In the wild, animals carefully select their diets based on environmental variables, influencing feeding behaviors and rest periods.
Research on spider monkeys and orangutans showcases how animals adapt to environmental conditions for optimal nutrient intake.
Deep dives
Studying Animal Diets in the Wild
David and Steve conduct research on animal diets in the deserts and jungles to understand how animal behaviors in natural environments differ from lab settings. By observing grasshopper feeding patterns in the Arizona desert, they found that environmental variables can influence behaviors like feeding frequency and rest periods.
Grasshopper Feeding Habits and Research Process
In the lab, grasshoppers exhibited patterned feeding behaviors, prompting David to investigate if the same pattern occurred in the wild. The specific grasshopper species he studied, Boracella, with distinctive red dots, allowed him to track individuals in the desert. Despite challenges, like distinguishing between similar-looking grasshoppers with paint dots, David's fieldwork revealed insights into wild feeding habits.
Anika's Monkey Study on Food Selection
Anika conducted a detailed study on endangered spider monkeys' food choices in Bolivia, collecting samples and analyzing the nutrient composition of their diet. Her research demonstrated how monkeys select foods to maintain a balanced diet and adapt to varying environmental conditions. Collaborating with David and Steve, Anika's extensive data set paved the way for understanding nutrient intake patterns in primates.
Orangutan Nutrition and Evolutionary Biology
David's research in Borneo with orangutans focused on understanding how these primates adapt to the fluctuating availability of fruits in their environment. By studying orangutan urine to analyze nutrient utilization, David and his team discovered adaptive fat accumulation and protein prioritization patterns. This evolutionary approach sheds light on how animals, like orangutans, navigate nutritional challenges in the wild.
Moving out of the lab and into the wild, Professors David Raubenheimerand Steve Simpson take a look at how animals' natural environments provide everything they need for a healthy diet. From chasing a single grasshopper through the Arizona desert to measuring the urine of wild Borneo orang-utans, David explains how carefully animals in the wild select what they eat, and why. And we hear about some of the risks taken by passionate scientists living among the animals for their research.
Hosted by novelist Charlotte Wood, the first writer-in-residence at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney.