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Isolating Single Cells from Xenopus Early Embryos and Sorting Them by Size

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Seed size selection by olive baboons.

Britta Kerstin Kunz¹, Karl Eduard Linsenmair

¹Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Theodor-Boveri Institute of Biosciences, University of Wuerzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany. kunz@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

Primates; Journal of Primatology

|September 10, 2008

Summary

Olive baboons (Papio anubis) selectively consume fruits based on seed size, dispersing smaller seeds in five species and larger seeds in three. This seed selection impacts plant dispersal and primate foraging strategies.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Primatology
Botany

Background:

Seed size is a critical plant trait influencing offspring establishment and fitness.
Primate fruit selection can be influenced by seed size, affecting pulp intake and seed dispersal.
Olive baboons (Papio anubis) exhibit differential seed size selection in certain fruits.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether olive baboons select for specific seed sizes within nine additional fruit species.
To determine if baboons' seed size selection varies based on fruit type and whether they consume pulp or seeds.
To understand the ecological implications of primate seed size selection on plant dispersal.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of seed sizes dispersed by baboons versus seeds from randomly collected fruits.
Observation of baboon foraging behavior and fruit consumption patterns.
Measurement of seed dimensions (length and width) and seed number per fruit.

Main Results:

Baboons dispersed significantly smaller seeds in five of the nine fruit species studied.
In three species, baboons ingested significantly larger seeds than those found in randomly collected fruits.
Seed size influenced oral processing, with larger seeds of Drypetes floribunda being spat out more frequently.

Conclusions:

Olive baboons exhibit varied seed size selection strategies depending on the fruit species and whether pulp or seeds are consumed.
Seed size selection by baboons is likely influenced by the trade-off between pulp reward and indigestible seed load.
This selective feeding behavior has significant implications for seed dispersal patterns and plant population dynamics.