Triangular Plot

A Triangular Plot Diagram plots three values on triangular axes. The corners of the triangle represent 100% of the corresponding value. Points on the line opposite an angle have none of the value. All combinations of two values lie on an edge of the triangle. The closer a point is to a corner the more of the value exists. Triangular plots are good visualizations for representing compositions made up of varying amounts of three substances. The accompanying Triangular Plot Diagram shows the average diets of 80 primates composed of the three food classes: fruits and seeds; leaves, flowers, gum, and sap; and animal matter. One can see that new world monkeys have a diet higher in fruits and seeds than do the Colombines, whose diet is higher in leaves and other vegetable matter.