Body size in predator-prey interactions: an investigation of Neotropical primates and their predators

Small predators tend to eat small prey, whereas larger predators attack predominantly larger prey. Neotropical primates form a substantial proportion of the total food resource available to predators, but their interactions are poorly addressed. We investigated through a review of the literature whether the body mass of predators predicts primate body mass. The mean size of predator species explained 53% of the variation in the size of the primates. Large felids, especially the jaguar, concentrate their efforts on large primates. Body size is a fundamental underlying factor in the evolution of trophic relations between Neotropical primates and their predators.