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Martine Vercauteren - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Geophagy in Wild Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix flavicauda) Is Brief and Rare
International Journal of Primatology, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène Meunier, Martine VercauterenAbstract:Many primates intentionally consume earth. This Geophagy has probable health benefits, such as mineral supplementation or gastrointestinal tract protection, and is likely to be an important behavior for a species’ ecology, health, diet, and conservation. We investigated Geophagy in the Critically Endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey ( Lagothrix flavicauda ). We collected observational data and camera trap records over 2 years at La Esperanza study site, northern Peru. Geophagy was rare, with 67 events recorded during the study. All age/sex classes engaged in Geophagy, but adult males spent significantly less time consuming earth in situ than adult females did. Geophagy occurred predominantly during the dry season and was a solitary behavior. The forest floor is presumably a high-risk environment for these predominantly arboreal primates and our study animals employed various strategies to minimize predation risk. These included using a single route to access and leave Geophagy sites, displaying increased vigilance behaviors before and during Geophagy events, and minimizing the time spent on the forest floor (mean: 15 ± SD 9 s). They also maximized the benefits of being on the forest floor by removing earth to consume ex situ. These findings provide the first steps in the systemic approach required to understand the role Geophagy plays in our study species, whose almost exclusive arboreality, coupled with the increased predation risk associated with terrestriality, suggests that Geophagy confers an important benefit.
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Geophagy in the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza, Peru: site characterization and soil composition
Primates, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Martine Vercauteren, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène MeunierAbstract:Geophagy is the intentional consumption of soil and has been observed in various animal taxa including human and nonhuman primates. Among the numerous adaptive hypotheses proposed to explain this behavior, two of them stand out: soil either protects the gastrointestinal tract from secondary plant compounds, parasites and pathogens, and/or supplements micronutrients in the diet. Few studies have characterized the physical and chemical characteristics of soils consumed by nonhuman primates. Here, we describe the composition of soils consumed by yellow-tailed woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix flavicauda ) in comparison with soils taken from surrounding areas. We also studied the physical aspects of Geophagy sites in terms of accessibility, dimensions and vegetation density. This study took place at the La Esperanza field site, in northern Peru, between 2016 and 2018. We conducted focal follows, placed camera traps at Geophagy sites and sampled soils. In total, we recorded 77 Geophagy events. Our results highlight some aspects of soil and site selection in these arboreal primates, who face an increased predation risk when descending to the ground. Animals preferred smaller sites with denser surrounding vegetation. Composition of consumed soils was similar between Geophagy sites. Soils were poor in micronutrients, but contained around 20% clay. High clay content, coupled with the fact that Geophagy was performed significantly more in the dry season, when leaf consumption is highest, lends support to Geophagy as a mechanism for protection of the gastrointestinal tract in L. flavicauda .
Vinciane Fack - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Geophagy in Wild Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix flavicauda) Is Brief and Rare
International Journal of Primatology, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène Meunier, Martine VercauterenAbstract:Many primates intentionally consume earth. This Geophagy has probable health benefits, such as mineral supplementation or gastrointestinal tract protection, and is likely to be an important behavior for a species’ ecology, health, diet, and conservation. We investigated Geophagy in the Critically Endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey ( Lagothrix flavicauda ). We collected observational data and camera trap records over 2 years at La Esperanza study site, northern Peru. Geophagy was rare, with 67 events recorded during the study. All age/sex classes engaged in Geophagy, but adult males spent significantly less time consuming earth in situ than adult females did. Geophagy occurred predominantly during the dry season and was a solitary behavior. The forest floor is presumably a high-risk environment for these predominantly arboreal primates and our study animals employed various strategies to minimize predation risk. These included using a single route to access and leave Geophagy sites, displaying increased vigilance behaviors before and during Geophagy events, and minimizing the time spent on the forest floor (mean: 15 ± SD 9 s). They also maximized the benefits of being on the forest floor by removing earth to consume ex situ. These findings provide the first steps in the systemic approach required to understand the role Geophagy plays in our study species, whose almost exclusive arboreality, coupled with the increased predation risk associated with terrestriality, suggests that Geophagy confers an important benefit.
