Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council

www.national-academies.org

This report is one of a series issued under the direction of the National Research Council’s Committee on Animal Nutrition (CAN) of The National Academies Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. It was prepared by the CAN Ad Hoc Committee on Nonhuman Primate Nutrition and is a revision of the 1978 edition of Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates. Throughout the study process, input from others has been sought by posing specific questions in widely distributed letters, by hosting workshops and information-gathering sessions, and by inviting sponsors and the general public to attend meetings of the Committee. Information published before 1978 has been reevaluated, that in newer publications has been examined, and both have been used to update this report. Greater emphasis than before has been placed on descriptions of natural dietary habits, gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology, and the special nutrient and dietary husbandry needs of species that traditionally have been difficult to maintain in captivity.

The order Primates is diverse and includes prosimians, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. More than 250 species and more than 600 subspecies are recognized, and new species are described nearly every year. Recently, Colin Groves has proposed a revised taxonomic system that includes over 300 primate species (Groves, C. 2001. Primate Taxonomy. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press). The challenge of describing the nutritional needs of primates, which range in size from tiny mouse lemurs and pygmy marmosets to the markedly larger gorillas and orangutans, is daunting, particularly because studies of feeding ecology, gastrointestinal anatomy, and nutrient requirements have been completed for only a few of them. Consequently, data have been sought on one or more model species in eight categories (the suborder Strepsirrhini; the families Hominidae and Pongidae, Hylobatidae, Cercopithecidae, Cebidae, Callitrichidae, and Tarsiidae; and the subfamily Colobinae) in the hope that such data would be representative of the Order. Little information was found on Tarsiidae and Hylobatidae.

Over 500,000 primates live in biomedical research laboratories and conservation institutions throughout the world. Records of the regional primate research centers provided by Leo Whitehair of the National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources indicate that 16,820 nonhuman primates of 28 species were present in seven U.S. centers at the end of 1998. In 1999, an eighth U.S. center housing 3,638 animals, including about 3,200 baboons, was added. Records of the International Species Information System (at the Minnesota Zoological Garden, Apple Valley, MN; www.worldzoo.org) indicate that over 9,500 nonhuman primates of 145 species were in U.S. and Canadian zoos at the end of 2000. Additional nonhuman primates can be found in U.S. and Canadian government, university, and commercial laboratories.

Many primate species serve as surrogates in studies of human physiology and disease, and their nutritional status is known to influence susceptibility and tissue responses to infective agents. The validity of such research is open to question if the experimental subjects have not been appropriately nourished. Likewise, the health and reproduction of primates in zoos can be compromised to an extent that renders the maintenance or multiplication of endangered species impossible.

In preparing this report, the Committee was limited in the amount of reliable and specific information available on nutrient requirements, deficiencies, and toxicities in primates. The authors of this publication had as their primary objective the development of guidelines that would ensure that nutrient deficiencies or toxicities and inappropriate dietary husbandry would not limit success in primate research colonies or zoos. We hope that this objective has been fulfilled, in light of the limits of the information available to us, and that researchers will continue to fill the obvious information gaps so that future editions will be more complete.

The Committee wishes to thank the numerous people who provided input by letter or at public forums. In addition, we thank those who took time to meet with the Committee throughout the study process. The financial support provided by the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Association of Primate Veterinarians, Harlan Teklad, Purina Mills, Inc., and ZuPreem, is gratefully acknowledged.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: David J. Baer, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland; Ellen Dierenfeld, The Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York; Joseph W. Kemnitz, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin; Joe Knapka, National Institutes of Health (retired); Terry L. Maple, Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and Wilson G. Pond, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by R. Lee Baldwin, University of California, Davis. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution. Finally, the Committee wishes to thank Charlotte Kirk Baer, program director, Committee on Animal Nutrition, for her encouragement and cheerful guidance of this project to completion. Her exceptional organizational skills contributed in a major way to the success of the Committee. Appreciation also is extended to Stephanie Padgham, project assistant, for her regular communications and helpful provision of supplementary materials.

Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates

Second Revised Edition, 2003