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Inter-individual variation in the diet within a group of Japanese macaques and its relationship with social structure investigated by stable isotope and DNA analyses

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Abstract

We investigated individual variation in diet in relation to age-sex class and kin relationship in 28 of 40 members of a small group of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). We used stable isotope ratios from hair as an index of individual dietary profiles, genetic relatedness as an index of kin relationship, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype as a marker of being an immigrant or native member of the group. The range of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios from hair of individual macaques (δ13C: −24.1‰ to −22.6‰, δ15N:3.8–5.5‰), which reflected their diet over a period of ~ 6 months, implied small individual variation in diet. The results of PERMANOVA implied that there were no significant effects of age class, sex, or mtDNA haplotype on hair stable isotope ratios between individuals, or on the variation in individual diet. However, the isotope values of males with mtDNA haplotypes that differed from those of the native females appeared to differ from those of other group members, which implies that immigrant males might have had a different diet profile from that of native group members. Furthermore, there was a weak correlation trend between genetic relatedness and differences in stable isotope ratios between pairs of individuals. Differences in stable isotope values were more marked in pairs with a more distant genetic relationship. This implies that within the group, closely related kin tended to forage together to avoid competing for food. However, this effect might have been weak because the size of the group was small relative to the size of the food patches, thereby reducing competition.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the kind support of the Shiga prefectural government and the Otsu city government in collecting samples and background data. We thank Dr. N. Nakagawa for useful advice on a previous draft of the manuscript, and Ms. S. Segawa and Ms. S. Ohkubo for support during sample preparation. All aspects of this research adhered to the Guidelines of Field Research on Non-Human Primates established by the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University (Primate Research Institute 2008), for the ethical treatment of nonhuman primates.

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  1. Faculty of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308, Suematsu, Nonoichi, 921-8836, Japan

    Toru Oi

  2. Tokyo Office, Wildlife Management Office, Inc., 922-7, Komiyamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0031, Japan

    Shin-ichiro Hamasaki

  3. Kansai Office, Wildlife Management Office, Inc., 3457-1, Arino, Arino-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, 651-1312, Japan

    Hironori Seino

  4. Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, 180-8602, Japan

    Yoshi Kawamoto

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Oi, T., Hamasaki, Si., Seino, H. et al. Inter-individual variation in the diet within a group of Japanese macaques and its relationship with social structure investigated by stable isotope and DNA analyses. Primates 62, 103–112 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00840-3

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