Data from: A DNA metabarcoding study of a primate dietary diversity and plasticity across its entire fragmented range

In tropical regions, most primary ecosystems have been replaced by mosaic landscapes in which species must cope with a large shift in the distribution of their habitat and associated food resources. Primates are particularly vulnerable to habitat modifications. Most species persist in small fragments surrounded by complex human-mediated matrices whose structure and connectivity may strongly influence their dispersal and feeding behavior. Behavioral plasticity appears to be a crucial parameter governing the ability of organisms to exploit the resources offered by new matrix habitats and thus to persist in fragmented habitats. In this study, we were interested in the dietary plasticity of the golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli), an endangered species of lemur, found only in the Daraina region in north-eastern Madagascar. We used a DNA-based approach combining the barcoding concept and Illumina next-generation sequencing to (i) describe the species diet across its entire range and (ii) evaluate the influence of landscape heterogeneity on diet diversity and composition. Faeces from 96 individuals were sampled across the entire species range and their contents were analyzed using the trnL metabarcoding approach. In parallel, we built a large DNA reference database based on a checklist of the plant species of the Daraina region. Our results suggest that golden-crowned sifakas exhibit remarkable dietary diversity with at least 130 plant species belonging to 80 genera and 49 different families. We highlighted an influence of both habitat type and openness on diet composition suggesting a high flexibility of foraging strategies. Moreover, we observed the presence of numerous cultivated and naturalized plants in the faeces of groups living in forest edge areas. Overall, our findings support our initial expectation that P. tattersalli is able to cope with the current level of alteration of the landscape and confirm our previous results on the distribution and the dispersal ability of this species.

在热带地区，绝大多数原生生态系统已被栖息地镶嵌景观（mosaic landscapes）所替代，在此类景观中，物种必须应对其栖息地及相关食物资源分布的巨大变化。灵长类（primates）对生境改造尤为易感，多数物种种群仅能存续于被人类主导的复杂景观基质环绕的小型生境片段中，而基质的结构与连通性会显著影响其扩散与取食行为。行为可塑性似乎是决定生物体能否利用新型基质生境提供的资源、进而在破碎化生境中存续的关键参数。本研究聚焦于仅分布于马达加斯加（Madagascar）东北部达伊纳地区（Daraina region）的濒危狐猴（lemur）物种——金冠冕狐猴（golden-crowned sifaka，*Propithecus tattersalli*），我们采用结合条形码理念与Illumina下一代测序（Illumina next-generation sequencing）的DNA分析方法，旨在(i) 描述该物种在其整个分布范围内的饮食组成，(ii) 评估景观异质性对饮食多样性与构成的影响。我们在该物种的整个分布范围内采集了96个个体的粪便样本，并采用trnL代谢条形码（trnL metabarcoding）技术对其内容物进行分析；与此同时，我们基于达伊纳地区的植物物种名录构建了大型DNA参考数据库。研究结果表明，金冠冕狐猴展现出极高的饮食多样性，其取食的植物至少涵盖130种、隶属于80个属与49个不同的科。我们发现栖息地类型与开阔度均会对饮食构成产生显著影响，这提示该物种的觅食策略具有高度灵活性。此外，我们观察到栖息于林缘区域的种群粪便中存在大量栽培植物与归化植物。总体而言，本研究结果支持了我们的初始推测：*Propithecus tattersalli*能够适应当前的景观改造程度，并验证了我们此前关于该物种分布与扩散能力的研究结论。