Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Objectives Evaluations of maximum ingested bite size ( V b )—the largest bite an animal will ingest whole without biting apart first—provide insights into dietary behaviors. Despite extensive V b research, it remains unclear whether linear gape or oral volume—related to food minimum linear dimensions or maximal volume, respectively—constrains ingestive bites. To that end, this study compares V b for tricylinders—a spheroidal shape (the intersection of three perpendicular cylinders)—to cubes (the shape used in all previous V b studies) to test the effect of different linear dimension‐to‐volume ratios on bite size. Materials and Methods Cube and tricylinder V b were quantified for 18 lemurs representing nine taxa using the three foods used most extensively in the previous V b research. Results Across all foods, lemurs consumed larger tricylinders than cubes in both linear dimensions and volume. For the softest food, tricylinder V b is 161% the volume and 139% the maximal linear dimensions of cubic V b . V b for both shapes was highly correlated ( r 2 = 0.90–0.96). Discussion Lemurs ingested significantly larger tricylinders than cubes, challenging the assumption in all previous V b research that cube V b represents an ingestive maximum. This suggests a strong influence of shape on ingestion and that V b of tricylinders, a more naturalistic shape, may better approximate ingestive constraints. Alternatively, our findings may suggest lemurs ingest foods based on their maximal linear dimensions—potentially related to limitations on their ability to manipulate large foods—rather than gape or oral volume constraints.
DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.70191
Authors: Ashley R. Deutsch, Adam Hartstone‐Rose
Language: English
Topic: Primate Behavior and Ecology
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,840
OpenAlex ID: W7117306231