Abstract
No mammals secrete a cellulase and therefore herbivorous mammals rely on their association with cellulolytic microorganisms to utilize their foods fully. Carbohydrates are fermented in regions of the digestive tract where a large bulk of food is retained for a considerable period of time and where micro-organisms occur. The chief products of fermentation are volatile fatty acids, carbon dioxide and methane. The volatile fatty acids are an important energy source for the herbivore.
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THURSTON, J., NOIROT-TIMOTHÉE, C. & ARMAN, P. Fermentative Digestion in the Stomach of Hippopotamus amphibius (Artiodactyla : Suiformes) and Associated Ciliate Protozoa. Nature 218, 882–883 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/218882a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/218882a0
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