When Fruit Is Scarce, These Monkeys Hunt Animals
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Researchers have observed bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil supplementing their fruit-based diet with small vertebrates like rodents, birds, and snakes. This behavior appears to be a strategic adaptation to seasonal food scarcity.
Why it matters
Understanding these dietary shifts in primates provides valuable insights into the evolutionary history of human ancestors and their transition to meat consumption.
Add as preferred source Researchers observed bearded capuchins in Brazil eating birds (shown here), lizards, rodents, opossums, snakes and other small vertebrates. Luciano Candisani, CC-BY 4.0 The bearded capuchin monkeys of northeastern Brazil eat a mostly plant-based diet, chowing down on palm nuts and other fruits. But when plant foods are scarce, the primates consume a surprisingly diverse smorgasbord of small animals, including snakes, opossums, iguanas, bats, rodents and bird eggs and nestlings, researchers report in a study published on August 26 in the journal PLOS One .
The findings reveal new details about the diet and behavior of these highly adaptable, long-lived monkeys. But they could also shed light on the evolution of human diets, including our ancestors’ shift toward eating more meat.
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