1
|
Tinsman J, Volampeno S, Ganas-Swaray J, Gann D, Andrianirina N, Chamizo M, Ralazampirenena C, Ranaivoarisoa JF, Ravaoarisoa H, Rivero J, Zamora A, Gomes CM. Habitat use by the island lemurs of Nosy Be, Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23362. [PMID: 35098568 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Madagascar's lemurs are threatened by forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation. Many species use flexible behaviors to survive in degraded habitat, but their ability to persist in very small areas may be limited. Insular lemurs, like those found on Nosy Be, an island off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, are at heightened risk of sudden population declines and extirpation. Nosy Be is home to two Critically Endangered species-the endemic Nosy Be sportive lemur (Lepilemur tymerlachsoni) and Claire's mouse lemur (Microcebus mamiratra)-as well as the Endangered black lemur (Eulemur macaco). Most of the remaining forest on Nosy Be is protected by the 862-ha Lokobe National Park. To document how Nosy Be lemurs use their restricted habitat, we conducted vegetation and reconnaissance surveys on 53 transects in and around Lokobe. We collected data on tree size, canopy cover, understory visibility, and elevation for 248 lemur sightings. We used a spatially explicit, multi-species occupancy model to investigate which forest-structure variables are important to lemurs. Our results represent some of the first data on habitat use by insular lemurs. Black lemurs preferred significantly larger trees and areas with less dense understory. They also occurred significantly less outside of Lokobe National Park, even when accounting for sampling effort and geography. The distributions of the sportive and mouse lemurs were not related to the forest structure variables we documented, but they did negatively predict each other-perhaps because their habitat requirements differ. These results also underscore the importance of the national park to protecting the black lemur population on Nosy Be and raise questions about what factors do influence the distribution of Nosy Be's smaller lemurs. Close monitoring is needed to prevent these populations and the ecosystem services they provide from disappearing, as have other island lemurs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jen Tinsman
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Gann
- Department of Biology, FIU, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Natacha Andrianirina
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Anthropobiology and Sustainable Development, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Madison Chamizo
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Claude Ralazampirenena
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Ministère de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jean F Ranaivoarisoa
- Department of Anthropobiology and Sustainable Development, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Hasina Ravaoarisoa
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Anthropobiology and Sustainable Development, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Josie Rivero
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Ecology & Environmental Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, USA
| | - Andrew Zamora
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cristina M Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rivera CJ, Mayo D, Hull V. Social-Ecological Interactions Influencing Primate Harvest: Insights From Madagascar. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.776897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, non-human primates face mounting threats due to unsustainable harvest by humans. There is a need to better understand the diverse drivers of primate harvest and the complex social-ecological interactions influencing harvest in shared human-primate systems. Here, we take an interdisciplinary, systems approach to assess how complex interactions among primate biological and ecological characteristics and human social factors affect primate harvest. We apply our approach through a review and synthesis of the literature on lemur harvest in Madagascar, a country with one of the highest primate species richness in the world coupled with high rates of threatened primate species and populations in decline. We identify social and ecological factors affecting primate harvest, including the characteristics of lemurs that may make them vulnerable to harvest by humans; factors describing human motivations for (or deterrents to) harvest; and political and governance factors related to power and accessibility. We then discuss social-ecological interactions that emerge from: (1) the prevalence of informal institutions (e.g., cultural taboos), (2) adoption of human predatory strategies, (3) synergies with habitat use and habitat loss, and (4) interactions among regional- and local-scale factors (multi-level interactions). Our results illustrate that social-ecological interactions influencing lemur harvest in Madagascar are complex and context-specific, while influenced by a combination of interactions between species-specific characteristics and human social factors. These context-specific interactions may be also influenced by local-level cultural practices, land use change, and effects from regional-level social complexities such as political upheaval and food insecurity. We conclude by discussing the importance of identifying and explicitly accounting for nuances in underlying social-ecological systems and putting forth ideas for future research on primate harvest in shared human-primate systems, including research on social-ecological feedbacks and the application of Routine Activities Theory.
