Research Article

A comparison of salivary pH in sympatric wild lemurs (Lemur catta and Propithecus verreauxi) at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

  1. Frank P. Cuozzo1,*,
  2. Michelle L. Sauther2,
  3. Nayuta Yamashita3,
  4. Richard R. Lawler4,†,
  5. Diane K. Brockman5,
  6. Laurie R. Godfrey6,
  7. Lisa Gould7,
  8. Ibrahim Antho Jacky Youssouf8,
  9. Cheryl Lent9,
  10. Joelisoa Ratsirarson10,
  11. Alison F. Richard11,
  12. Jessica R. Scott12,
  13. Robert W. Sussman13,
  14. Lynne M. Villers9,
  15. Martha A. Weber14,
  16. George Willis15

Article first published online: 21 DEC 2007

DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20500

Issue

American Journal of Primatology

American Journal of Primatology

Volume 70, Issue 4, pages 363–371, April 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Cuozzo, F. P., Sauther, M. L., Yamashita, N., Lawler, R. R., Brockman, D. K., Godfrey, L. R., Gould, L., Youssouf, I. A. J., Lent, C., Ratsirarson, J., Richard, A. F., Scott, J. R., Sussman, R. W., Villers, L. M., Weber, M. A. and Willis, G. (2008), A comparison of salivary pH in sympatric wild lemurs (Lemur catta and Propithecus verreauxi) at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. Am. J. Primatol., 70: 363–371. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20500

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Anthropology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota

  2. 2

    Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

  3. 3

    Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

  4. 4

    Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

  5. 5

    Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina

  6. 6

    Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

  7. 7

    Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria,Victoria, Canada

  8. 8

    Départrement des Sciences Biologiques, Université de Túlear, Túlear, Madagascar

  9. 9

    Department of Deserts and Forests, Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana

  10. 10

    Départrement des Eaux et Forêts, Université de Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar

  11. 11

    Vice Chancellor's Office, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

  12. 12

    Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

  13. 13

    Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

  14. 14

    Department of Animal Health and Nutrition, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri

  15. 15

    School of Dentistry, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana

  1. †

    Authors after Lawler listed in alphabetical order.

*Department of Anthropology, University of North Dakota, Box 8374, Grand Forks, ND, USA 58202-8374

  1. †

    Authors after Lawler listed in alphabetical order.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 25 FEB 2008
  2. Article first published online: 21 DEC 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 10 OCT 2007
  4. Manuscript Revised: 4 OCT 2007
  5. Manuscript Received: 2 MAY 2007

Funded by

  • St. Louis Zoo. Grant Number: FRC Grant 06-1
  • Indianapolis Zoo (Department of Science and Conservation)
  • University of North Dakota
  • University of Colorado
  • Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
  • National Science Foundation. Grant Number: DEB 0531988
  • Boston University
  • Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundations
  • World Wildlife Fund
  • USAID
  • Fullbright Senior Research Grant
  • National Geographic Society
  • Washington University
  • National Science Foundation. Grant Number: BNS 8619240

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Keywords:

  • dental erosion;
  • tooth wear;
  • feeding ecology;
  • dietary acidity;
  • food chemistry;
  • tannins

Abstract

Chemical deterioration of teeth is common among modern humans, and has been suggested for some extinct primates. Dental erosion caused by acidic foods may also obscure microwear signals of mechanical food properties. Ring-tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR), Madagascar, display frequent severe tooth wear and subsequent tooth loss. In contrast, sympatric Verreaux's sifaka display far less tooth wear and infrequent tooth loss, despite both species regularly consuming acidic tamarind fruit. We investigated the potential impact of dietary acidity on tooth wear, collecting data on salivary pH from both species, as well as salivary pH from ring-tailed lemurs at Tsimanampesotse National Park, Madagascar. We also collected salivary pH data from ring-tailed lemurs at the Indianapolis Zoo, none of which had eaten for at least 12 hr before data collection. Mean salivary pH for the BMSR ring-tailed lemurs (8.098, n=41, SD=0.550) was significantly more alkaline than Verreaux's sifaka (7.481, n=26, SD=0.458). The mean salivary pH of BMSR (8.098) and Tsimanampesotse (8.080, n=25, SD=0.746) ring-tailed lemurs did not differ significantly. Salivary pH for the Indianapolis Zoo sample (8.125, n=16, SD=0.289) did not differ significantly from either the BMSR or Tsimanampesotse ring-tailed lemurs, but was significantly more alkaline than the BMSR Verreaux's sifaka sample. Regardless of the time between feeding and collection of pH data (from several minutes to nearly 1 hr), salivary pH for each wild lemur was above the “critical” pH of 5.5, below which enamel demineralization occurs. Thus, the high pH of lemur saliva suggests a strong buffering capacity, indicating the impact of acidic foods on dental wear is short-lived, likely having a limited effect. However, tannins in tamarind fruit may increase friction between teeth, thereby increasing attrition and wear in lemurs. These data also suggest that salivary pH varies between lemur species, corresponding to broad dietary categories. Am. J. Primatol. 70:363–371, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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