Secondary Compounds in Primate Foods: Time for New Approaches

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) occur widely in woody plants and influence feeding in many groups of vertebrates. Early syntheses and predictions about the importance of PSMs in vertebrates were tested in primates but for many reasons, few patterns have emerged despite multiple studies of apes, monkeys, and prosimians. Our aims in this chapter are to (i) evaluate the evidence that PSMs influence feeding choices of primates, (ii) identify the particular strengths and weaknesses in designing studies of PSMs in primates relative to other plant-vertebrate systems and (iii) discuss potential future approaches for primate nutritional research into PSMs. These new approaches build on a renewed interest in the plant metabolome and a broader appreciation of the structural diversity of some groups of PSMs. We hope these suggestions encourage primatologists to new techniques and collaborations.