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Primate Locomotion and Diet

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Food Acquisition and Processing in Primates

Abstract

Primates are mobile creatures. In contrast with sponges, oysters, plants and other sessile organisms which spend most of their lives in one spot trapping the nutrients that pass by, most primates spend a considerable portion of their lives moving in search of food. Indeed, the locomotor habits of primates are probably more directly related to food procurement than are the habits of most other vertebrates. If we consider why animals move at all, there appear to be several main reasons. Many animals, especially birds, move in response to climatic changes, largely to avoid inclement weather. Many, probably most animals, move in conjunction with reproduction, in search of mates or suitable nesting or spawning sites. Finally, virtually all vertebrates move in search of food or water and to escape predators.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences Health Sciences Center, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    John G. Fleagle

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  1. John G. Fleagle
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

    David J. Chivers  & Alan Bilsborough  & 

  2. The Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, England

    Bernard A. Wood

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© 1984 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Fleagle, J.G. (1984). Primate Locomotion and Diet. In: Chivers, D.J., Wood, B.A., Bilsborough, A. (eds) Food Acquisition and Processing in Primates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5244-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5244-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-5246-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-5244-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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