Macronutrient signature of dietary generalism in an ecologically diverse primate in the wild

Abstract

Theory predicts that animals with a broad diet should be capable of using macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) flexibly, such that a shortfall in one can be made up by additional intake of another. We used Rhesus macaques, a highly generalist primate, to test this in the wild. Our results strongly support the theory, and raise the question of why the same does not apply to the most generalist primate of all, humans.