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DIETARY VARIABILITY IN A GROUP OF MIXED-SPECIES CERCOPITHECUS MONKEYS (CERCOPITHECUS MITIS, C. ASCANIUS AND C. MITIS X C. ASCANIUS) IN MKENKE VALLEY, GOMBE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA

This research represents the first multi-year investigation of the feeding ecology of Gombe’s Cercopithecus populations. The main goal of this study was to identify dietary overlap and distinctiveness among the phenotypes in our study group, a mixed species group of guenons comprised of C. ascanius, C. mitis, and C. ascanius x C. mitis hybrids. Field assistants collected feeding data using ad libitum observations as well as instantaneous scan sampling at 30-minute intervals from July 2014 to December 2018. A total of 63 plant species were identified in our group’s diet. Results indicate that a significant difference exists between the diets of each phenotype. The results also found an unusually high percentage of invertebrate eating (54%) in our group. These findings suggest that invertebrates are an important food resource for the Gombe study group and may help facilitate coexistence in an environment where there are many sympatric primate species. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_41914
ContributorsCrawford, Sarah (author), Detwiler, Kate M. (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text
Format67 p., application/pdf
RightsCopyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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