Paula A Pebsworth1,2, Michael A Huffman3, Joanna E Lambert4, Sera L Young5. 1. Animal Behaviour and Cognition Programme, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore, India. 2. Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas. 3. Department of Behavior and Ecology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan. 4. Program in Environmental Studies, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. 5. Department of Anthropology, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
Abstract
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.
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.
Authors: Paula A Pebsworth; Stephen Hillier; Renate Wendler; Ray Glahn; Chieu Anh Kim Ta; John T Arnason; Sera L Young Journal: Environ Geochem Health Date: 2019-07-05 Impact factor: 4.609
Authors: Elisandro O Dos Santos; Vinícius F Klain; Sebastián B Manrique; Isac Junior Roman; Helton F Dos Santos; Luís Antônio Sangioni; Fernanda S F Vogel; José Reck; Anelise Webster; Thamiris C Padilha; Marco Antônio B de Almeida; Edmilson Dos Santos; Lucas C Born; Sônia A Botton Journal: Acta Parasitol Date: 2022-09-30 Impact factor: 1.534
Authors: Timothy M Eppley; Selwyn Hoeks; Colin A Chapman; Jörg U Ganzhorn; Katie Hall; Megan A Owen; Dara B Adams; Néstor Allgas; Katherine R Amato; McAntonin Andriamahaihavana; John F Aristizabal; Andrea L Baden; Michela Balestri; Adrian A Barnett; Júlio César Bicca-Marques; Mark Bowler; Sarah A Boyle; Meredith Brown; Damien Caillaud; Cláudia Calegaro-Marques; Christina J Campbell; Marco Campera; Fernando A Campos; Tatiane S Cardoso; Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón; Jane Champion; Óscar M Chaves; Chloe Chen-Kraus; Ian C Colquhoun; Brittany Dean; Colin Dubrueil; Kelsey M Ellis; Elizabeth M Erhart; Kayley J E Evans; Linda M Fedigan; Annika M Felton; Renata G Ferreira; Claudia Fichtel; Manuel L Fonseca; Isadora P Fontes; Vanessa B Fortes; Ivanyr Fumian; Dean Gibson; Guilherme B Guzzo; Kayla S Hartwell; Eckhard W Heymann; Renato R Hilário; Sheila M Holmes; Mitchell T Irwin; Steig E Johnson; Peter M Kappeler; Elizabeth A Kelley; Tony King; Christoph Knogge; Flávia Koch; Martin M Kowalewski; Liselot R Lange; M Elise Lauterbur; Edward E Louis; Meredith C Lutz; Jesús Martínez; Amanda D Melin; Fabiano R de Melo; Tsimisento H Mihaminekena; Monica S Mogilewsky; Leandro S Moreira; Letícia A Moura; Carina B Muhle; Mariana B Nagy-Reis; Marilyn A Norconk; Hugh Notman; M Teague O'Mara; Julia Ostner; Erik R Patel; Mary S M Pavelka; Braulio Pinacho-Guendulain; Leila M Porter; Gilberto Pozo-Montuy; Becky E Raboy; Vololonirina Rahalinarivo; Njaratiana A Raharinoro; Zafimahery Rakotomalala; Gabriel Ramos-Fernández; Delaïd C Rasamisoa; Jonah Ratsimbazafy; Maholy Ravaloharimanitra; Josia Razafindramanana; Tojotanjona P Razanaparany; Nicoletta Righini; Nicola M Robson; Jonas da Rosa Gonçalves; Justin Sanamo; Nicole Santacruz; Hiroki Sato; Michelle L Sauther; Clara J Scarry; Juan Carlos Serio-Silva; Sam Shanee; Poliana G A de Souza Lins; Andrew C Smith; Sandra E Smith Aguilar; João Pedro Souza-Alves; Vanessa Katherinne Stavis; Kim J E Steffens; Anita I Stone; Karen B Strier; Scott A Suarez; Maurício Talebi; Stacey R Tecot; M Paula Tujague; Kim Valenta; Sarie Van Belle; Natalie Vasey; Robert B Wallace; Gilroy Welch; Patricia C Wright; Giuseppe Donati; Luca Santini Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2022-10-10 Impact factor: 12.779