Authors: Strait S.G.1; Vincent J.F.V.2
Source: International Journal of Primatology, Volume 19, Number 5, October 1998 , pp. 867-878(12)
Publisher: Springer
Abstract:
Despite increasing interest in food texture and how it affects primate masticatory systems, little quantitative work has been done in this area. We discuss a method to quantify physical properties of primate food items. To demonstrate its utility, we performed fracture experiments on a sample of adult coleopterans (to approximate a “hard-object” insectivorous diet), larval lepidoterans (to approximate a “soft-object” insectivorous diet), and vertebrate muscle tissue (to represent a more carnivorous feeding regime).
Keywords: fracture mechanics; insects; toughness; food texture
Language: English
Document Type: Research article
Affiliations: 1: Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia 25755 2: Centre for Biomimetics, University of Reading, TOB 1, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 2AT, United Kingdom
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