When consuming favored fruits, which parts do capuchins typically spit out, aiding forest regeneration?
Seeds and fibrous material
Capuchins exhibit a specialized method of consuming fruit that maximizes sugar intake while minimizing the effort spent processing indigestible matter. When they select ripe fruit, they focus primarily on extracting and consuming the sweet pulp and juice, which provide the majority of their rapid caloric needs. Consequently, the remaining components—specifically the seeds and the tougher, fibrous material surrounding the pulp—are typically ejected or spat out onto the forest floor. This act of discarding the indigestible remains is ecologically crucial because it directly contributes to effective seed dispersal across their extensive ranges, playing an active role in the natural regeneration and spread of the fruit-bearing plant species.
