Diet, nutrition, and health in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Captive gorillas are uniquely situated as subjects of anthropological research; their daily experiences can, in some ways, be compared to contemporary western human lifestyles. Both captive gorillas and contemporary western humans have relatively low activity levels coupled with foods that are readily available and abundant. Additionally, both species have elevated levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, and ingest calorie-dense, low-fiber, low-tannin diets that likely differ from those consumed over the course of evolution. These factors may contribute to shared chronic health issues such as obesity and heart disease. By examining the relationships between diet, nutrition, and behavior among zoo-housed gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), within a comparative evolutionary framework, this study will contribute to our understandings of the health impacts of captive primate diets and also lend insights to the chronic health-related diseases that are often linked with the contemporary western human diet