Doctoral Dissertation Research: Nutrition, diet, and their influence on survival and reproduction across life

Animals need different combinations of nutrients to survive and reproduce, but for many species, we do not know how survival and reproduction is affected by nutrient intake across a lifetime. It is difficult to study this relationship in humans because of our long lifespans, which may encompass many different periods of food availability that might not be known. This Doctoral Dissertation Research project assesses how lifetime nutrient intake and diet influence survival and reproduction in a wild primate, including during an extreme drought, which had major impacts survival. Extreme climatic events are increasing in severity and frequency world-wide, and the results of this project can therefore enhance our understanding of how diet and nutrition interact with survival during such events. This project serves as the doctoral dissertation for a student in biological anthropology and nutritional ecology, trains two early career female scientists, contributes to the conservation of a wild primate and its endangered habitat, and provides early education opportunities for local school children. This project focuses on three objectives: 1) Identify the nutritional goals of female white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) across the life course, 2) Identify the best possible diets of female white-faced capuchins across the life course, and 3) Examine how poor nutrient and dietary intake relates to survival and reproduction, especially during an extreme drought that occurred between 2014 - 2016. To address these objectives, researchers collect feeding data on capuchins to determine what individuals eat. Researchers also collect food samples to determine nutrients that capuchins consume. Lastly, researchers use a long-term database (33+ years) to relate intake to survival and reproduction, especially during the drought. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.