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A scientist would say, “Let me analyze² the isotopic³ composition of its excreta and I’ll get back to you.” Because a new study shows that the ratio of carbon isotopes⁴ found in mountain gorilla feces reveals how much fruit the apes have consumed. The scoop’s in the latest issue of the Proceedings⁵ of the National Academy of Sciences. 

 

Knowing what animals nosh on in the wild and how that diet fluctuates can offer a key to their health and the overall health of the species. But not all beasties like to dine al fresco⁶, at least not where scientists can watch. So researchers decided⁷ to reach for the scat.

 

As a test case they focused on four mountain gorillas⁸ in a park in Uganda, because they could actually see what these apes ingested. Different plants have different ratios of carbon’s common isotopes. So for 10 months the researchers measured the carbon in the plants that went into the gorillas and then what came back out.

 

And they found that the dung don’t lie, at least when it comes to what’s been on Koko’s menu.

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