Monkeys may hold clues to human obesity
Monkeys may hold clues to human obesity
Some monkeys manage their diet in a similar way to humans, suggesting that the origin of human obesity could go back earlier than previously thought, research shows.
Annika Felton spent a year studying the feeding habits of 15 Peruvian spider monkeys in the canopy of the Bolivian rainforest.
She found the herbivores controlled their daily protein intake in a similar way to humans, who are omnivores.
The findings, published in the online Behavioral Ecology last week, could shed light on the ancient origins of human obesity.
Dr Felton found the monkeys, which travelled between two and six kilometres a day, had a consistent daily protein intake of between 11 and 12 grams regardless of the season or whether they ate fruit only or added higher-protein leaves and shoots in their diet.
"In the fruit season they can have a 100 per cent fruit diet and still get the protein they need but they do it by gorging themselves and eating (the low protein fruit) until they reach their protein target," she said.
"They get a huge amount of energy and they do look a little rounder."
