Untitled Document Primate Diets Variation in the choice of foods on a daily, seasonal, and yearly basis is one of the greatest differences between primate species. These gross dietary categories are correlated with aspects of primate activity patterns such as home range and group size. New leaves and mature leaves, for example, may have different nutritional bases or availabilities.
Some fruits appear in large clumps while others are spread thinly over a larger area.
Foods such as gums, seeds and nectar often require unique adaptations. Aside from diet, primates have tended to either adapt through specialized dentition and digestive systems or rely on a variety of different foods. Those that chose this second route have tended to have larger brain sizes relative to their overall body size. This may be due to the need to know where different types of food can be found at different times throughout the year. Those primates that specialize on eating large amounts of vegetation have difficulty digesting their meals.