Stomach fermentation mainly occurs in ruminants (such as giraffes or deer) and some monkey species. Fermentation can occur in two places: the stomach and the large intestine. During the fermentation process, bacteria break down difficult-to-digest material, after which the nutrients can be further absorbed by the body. Therefore, a special mechanism has evolved to 'release' this energy: fermentation. In herbivores, the stomach is more complex because the energy in plant material is difficult to access. The stomach can differ significantly between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.Ĭarnivores have a relatively simple stomach because the material that they consume is digested more easily compared to plant material. Here the food is stored, kneaded and mixed with gastric juices that aid in further digestion. As a result, it is often possible to identify an animal just by looking at the skull and the placement of the teeth.Īfter the teeth, food passes through the oesophagus into the stomach. In this way, each animal has teeth that are specialized for their specific natural diet (see image). Omnivores have mixed teeth compared to herbivores and carnivores, which can be used for both grinding as well as tearing. In comparison, the teeth of carnivores has well-developed incisors and canines which are used for catching prey and tearing meat. For example: as a result of a plant-based diet, herbivores have large flat molars that help grind fiber-rich material. The teeth have adapted through evolution based on the food that is being eaten. The digestive system start at the mouth, where the teeth grind the food. The biggest differences can be seen in the teeth, the stomach and intestines. In order to do this efficiently, adaptations have occurred within the digestive system of herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. In turn, they can use these nutrients for building tissues or energy production. The primary function of the digestive system is to break down food and moving the nutrients towards cells in the body. Compared to terrestrial animals, birds are an exception in terms of digestive system (read more). Therefore, the digestive system of herbivores is most complex while that of carnivores is least complex. In general, animal material is considered as easily digestible while plant material is seen as difficult to digest. For this reason, physiological differences occur between herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, which can mainly be seen in the digestive system. The body adapts itself to digest food as efficiently as possible. In addition to this, it can also be the case that a young animal is herbivorous while it gets more omnivorous as the animal grows older. zebra), others may be more difficult as their diet is closely related to two groups (i.e. While some species are easily placed within a group (i.e. In general, all animal species, from fish to birds, can be placed in a category. Besides this, the words ‘herbi’, ‘carni’ and ‘omni’ stem from the Latin words: The word ‘-vores’ stems from the Latin word - vorus: eater. Within the animal kingdom, three distinctions can be made based on the diet: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.
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