India, April 27 -- The only wild primates found on the European continent eat soil to buffer their digestive system from low-fibre junk food like crisps, chocolate, bread, and ice cream, according to a new study.

The team of scientists who brought out the research said it is the first time that they witnessed and documented this phenomenon known as 'geophagy' - the deliberate consumption of earth -among the populations of Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) living in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located off the southern tip of Iberia.

The study said a survey of 26 other Barbary macaque sites showed that while geophagy exists elsewhere, the Gibraltar population is unique in its extreme frequency and its specific link to human di...