizabal JF, Baden AL, Balestri M, Barnett AA, Bicca-Marques JC, Bowler M, Boyle SA, Brown M, Caillaud D, Calegaro-Marques C, Campbell CJ, Campera M, Campos FA, Cardoso TS, Carretero-Pinzón X, Champion J, Chaves ÓM, Chen-Kraus C, Colquhoun IC, Dean B, Dubrueil C, Ellis KM, Erhart EM, Evans KJE, Fedigan LM, Felton AM, Ferreira RG, Fichtel C, Fonseca ML, Fontes IP, Fortes VB, Fumian I, Gibson D, Guzzo GB, Hartwell KS, Heymann EW, Hilário RR, Holmes SM, Irwin MT, Johnson SE, Kappeler PM, Kelley EA, King T, Knogge C, Koch F, Kowalewski MM, Lange LR, Lauterbur ME, Louis EE Jr, Lutz MC, Martínez J, Melin AD, de Melo FR, Mihaminekena TH, Mogilewsky MS, Moreira LS, Moura LA, Muhle CB, Nagy-Reis MB, Norconk MA, Notman H, O'Mara MT, Ostner J, Patel ER, Pavelka MSM, Pinacho-Guendulain B, Porter LM, Pozo-Montuy G, Raboy BE, Rahalinarivo V, Raharinoro NA, Rakotomalala Z, Ramos-Fernández G, Rasamisoa DC, Ratsimbazafy J, Ravaloharimanitra M, Razafindramanana J, Razanaparany TP, Righini N, Robson NM, Gonçalves JDR, Sanamo J, Santacruz N, Sato H, Sauther ML, Scarry CJ, Serio-Silva JC, Shanee S, Lins PGAS, Smith AC, Smith Aguilar SE, Souza-Alves JP, Stavis VK, Steffens KJE, Stone AI, Strier KB, Suarez SA, Talebi M, Tecot SR, Tujague MP, Valenta K, Van Belle S, Vasey N, Wallace RB, Welch G, Wright PC, Donati G, and Santini L
- Subjects
- Americas, Animals, Cercopithecidae, Haplorhini, Humans, Madagascar, Mammals, Trees, Biological Evolution, Primates
- Abstract
Among mammals, the order Primates is exceptional in having a high taxonomic richness in which the taxa are arboreal, semiterrestrial, or terrestrial. Although habitual terrestriality is pervasive among the apes and African and Asian monkeys (catarrhines), it is largely absent among monkeys of the Americas (platyrrhines), as well as galagos, lemurs, and lorises (strepsirrhines), which are mostly arboreal. Numerous ecological drivers and species-specific factors are suggested to set the conditions for an evolutionary shift from arboreality to terrestriality, and current environmental conditions may provide analogous scenarios to those transitional periods. Therefore, we investigated predominantly arboreal, diurnal primate genera from the Americas and Madagascar that lack fully terrestrial taxa, to determine whether ecological drivers (habitat canopy cover, predation risk, maximum temperature, precipitation, primate species richness, human population density, and distance to roads) or species-specific traits (body mass, group size, and degree of frugivory) associate with increased terrestriality. We collated 150,961 observation hours across 2,227 months from 47 species at 20 sites in Madagascar and 48 sites in the Americas. Multiple factors were associated with ground use in these otherwise arboreal species, including increased temperature, a decrease in canopy cover, a dietary shift away from frugivory, and larger group size. These factors mostly explain intraspecific differences in terrestriality. As humanity modifies habitats and causes climate change, our results suggest that species already inhabiting hot, sparsely canopied sites, and exhibiting more generalized diets, are more likely to shift toward greater ground use.
- Published
- 2022
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