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Geophagy in the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza, Peru: site characterization and soil composition
Primates, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Martine Vercauteren, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène MeunierAbstract:Geophagy is the intentional consumption of soil and has been observed in various animal taxa including human and nonhuman primates. Among the numerous adaptive hypotheses proposed to explain this behavior, two of them stand out: soil either protects the gastrointestinal tract from secondary plant compounds, parasites and pathogens, and/or supplements micronutrients in the diet. Few studies have characterized the physical and chemical characteristics of soils consumed by nonhuman primates. Here, we describe the composition of soils consumed by yellow-tailed woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix flavicauda ) in comparison with soils taken from surrounding areas. We also studied the physical aspects of Geophagy sites in terms of accessibility, dimensions and vegetation density. This study took place at the La Esperanza field site, in northern Peru, between 2016 and 2018. We conducted focal follows, placed camera traps at Geophagy sites and sampled soils. In total, we recorded 77 Geophagy events. Our results highlight some aspects of soil and site selection in these arboreal primates, who face an increased predation risk when descending to the ground. Animals preferred smaller sites with denser surrounding vegetation. Composition of consumed soils was similar between Geophagy sites. Soils were poor in micronutrients, but contained around 20% clay. High clay content, coupled with the fact that Geophagy was performed significantly more in the dry season, when leaf consumption is highest, lends support to Geophagy as a mechanism for protection of the gastrointestinal tract in L. flavicauda .
Sera L. Young - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Selecting between iron-rich and clay-rich soils: a Geophagy field experiment with black-and-white colobus monkeys in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda
Primates, 2020Co-Authors: Paula A Pebsworth, Thibaud Gruber, Joshua D. Miller, Klaus Zuberbühler, Sera L. YoungAbstract:Geophagy, the intentional consumption of soil, has been observed in humans and numerous other animal species. Geophagy has been posited to be adaptive, i.e., consumed soil protects against gastrointestinal distress and/or supplements micronutrients. We conducted a field experiment in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, to investigate geophagic behaviors, including soil preference, the quantity of soil eaten, and competition for access to preferred soils. We placed pairs of artificial tree stumps at two existing Geophagy sites. One stump contained soil from the surrounding area, Sonso, that could supplement bioavailable iron. The other stump contained soil from a neighboring community, Waibira, that was richer in clay minerals, which could provide protection from plant secondary compounds. We monitored activity and engagement with the stumps for 10 days using camera traps. After 5 days, we reversed the type of soil that was in the stumps at both sites (i.e., a crossover design). Only Colobus guereza (black-and-white colobus monkeys) interacted with the stumps. These monkeys used visual and olfactory cues to select between the two soils and exclusively ate the clay-rich soil, consuming 9.67 kg of soil over 4.33 h. Our findings lend the greatest plausibility to the protection hypothesis. Additionally, monkeys competed for access to the stumps, and 13% of the videos captured aggression, including pushing, excluding, and chasing other individuals from the experimental stumps. Nine episodes of vigilance and flight behavior were also observed. Given that intentionally ingested soil is a valuable resource that may confer health benefits, Geophagy sites should be conserved and protected.
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Geophagy among a Cohort of Kenyan Women with Mixed HIV Status: A Longitudinal Analysis.
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2019Co-Authors: Joshua D. Miller, Kaitlyn G. Fitzgerald, Abigail L. Smith, Sera L. YoungAbstract:Geophagy, the craving and purposive consumption of earth, is commonly reported during pregnancy. To date, most studies of Geophagy have been cross-sectional and have not assessed its relationship with HIV infection. Therefore, to concurrently examine proposed etiologies of Geophagy, a cohort of 371 women with mixed HIV status from Nyanza region, Kenya were recruited in late pregnancy and interviewed about pica at nine time points, through 21 months postpartum. Nutritional status (hemoglobin concentration and food insecurity), physical health (HIV infection and gastrointestinal distress), and psychosocial health (depression and perceived stress) were also repeatedly assessed. Prevalence of Geophagy was greatest during pregnancy and decreased significantly postpartum. In a two-level hierarchical linear model, a one-unit increase in average hemoglobin (g/dL) was associated with a 35% decrease in the odds of Geophagy. The adjusted odds ratios (CI) of Geophagy were 3.98 (2.99, 5.29), 2.54 (1.13, 5.69), and 1.68 (1.15, 2.44) times higher if a woman was pregnant, reported diarrhea in the prior 24 hours, or was HIV positive, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio of Geophagy was 1.61 (1.06, 2.45) times higher if a woman reported Geophagy during childhood. Our results lend greatest plausibility to the protection hypothesis (i.e., that Geophagy occurs in response to compromised immunity and/or infection). Given the high prevalence of Geophagy, clinicians should regularly screen for the behavior and measure inflammatory biomarkers before treating Geophagy with iron supplements, which can exacerbate some infections.
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Geophagy among East African Chimpanzees: consumed soils provide protection from plant secondary compounds and bioavailable iron.
