Monkeys hunt small animals when fruit is scarce

When the fruit runs low, some monkeys’ appetite for meat gets a boost.

Bearded capuchin monkeys ( Sapajus libidinosus ) hunt and eat small vertebrates more often when fruits are less abundant. The findings may help researchers get insights into the early evolution of human diets and our lineage’s move to meatier fare, researchers report August 26 in PLOS One .

In the 2000s, Noemi Spagnoletti and her colleagues were engaged in a long-term study of the behavior and ecology of bearded capuchins in northeastern Brazil. “We repeatedly observed the monkeys actively hunting and consuming vertebrates, including lizards, snakes and iguanas,” says…

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