Collapse
|
3
|
|
4
|
Chandrashekar A, Knierim JA, Khan S, Raboin DL, Venkatesh S, Clarke TA, Cuozzo FP, LaFleur M, Lawler RR, Parga JA, Rasamimanana HR, Reuter KE, Sauther ML, Baden AL. Genetic population structure of endangered ring-tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta) from nine sites in southern Madagascar. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8030-8043. [PMID: 32788959 PMCID: PMC7417237 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Madagascar's ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) are experiencing rapid population declines due to ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as increasing exploitation for bushmeat and the illegal pet trade. Despite being the focus of extensive and ongoing behavioral studies, there is comparatively little known about the genetic population structuring of the species. Here, we present the most comprehensive population genetic analysis of ring-tailed lemurs to date from across their likely remaining geographic range. We assessed levels of genetic diversity and population genetic structure using multilocus genotypes for 106 adult individuals from nine geographically representative localities. Population structure and F ST analyses revealed moderate genetic differentiation with localities being geographically partitioned into northern, southern, western and also potentially central clusters. Overall genetic diversity, in terms of allelic richness and observed heterozygosity, was high in the species (AR = 4.74, H O = 0.811). In fact, it is the highest among all published lemur estimates to date. While these results are encouraging, ring-tailed lemurs are currently affected by ongoing habitat fragmentation and occur at lower densities in poorer quality habitats. The effects of continued isolation and fragmentation, coupled with climate-driven environmental instability, will therefore likely impede the long-term viability of the species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Chandrashekar
- Department of AnthropologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
- Present address:
San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation ResearchSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Jessica A. Knierim
- Animal Behavior and Conservation ProgramDepartment of PsychologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
- Present address:
Wildlife AllianceNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Sohail Khan
- Department of AnthropologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Dominique L. Raboin
- Animal Behavior and Conservation ProgramDepartment of PsychologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
- Present address:
Rutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNJUSA
| | - Sateesh Venkatesh
- Animal Behavior and Conservation ProgramDepartment of PsychologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Tara A. Clarke
- Department of Sociology and AnthropologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | | | - Marni LaFleur
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
- Lemur Love, Inc.San DiegoCAUSA
| | - Richard R. Lawler
- Department of Sociology and AnthropologyJames Madison UniversityHarrisonburgVAUSA
| | - Joyce A. Parga
- Department of AnthropologyCalifornia State University‐Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
| | | | - Kim E. Reuter
- Pet Lemur SurveyHoused by the University of UtahSalt Lake CityUTUSA
| | | | - Andrea L. Baden
- Department of AnthropologyHunter College of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
- Department of AnthropologyThe Graduate Center of the City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP)New YorkNYUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Eppley TM, Santini L, Tinsman JC, Donati G. Do functional traits offset the effects of fragmentation? The case of large-bodied diurnal lemur species. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23104. [PMID: 32011761 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Primates worldwide are faced with increasing threats making them more vulnerable to extinction. Anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat degradation and fragmentation, are among the main concerns, and in Madagascar, these issues have become widespread. As this situation continues to worsen, we sought to understand how fragmentation affects primate distribution throughout the island. Further, because species may exhibit different sensitivity to fragmentation, we also aimed to estimate the role of functional traits in mitigating their response. We collated data from 32 large-bodied lemur species ranges, consisting of species from the families Lemuridae (five genera) and Indriidae (two genera). We fitted Generalized Linear Models to determine the role of habitat fragmentation characteristics, for example, forest cover, patch size, edge density, and landscape configuration, as well as the protected area (PA) network, on the species relative probability of presence. We then assessed how the influence of functional traits (dietary guild, home range size) mitigate the response of species to these habitat metrics. Habitat area had a strong positive effect for many species, and there were significantly negative effects of fragmentation on the distribution of many lemur species. In addition, there was a positive influence of PAs on many lemur species' distribution. Functional trait classifications showed that lemurs of all dietary guilds are negatively affected by fragmentation; however, folivore-frugivores show greater flexibility/variability in terms of habitat area and landscape complexity compared to nearly exclusive folivores and frugivores. Furthermore, species of all home range sizes showed a negative response to fragmentation, while habitat area had an increasingly positive effect as home range increased in size. Overall, the general trends for the majority of lemur species are dire and point to the need for immediate actions on a multitude of fronts, most importantly landscape-level reforestation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Eppley