Environmental geochemistry and health, 2019Co-Authors: Paula A Pebsworth, Stephen Hillier, Renate Wendler, Ray Glahn, John T. Arnason, Sera L. YoungAbstract:Geophagy, the intentional consumption of earth materials, has been recorded in humans and other animals. It has been hypothesized that Geophagy is an adaptive behavior, and that clay minerals commonly found in eaten soil can provide protection from toxins and/or supplement micronutrients. To test these hypotheses, we monitored chimpanzee Geophagy using camera traps in four permanent sites at the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda, from October 2015–October 2016. We also collected plants, and soil chimpanzees were observed eating. We analyzed 10 plant and 45 soil samples to characterize geophagic behavior and geophagic soil and determine (1) whether micronutrients are available from the soil under physiological conditions and if iron is bioavailable, (2) the concentration of phenolic compounds in plants, and (3) if consumed soils are able to adsorb these phenolics. Chimpanzees ate soil and drank clay-infused water containing 1:1 and 2:1 clay minerals and > 30% sand. Under physiological conditions, the soils released calcium, iron, and magnesium. In vitro Caco-2 experiments found that five times more iron was bioavailable from three of four soil samples found at the base of trees. Plant samples contained approximately 60 μg/mg gallic acid equivalent. Soil from one site contained 10 times more 2:1 clay minerals, which were better at removing phenolics present in their diet. We suggest that Geophagy may provide bioavailable iron and protection from phenolics, which have increased in plants over the last 20 years. In summary, Geophagy within the Sonso community is multifunctional and may be an important self-medicative behavior.
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Medicine Beneath Your Feet: A Biocultural Examination of the Risks and Benefits of Geophagy
Clays and Clay Minerals, 2019Co-Authors: Sera L. Young, Joshua D. MillerAbstract:Geophagy is the intentional consumption of earth. Although widely documented among vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women, the causes and consequences of Geophagy remain poorly understood. Relevant literature was, therefore, reviewed to describe Geophagy across species, geographies, life stages, and disease states. After a brief consideration of hypothesized etiologies, the potential harmful and beneficial consequences of Geophagy are described, considering current evidence for each. Data available to date suggest that the greatest potential risks of Geophagy include toxicity or heavy metal poisoning, and diseases resulting from consumed clays binding nutrients and beneficial pharmaceuticals in the gut. Evidence also suggests that Geophagy may be beneficial by protecting against harmful pathogens and toxins through two distinct physiological pathways. Future research should explore causal relationships between Geophagy and iron deficiency, as well as investigate the biological and psychosocial conditions that govern Geophagy.
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Geophagy among nonhuman primates: A systematic review of current knowledge and suggestions for future directions.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2018Co-Authors: Paula A Pebsworth, Michael A Huffman, Joanna E. Lambert, Sera L. YoungAbstract:OBJECTIVES Geophagy, the intentional consumption of earth, is widely practiced among humans and other mammals, but its causes are not well understood. Given the growing number of reports of Geophagy among nonhuman primates (NHP), we sought to (1) advance and codify our understanding of the patterns and functional and evolutionary significance of Geophagy among NHP and (2) provide a research agenda for a more unified approach to its study. METHODS We systematically reviewed all available literature on NHP Geophagy, extracted available data on taxa, geography, climate, diet, sex, age-class, reproductive status, and the characteristics of the earth. We used these data to evaluate three major hypotheses about Geophagy, that it is protective, provides mineral supplementation, and is nonadaptive. RESULTS We identified 287 accounts of Geophagy among 136 species, adding 79 new primate species to the list of those considered in prior reviews. Nineteen percent of species were in the suborder Strepsirrhini, while 81% were in the suborder Haplorrhini. There were reports of Geophagy from 9 of the 17 families and 39 of the 76 genera currently recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. DISCUSSION The limited evidence suggests that Geophagy is adaptive, and provides protection and mineral supplementation. We specify the behavioral, dietary, and soil data required to more rigorously investigate these hypotheses across representative species of all taxonomic groups, geographical regions, and dietary classification. Given the plausibility of Geophagy for maintaining the health of both wild and captive populations, we urge further study and conservation of Geophagy sites.
Hélène Meunier - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Geophagy in Wild Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix flavicauda) Is Brief and Rare
International Journal of Primatology, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène Meunier, Martine VercauterenAbstract:Many primates intentionally consume earth. This Geophagy has probable health benefits, such as mineral supplementation or gastrointestinal tract protection, and is likely to be an important behavior for a species’ ecology, health, diet, and conservation. We investigated Geophagy in the Critically Endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey ( Lagothrix flavicauda ). We collected observational data and camera trap records over 2 years at La Esperanza study site, northern Peru. Geophagy was rare, with 67 events recorded during the study. All age/sex classes engaged in Geophagy, but adult males spent significantly less time consuming earth in situ than adult females did. Geophagy occurred predominantly during the dry season and was a solitary behavior. The forest floor is presumably a high-risk environment for these predominantly arboreal primates and our study animals employed various strategies to minimize predation risk. These included using a single route to access and leave Geophagy sites, displaying increased vigilance behaviors before and during Geophagy events, and minimizing the time spent on the forest floor (mean: 15 ± SD 9 s). They also maximized the benefits of being on the forest floor by removing earth to consume ex situ. These findings provide the first steps in the systemic approach required to understand the role Geophagy plays in our study species, whose almost exclusive arboreality, coupled with the increased predation risk associated with terrestriality, suggests that Geophagy confers an important benefit.
