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Hending D, Randrianarison H, Andriamavosoloarisoa NNM, Ranohatra-Hending C, McCabe G, Cotton S, Holderied M. Forest fragmentation and edge effects impact body condition, fur condition and ectoparasite prevalence in a nocturnal lemur community. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae042. [PMID: 38957844 PMCID: PMC11217907 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Forest fragmentation and edge effects are two major threats to primate populations. Primates inhabiting fragmented landscapes must survive in a more degraded environment, often with lower food availability compared to continuous forests. Such conditions can have deleterious effects on animal physiological health, yet some primates thrive in these habitats. Here, we assessed how forest fragmentation and associated edge effects impact three different components of physiological health in a nocturnal primate community in the Sahamalaza-Iles Radama National Park, northwest Madagascar. Over two periods, 6 March 2019-30 October 2019 and 10 January 2022-17 May 2022, we collected data on body condition, fur condition scores and ectoparasite prevalence for 125 Mirza zaza, 51 Lepilemur sahamalaza, 27 Cheirogaleus medius and 22 Microcebus sambiranensis individuals, and we compared these metrics between core and edge areas of continuous forest and fragmented forest. Body condition scores for all species varied between areas, with a positive response to fragmentation and edge effects observed for M. zaza and L. sahamalaza and a negative response for C. medius and M. sambiranensis. Fur condition scores and ectoparasite prevalence were less variable, although M. zaza and L. sahamalaza had a significantly negative response to fragmentation and edge effects for these two variables. Interestingly, the impacts of fragmentation and edge effects on physiological health were variable-specific. Our results suggest that lemur physiological responses to fragmentation and edge effects are species-specific, and body condition, fur condition and ectoparasite prevalence are impacted in different ways between species. As other ecological factors, including food availability and inter/intraspecific competition, likely also influence physiological health, additional work is required to determine why certain aspects of lemur physiology are affected by environmental stressors while others remain unaffected. Although many nocturnal lemurs demonstrate resilience to fragmented and degraded habitats, urgent conservation action is needed to safeguard the survival of their forest habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hending
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11A Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK
| | | | | | - Christina Ranohatra-Hending
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK
| | - Grainne McCabe
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK
- Wilder Institute, Calgary Zoo, 1300 Zoo Road NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7V6, Canada
| | - Sam Cotton
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK
| | - Marc Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
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Shifting Biogeographic Patterns of Microcebus ravelobensis and M. murinus. INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00304-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Radespiel U, Scheumann M. Introduction to the Special Issue Celebrating the Life and Work of Elke Zimmermann. INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00307-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Teixeira H, van Elst T, Ramsay MS, Rakotondravony R, Salmona J, Yoder AD, Radespiel U. RADseq Data Suggest Occasional Hybridization between Microcebus murinus and M. ravelobensis in Northwestern Madagascar. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:913. [PMID: 35627298 PMCID: PMC9140448 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of natural hybridization has been reported in a wide range of organisms, including primates. The present study focuses on the endemic lemurs of Madagascar, primates for which only a few species occur in sympatry or parapatry with congeners, thereby creating limited opportunity for natural hybridization. This study examines RADseq data from 480 individuals to investigate whether the recent expansion of Microcebus murinus towards the northwest and subsequent secondary contact with Microcebus ravelobensis has resulted in the occurrence of hybridization between the two species. Admixture analysis identified one individual with 26% of nuclear admixture, which may correspond to an F2- or F3-hybrid. A composite-likelihood approach was subsequently used to test the fit of alternative phylogeographic scenarios to the genomic data and to date introgression. The simulations yielded support for low levels of gene flow (2Nm0 = 0.063) between the two species starting before the Last Glacial Maximum (between 54 and 142 kyr). Since M. murinus most likely colonized northwestern Madagascar during the Late Pleistocene, the rather recent secondary contact with M. ravelobensis has likely created the opportunity for occasional hybridization. Although reproductive isolation between these distantly related congeners is not complete, it is effective in maintaining species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Teixeira
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (T.v.E.); (M.S.R.)
| | - Tobias van Elst
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (T.v.E.); (M.S.R.)
| | - Malcolm S. Ramsay
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (T.v.E.); (M.S.R.)
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Russell St., Toronto, ON M5S 2S2, Canada
| | - Romule Rakotondravony
- Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels (EDEN), University of Mahajanga, 5 Rue Georges V—Immeuble KAKAL, Mahajanga Be, B.P. 652, Mahajanga 401, Madagascar;
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l’Environnement, University of Mahajanga, 5 Rue Georges V—Immeuble KAKAL, Mahajanga Be, B.P. 652, Mahajanga 401, Madagascar
| | - Jordi Salmona
- CNRS-UPS-IRD, UMR5174, Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France;
| | - Anne D. Yoder
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (T.v.E.); (M.S.R.)
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