Geophagy among East African Chimpanzees: consumed soils provide protection from plant secondary compounds and bioavailable iron

• Published in: Environmental geochemistry and health Vol. 41; no. 6; pp. 2911 - 2927
• Main Authors: Pebsworth, Paula A., Hillier, Stephen, Wendler, Renate, Glahn, Ray, Ta, Chieu Anh Kim, Arnason, John T., Young, Sera L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Animals; Behavioral Sciences Biology; Bioavailability; Biological Availability; Caco-2 Cells; Calcium; cameras; Chimpanzees; Clay; Clay minerals; Clay soils; diet; Dietary minerals; Drug self-administration; Earth; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Etologi; Female; forest reserves; Forests; Gallic acid; Geochemistry; Geokemi; geophagia; Geophagy; Humans; Iron; Iron - pharmacokinetics; Magnesium; Male; Micronutrients; Minerals; Minerals - analysis; Nutrient availability; Original Paper; Pan troglodytes; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Physiology; Pica; Plants (botany); Plants - chemistry; Plants - metabolism; Protection; Public Health; sand; Secondary Metabolism; Soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil conditions; soil sampling; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Terrestrial Pollution; Toxins; trees; Uganda; Uganda; Primates; Micronutrients; Simulated digestion; Soil eating; Detoxification

Geophagy, the intentional consumption of earth materials, has been recorded in humans and other animals. It has been hypothesized that geophagy is an adaptive behavior, and that clay minerals commonly found in eaten soil can provide protection from toxins and/or supplement micronutrients. To test th...