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California.,Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Luca Santini
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Montelibretti, Italy.,Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jen C Tinsman
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Giuseppe Donati
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gould L, Cowen LLE. Lemur catta in small forest fragments: Which variables best predict population viability? Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23095. [PMID: 32003047 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is an increasingly serious issue affecting primates in most regions where they are found today. Populations of Lemur catta (ring-tailed lemur) in Madagascar's south-central region are increasingly restricted to small, isolated forest fragments, surrounded by grasslands or small-scale agriculture. Our aim was to evaluate the potential for population viability of L. catta in nine forest fragments of varying sizes (2-46 ha, population range: 6-210 animals) in south-central Madagascar, using a set of comparative, quantitative ecological measures. We used Poisson regression models with a log link function to examine the effects of fragment size, within-fragment food availability, and abundance of matrix resources (food and water sources) on L. catta population sizes and juvenile recruitment. We found a strong association between overall population size and (a) fragment size and (b) abundance of key food resources Melia azedarach and Ficus spp. (per 100 m along transect lines). Juvenile recruitment was also associated with fragment size and abundance of the two above-mentioned food resources. When the largest population, an outlier, was removed from the analysis, again, the model containing fragment size and abundance of M. azedarach and Ficus spp. was the best fitting, but the model that best predicted juvenile recruitment contained only fragment size. While our results are useful for predicting population presence and possible persistence in these fragments, both the potential for male dispersal and the extent of human disturbance within most fragments play crucial roles regarding the likelihood of long-term L. catta survival. While seven of the nine fragments were reasonably protected from human disturbance, only three offered the strong potential for male dispersal, thus the long-term viability of many of these populations is highly uncertain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Gould
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura L E Cowen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Environmental stress on primate populations can take many forms. Abiotic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, may directly influence the behavior of primates owing to physiological demands of thermoregulation or through indirect influences on vegetation that primates rely on for food. These effects can also scale up to the macro scale, impacting primate distributions and evolution. Primates also encounter stress during interactions within and between species (i.e., biotic interactions). For example, selective pressure from male-perpetrated infanticide can drive the development of female counterstrategies and can impact life-history traits. Predation on primates can modify group size, ranging behavior, and habitat use. Finally, humans have influenced primate populations for millennia. More recently, hunting, habitat disturbance, disease, and climate change have increased in frequency and severity with detrimental impacts on primate populations worldwide. These effects and recent evidence from camera traps emphasize the importance of maintaining protected areas for conserving primate populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Kamilar
- Department of Anthropology and Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002, USA
| | - Lydia Beaudrot
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
New evidence of megafaunal bone damage indicates late colonization of Madagascar. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204368. [PMID: 30303989 PMCID: PMC6179221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The estimated period in which human colonization of Madagascar began has expanded recently to 5000-1000 y B.P., six times its range in 1990, prompting revised thinking about early migration sources, routes, maritime capability and environmental changes. Cited evidence of colonization age includes anthropogenic palaeoecological data 2500-2000 y B.P., megafaunal butchery marks 4200-1900 y B.P. and OSL dating to 4400 y B.P. of the Lakaton'i Anja occupation site. Using large samples of newly-excavated bone from sites in which megafaunal butchery was earlier dated >2000 y B.P. we find no butchery marks until ~1200 y B.P., with associated sedimentary and palynological data of initial human impact about the same time. Close analysis of the Lakaton'i Anja chronology suggests the site dates <1500 y B.P. Diverse evidence from bone damage, palaeoecology, genomic and linguistic history, archaeology, introduced biota and seafaring capability indicate initial human colonization of Madagascar 1350-1100 y B.P.
