Stable isotope evidence of meat eating and hunting specialization in adult male chimpanzees

Research in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, reveals that adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) derive a significant portion of their dietary protein from hunted meat, challenging previous assumptions about the minimal role of meat in their diet. Using stable isotope analysis of hair keratin and bone collagen, scientists detected a marked isotope signal indicative of frequent meat consumption, supporting behavioral observations of male-dominated hunting. Unlike females and juveniles, whose protein primarily comes from fruit and nuts, some adult males exhibit specialized meat-eating behavior, suggesting sex differences in food acquisition may have persisted throughout hominin evolution.

Fahy, G. E., Richards, M., Riedel, J., Hublin, J.-J., & Boesch, C. (2013). Stable isotope evidence of meat eating and hunting specialization in adult male chimpanzees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(15), 5829–5833. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1221991110