ABSTRACT
Determining the niche of a species is best done in a comparative study that makes it possible to determine how one species exploits its environment differently than another species living in the same area. Data on the behavior and ecology of primates taken at different study sites cannot easily be compared, as sites generally vary in food and habitat availability. Plant abundance and distribution is affected by soil fertility and rainfall, and may vary considerably across a region (Janson and Chapman 1999). In addition, food availability in one forest can vary annually and affect a primate’s diet, ranging, and reproductive strategies (Janson and Chapman 1999), making comparisons of data taken in different years problematic. Therefore, comparative studies of multiple species at the same location and the same time provide the best opportunity for determining the degree to which sympatric species exploit their environments in a different manner.