Collapse
|
9
|
Dore KM. Ethnoprimatology without Conservation: The Political Ecology of Farmer–Green Monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) Relations in St. Kitts, West Indies. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0043-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
10
|
Steffens KJE, Jacques Rakotondranary S, Ratovonamana YR, Ganzhorn JU. Vegetation Thresholds for the Occurrence and Dispersal of Microcebus griseorufus in Southwestern Madagascar. INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-0003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
11
|
Shanee S, Shanee N, Monteferri B, Allgas N, Alarcon Pardo A, Horwich RH. Protected area coverage of threatened vertebrates and ecoregions in Peru: Comparison of communal, private and state reserves. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 202:12-20. [PMID: 28715677 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are a conservation mainstay and arguably the most effective conservation strategy for species protection. As a 'megadiverse' country, Peru is a priority for conservation actions. Peruvian legislation allows for the creation of state PAs and private/communal PAs. Using publicly available species distribution and protected area data sets we evaluated the coverage of Threatened terrestrial vertebrate species distributions and ecoregions provided by both kinds of PA in Peru. Peru's state PA system covers 217,879 km2 and private/communal PAs cover 16,588 km2. Of the 462 species of Threatened and Data Deficient species we evaluated, 75% had distributions that overlapped with at least one PA but only 53% had ≥10% of their distributions within PAs, with inclusion much reduced at higher coverage targets. Of the species we evaluated, 118 species are only found in national PAs and 29 species only found in private/communal PAs. Of the 17 terrestrial ecoregions found in Peru all are represented in PAs; the national PA system included coverage of 16 and private/communal PAs protect 13. One ecoregion is only protected in private/communal PAs, whereas four are only covered in national PAs. Our results show the important role private/communal PAs can play in the protection of ecological diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, Manchester, UK; Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Lima, Peru; Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
| | - Noga Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, Manchester, UK; Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Lima, Peru
| | - Bruno Monteferri
- Conservamos por Naturaleza, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, Lima, Peru
| | - Nestor Allgas
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Lima, Peru
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Salmona J, Heller R, Quéméré E, Chikhi L. Climate change and human colonization triggered habitat loss and fragmentation in Madagascar. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5203-5222. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Salmona
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciênca; Oeiras Portugal
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique; UMR 5174 CNRS; Université Paul Sabatier; Toulouse France
- UMR 5174 EDB; Université de Toulouse; Toulouse France
| | - Rasmus Heller
- Department of Biology; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen N Denmark
| | - Erwan Quéméré
- CEFS; Université de Toulouse; INRA; Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - Lounès Chikhi
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciênca; Oeiras Portugal
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique; UMR 5174 CNRS; Université Paul Sabatier; Toulouse France
- UMR 5174 EDB; Université de Toulouse; Toulouse France
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Steven M. Goodman and William L. Jungers: Extinct Madagascar: Picturing the Island’s Past. INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
14
|
Spriggs AN, Muchlinski MN, Gordon AD. Does the primate pattern hold up? Testing the functional significance of infraorbital foramen size variation among marsupials. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:30-40. [PMID: 26805953 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The relative size of the infraorbital foramen (IOF) has been used to infer the ecology of extinct primates for several decades. Primates have relatively smaller IOFs than most other mammals, which may result from the fact that they pre-process and manipulate food with their hands rather than their muzzles. In primates, relative IOF area co-varies with diet, where insectivores and folivores have relatively smaller IOFs than frugivores. We wanted to determine whether the observed patterns associated with IOF variation hold across other orders. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined how relative IOF area differs among marsupials occupying different ecological niches. Marsupials were chosen because they converge with primates in both ecology and morphology, but unlike primates, some marsupials approach and pre-process foods only with their muzzles. We measured IOF area and cranial lengths from 72 marsupial species, and behavioral feeding data were obtained from a subset of this sample (N = 20). RESULTS Relative IOF area did not vary significantly between substrate preferences. However, relative IOF area differed significantly by diet category (P < 0.001). Species that specialize in feeding on non-grassy leaves have significantly smaller relative IOF areas than species which primarily feed on grasses, insects, vertebrates, or some combination thereof. Behavioral analyses support that folivorous marsupials approach and remove food with the hands more often than marsupials from other dietary groups. DISCUSSION Results suggest that relatively small IOF area may reflect increased reliance on the hands while feeding, and that relative IOF size can be used as an indicator of feeding behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Spriggs
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY
| | | | - Adam D Gordon
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, NY
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ross AC, Lehman SM. Infant transport and mother-infant contact from 1 to 26 weeks postnatal in Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) in northwestern Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:646-58. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Revised: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail C. Ross
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Shawn M. Lehman
