A significant fraction of the genes that changed in the mouse livers, had previously been observed as different between humans and chimpanzees. No such differences were observed in the mouse brains. The chimpanzee diet was clearly distinct from the two human diets in its effect on the liver - thousands of differences were observed in the levels at which genes were expressed in the mouse livers. The researchers fed laboratory mice one of three diets: a raw fruit and vegetable diet fed to chimpanzees in zoos, a human diet consisting of food served at the Institute cafeteria or a pure fast food menu from the local McDonald's™ (the latter caused the mice to significantly gain weight). However, to date, the influence of diet on the physiological and genetic differences between humans and other apes has not been widely examined.īy feeding laboratory mice different human and chimp diets over a mere two week period, researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, were able to reconstruct some of the physiological and genetic differences observed between humans and chimpanzees. It has been hypothesized that adopting these dietary patterns played a key role during human evolution. Not only do we consume much more meat and fat, but we also cook our food. They are not frequent, but they can happen.Humans consume a distinct diet compared to other apes. There have been cases of cannibalism of common chimpanzees in the wild and bonobos in captivity. Bonobos hunt less often, but if they have the opportunity they catch termites, flying squirrels, and duikers. Once the animal is dead, they share the meat among all the members of the group. Some chase the prey, others block the way, and others hide and ambush it. If it is a small monkey, a chimpanzee can go through the trees to get it, but in the case of needing help, each member of the group has a hunting role. The species that common chimpanzees hunt are the western red colobus monkey (Procolobus badius), the red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) and the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus). But sometimes they even feed on wild boars, birds and their eggs. On average, they spend 6 to 8 hours feeding, per day.Īlthough they do not stand out as hunters, chimpanzees can hunt small vertebrates, mainly antelopes such as the blue duiker (Philantomba monticola) and monkeys. During the first hours of the morning they begin to consume almost everything they have near, but after a few hours they become more selective and start choosing the leaves that have more water and the ripe fruits. They spend almost all day eating, but feeding is an activity done mainly individually. From time to time they can also consume caterpillars. Once the insects climb to the tool, the chimpanzee takes it out and eats it as its recently caught food. Chimps are often observed catching termites with the help of a stick or twig that they introduce in the termite nest. Males consume more meat than females who get their proteins mainly from insects, they are occasionally seen hunting. In the past they were thought to be exclusively herbivores, but now it is known that they eat less than 2 percent of meat in their usual diet. The vegetables that chimpanzees eat give them a fair amount of protein, but they need a little more. In the afternoon, chimps usually spend about an hour or two feeding on young leaves. Fruit is the main component of the chimpanzee diet, and they spend at least four hours a day finding and eating varieties of this food. Chimps mostly feed on the fig tree fruits as their major loved fruits, however they can also feed on other tree fruits.
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