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Geophagy in the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza, Peru: site characterization and soil composition
Primates, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Martine Vercauteren, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène MeunierAbstract:Geophagy is the intentional consumption of soil and has been observed in various animal taxa including human and nonhuman primates. Among the numerous adaptive hypotheses proposed to explain this behavior, two of them stand out: soil either protects the gastrointestinal tract from secondary plant compounds, parasites and pathogens, and/or supplements micronutrients in the diet. Few studies have characterized the physical and chemical characteristics of soils consumed by nonhuman primates. Here, we describe the composition of soils consumed by yellow-tailed woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix flavicauda ) in comparison with soils taken from surrounding areas. We also studied the physical aspects of Geophagy sites in terms of accessibility, dimensions and vegetation density. This study took place at the La Esperanza field site, in northern Peru, between 2016 and 2018. We conducted focal follows, placed camera traps at Geophagy sites and sampled soils. In total, we recorded 77 Geophagy events. Our results highlight some aspects of soil and site selection in these arboreal primates, who face an increased predation risk when descending to the ground. Animals preferred smaller sites with denser surrounding vegetation. Composition of consumed soils was similar between Geophagy sites. Soils were poor in micronutrients, but contained around 20% clay. High clay content, coupled with the fact that Geophagy was performed significantly more in the dry season, when leaf consumption is highest, lends support to Geophagy as a mechanism for protection of the gastrointestinal tract in L. flavicauda .
Sam Shanee - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Geophagy in Wild Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix flavicauda) Is Brief and Rare
International Journal of Primatology, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène Meunier, Martine VercauterenAbstract:Many primates intentionally consume earth. This Geophagy has probable health benefits, such as mineral supplementation or gastrointestinal tract protection, and is likely to be an important behavior for a species’ ecology, health, diet, and conservation. We investigated Geophagy in the Critically Endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey ( Lagothrix flavicauda ). We collected observational data and camera trap records over 2 years at La Esperanza study site, northern Peru. Geophagy was rare, with 67 events recorded during the study. All age/sex classes engaged in Geophagy, but adult males spent significantly less time consuming earth in situ than adult females did. Geophagy occurred predominantly during the dry season and was a solitary behavior. The forest floor is presumably a high-risk environment for these predominantly arboreal primates and our study animals employed various strategies to minimize predation risk. These included using a single route to access and leave Geophagy sites, displaying increased vigilance behaviors before and during Geophagy events, and minimizing the time spent on the forest floor (mean: 15 ± SD 9 s). They also maximized the benefits of being on the forest floor by removing earth to consume ex situ. These findings provide the first steps in the systemic approach required to understand the role Geophagy plays in our study species, whose almost exclusive arboreality, coupled with the increased predation risk associated with terrestriality, suggests that Geophagy confers an important benefit.
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Geophagy in the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza, Peru: site characterization and soil composition
Primates, 2020Co-Authors: Vinciane Fack, Sam Shanee, Martine Vercauteren, Régine Vercauteren Drubbel, Hélène MeunierAbstract:Geophagy is the intentional consumption of soil and has been observed in various animal taxa including human and nonhuman primates. Among the numerous adaptive hypotheses proposed to explain this behavior, two of them stand out: soil either protects the gastrointestinal tract from secondary plant compounds, parasites and pathogens, and/or supplements micronutrients in the diet. Few studies have characterized the physical and chemical characteristics of soils consumed by nonhuman primates. Here, we describe the composition of soils consumed by yellow-tailed woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix flavicauda ) in comparison with soils taken from surrounding areas. We also studied the physical aspects of Geophagy sites in terms of accessibility, dimensions and vegetation density. This study took place at the La Esperanza field site, in northern Peru, between 2016 and 2018. We conducted focal follows, placed camera traps at Geophagy sites and sampled soils. In total, we recorded 77 Geophagy events. Our results highlight some aspects of soil and site selection in these arboreal primates, who face an increased predation risk when descending to the ground. Animals preferred smaller sites with denser surrounding vegetation. Composition of consumed soils was similar between Geophagy sites. Soils were poor in micronutrients, but contained around 20% clay. High clay content, coupled with the fact that Geophagy was performed significantly more in the dry season, when leaf consumption is highest, lends support to Geophagy as a mechanism for protection of the gastrointestinal tract in L. flavicauda .