Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Comparative studies of taste perception are an important tool to study the mechanisms underlying the evolution of the sense of taste, as the taste perception of a species is thought to be linked to its feeding ecology. The different species within the primate order display a high diversity in dietary specializations, with the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata variegata) being one of the most frugivorous primates. The aim of the study was to determine taste preference thresholds of black-and-white ruffed lemurs for nine substances tasting sweet to humans; stevioside, rebaudioside A, glycine, L-alanine, L-proline, saccharin, sorbitol, polycose and galactose. A two-bottle preference test of short duration was used, with tap water as the alternative simulus. Taste preference thresholds were found to be 0.1-0.2 mM for stevioside, 0.05-0.15 mM for rebaudioside A, 15-20 mM for glycine, 2 mM for L-alanine, 10-20 mM for L-proline, 30-110 for sorbitol, 30-40 mM for polycose, 70-90 mM for galactose. One individual rejected saccharin at 1 mM, and no taste preference could be observed for this substance. L-alanine, stevioside and saccharin were either rejected at some concentrations or were neither preferred nor rejected at any concentration. These three substances have a bitter side taste to humans, and it is possible that the lemurs in this study are particularly sensitive to bitter taste. In general, the black-and-white ruffed lemurs preferred the taste of the majority of the tested substances over water.