According to a National Geographic article published yesterday by Christine Dell’Amore, global warming-induced indigestion could help make mountain gorillas and other leaf-eating primates sitting ducks for extinction, a new study says.
Due to the annual temperature rises, the leaves in the forest are changing their molecular structure and now have more fiber and less digestible protein. This is becoming a concern for some gorilla and monkey species that eat these leaves because this would mean that it will take longer to process their food. During this longer time of digestion, these primates would otherwise be spending their time finding food, socializing and protecting their territory study says.
To read this entire article, CLICK HERE or on the Red Colobus Monkey below.
Photo found on National Geographic's Daily News Website: Photograph by Tim Graham, Getty Images