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2.9.3Additional lessons

Nutrition in Hominidae — IB Biology SL Revision Notes & Topical Questions

5 min read 6 parts Lesson 47 of 142

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Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
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Section 1 of 6The Hominidae

Great apes
  • Great apes The Hominidae include orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and humans.
Orangutans
  • Orangutans Their diet is mainly fruit, supplemented with leaves, bark and some insects.
Gorillas
  • Gorillas Gorillas feed mainly on plant material such as leaves, stems and shoots, with fruit when it is available.
Chimpanzees
  • Chimpanzees Chimpanzees are omnivores, eating fruit and leaves, together with insects and occasionally meat.
Humans
  • Humans Humans are omnivores that prepare food by cooking, and can eat a very wide range of foods.

Section 2 of 6Interpreting Dietary Data

1
Identify the type of data: field observation, faecal analysis or stomach contents, and note its limits.
2
Express the amount of each food type as a percentage of the total feeding observations.
3
Compare species using a bar chart or pie chart, checking that the same units are used.
4
Link the data to the niche, for example heavy reliance on fruit indicates a frugivorous diet.
5
Consider whether the sample and season are representative before drawing a conclusion.

Section 3 of 6Niche and Evidence

Niche and Evidence
Feeding niche
  • Feeding niche The role of each species depends on what it eats, where it feeds and when it feeds.
Seasonal change
  • Seasonal change Diet can vary with the season, so short studies may not reflect the annual diet.
Tool use
  • Tool use Some chimpanzees use tools to obtain termites, which widens their feeding niche.
Limitations
  • Limitations Small samples and observation of only a few groups limit how far results can be generalised.

Section 4 of 6Humans and Diet

Humans and Diet
Cooking
  • Cooking Cooking food makes it softer and easier to digest, which widens the range of foods humans can eat.
Agriculture
  • Agriculture Farming allows humans to produce food in large amounts, unlike other apes that forage.
Comparison
  • Comparison Humans have a smaller gut and teeth than other great apes of the same size, a difference linked to diet.

Section 5 of 6Worked Example

Question

  • In a study of one chimpanzee group, 200 feeding records were made.
  • 130 were fruit, 50 were leaves and 20 were insects.
  • Calculate the percentage of each food type.

  1. Fruit = 130 ÷ 200 × 100 = 65 %.
  2. Leaves = 50 ÷ 200 × 100 = 25 %.
  3. Insects = 20 ÷ 200 × 100 = 10 %.
  4. Check65 + 25 + 10 = 100 %.

Answer Fruit 65 %, leaves 25 %, insects 10 % (these are example data).

Section 6 of 6Exam Checklist & Tips

2.9.3 – Key Points for the Exam

  • Hominidae The family of great apes, including humans.
  • Omnivore An animal that eats both plant and animal material.
  • Frugivore An animal whose diet consists mainly of fruit.
  • Herbivore An animal that feeds only on plants.

Common Mistakes

  • Describing apes as carnivores; all non-human apes eat mostly plant food.
  • Using absolute numbers instead of percentages when diets of different group sizes are compared.
  • Assuming one observation period shows the diet over the whole year.
  • Writing that the diet of a species is fixed, when it varies between populations and seasons.

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