Results

Taste preference thresholds

The taste preference threshold of the four white-faced sakis was…

  • 1-10 mM for citric acid
  • 0.5-20 mM for ascorbic acid
  • 2-10 mM for malic acid
  • 0.1-1 mM for tannic acid
  • 2-20 mM for acetic acid
Taste responses of four white-faced sakis to various concentrations of citric acid, ascorbic acid, malic acid, tannic acid, and acetic acid, respectively, dissolved in a 50 mM sucrose solution. The preference criterion (66.7%), avoidance criterion (33.3%), and chance criterion (50%) are represented by the line with longer dashes, the line with shorter dashes, and the dotted line, respectively. Circle: Engelbrekt; Square: Kariakou; Triangle: Lisha; Diamond: Anita.

Sour-taste tolerance

The white-faced sakis required…

  • 100 mM of sucrose in the 10 mM citric acid mixture
  • 200 mM of sucrose in the 30 mM citric acid mixture
  • 200 mM of sucrose in the 50 mM citric acid mixture

… to prefer each sucrose-acid mixture over the 50 mM sucrose solution.

Taste responses of four white-faced sakis given a choice between a 50 mM sucrose solution and mixtures of 10 mM, 30 mM, and 50 mM citric acid, respectively, plus various concentrations (10-400 mM) of sucrose. The preference criterion (66.7%) and chance criterion (50%) are represented by the dashed line and the dotted line, respectively. Circle: Engelbrekt; Square: Kariakou; Triangle: Lisha; Diamond: Anita.

Okay, so what does all this mean? More on that in the Discussion!