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Shanee N, Mendoza AP, Shanee S. Diagnostic overview of the illegal trade in primates and law enforcement in Peru. Am J Primatol 2015; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noga Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation UK; Manchester United Kingdom
- Asociacion Neotropical Primate Conservation Peru; Yambrasbamba Peru
| | | | - Sam Shanee
- Neotropical Primate Conservation UK; Manchester United Kingdom
- Asociacion Neotropical Primate Conservation Peru; Yambrasbamba Peru
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Farris ZJ, Golden CD, Karpanty S, Murphy A, Stauffer D, Ratelolahy F, Andrianjakarivelo V, Holmes CM, Kelly MJ. Hunting, Exotic Carnivores, and Habitat Loss: Anthropogenic Effects on a Native Carnivore Community, Madagascar. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136456. [PMID: 26375991 PMCID: PMC4573327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The wide-ranging, cumulative, negative effects of anthropogenic disturbance, including habitat degradation, exotic species, and hunting, on native wildlife has been well documented across a range of habitats worldwide with carnivores potentially being the most vulnerable due to their more extinction prone characteristics. Investigating the effects of anthropogenic pressures on sympatric carnivores is needed to improve our ability to develop targeted, effective management plans for carnivore conservation worldwide. Utilizing photographic, line-transect, and habitat sampling, as well as landscape analyses and village-based bushmeat hunting surveys, we provide the first investigation of how multiple forms of habitat degradation (fragmentation, exotic carnivores, human encroachment, and hunting) affect carnivore occupancy across Madagascar's largest protected area: the Masoala-Makira landscape. We found that as degradation increased, native carnivore occupancy and encounter rates decreased while exotic carnivore occupancy and encounter rates increased. Feral cats (Felis species) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) had higher occupancy than half of the native carnivore species across Madagascar's largest protected landscape. Bird and small mammal encounter rates were negatively associated with exotic carnivore occupancy, but positively associated with the occupancy of four native carnivore species. Spotted fanaloka (Fossa fossana) occupancy was constrained by the presence of exotic feral cats and exotic small Indian civet (Viverricula indica). Hunting was intense across the four study sites where hunting was studied, with the highest rates for the small Indian civet (mean=90 individuals consumed/year), the ring-tailed vontsira (Galidia elegans) (mean=58 consumed/year), and the fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (mean=31 consumed/year). Our modeling results suggest hunters target intact forest where carnivore occupancy, abundance, and species richness, are highest. These various anthropogenic pressures and their effects on carnivore populations, especially increases in exotic carnivores and hunting, have wide-ranging, global implications and demand effective management plans to target the influx of exotic carnivores and unsustainable hunting that is affecting carnivore populations across Madagascar and worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zach J. Farris
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Golden
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Wildlife Health and Health Policy Program, HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages) Wildlife Conservation Society, NY, United States of America
| | - Sarah Karpanty
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Asia Murphy
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Dean Stauffer
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Felix Ratelolahy
- Wildlife Conservation Society Madagascar Program, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Marcella J. Kelly
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Samonds KE. Extinct Madagascar. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
19
|
Comparative and population mitogenomic analyses of Madagascar's extinct, giant ‘subfossil’ lemurs. J Hum Evol 2015; 79:45-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
20
|
Borgerson C. The Effects of Illegal Hunting and Habitat on Two Sympatric Endangered Primates. INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
21
|
|
22
|
Aye-aye population genomic analyses highlight an important center of endemism in northern Madagascar. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:5823-8. [PMID: 23530231 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211990110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We performed a population genomics study of the aye-aye, a highly specialized nocturnal lemur from Madagascar. Aye-ayes have low population densities and extensive range requirements that could make this flagship species particularly susceptible to extinction. Therefore, knowledge of genetic diversity and differentiation among aye-aye populations is critical for conservation planning. Such information may also advance our general understanding of Malagasy biogeography, as aye-ayes have the largest species distribution of any lemur. We generated and analyzed whole-genome sequence data for 12 aye-ayes from three regions of Madagascar (North, West, and East). We found that the North population is genetically distinct, with strong differentiation from other aye-ayes over relatively short geographic distances. For comparison, the average FST value between the North and East aye-aye populations--separated by only 248 km--is over 2.1-times greater than that observed between human Africans and Europeans. This finding is consistent with prior watershed- and climate-based hypotheses of a center of endemism in northern Madagascar. Taken together, these results suggest a strong and long-term biogeographical barrier to gene flow. Thus, the specific attention that should be directed toward preserving large, contiguous aye-aye habitats in northern Madagascar may also benefit the conservation of other distinct taxonomic units. To help facilitate future ecological- and conservation-motivated population genomic analyses by noncomputational biologists, the analytical toolkit used in this study is available on the Galaxy Web site.
Collapse
|
23
|
Genetic data suggest a natural prehuman origin of open habitats in northern Madagascar and question the deforestation narrative in this region. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:13028-33. [PMID: 22826244 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1200153109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of climate change and anthropogenic deforestation on biodiversity is of growing concern worldwide. Disentangling how past anthropogenic and natural factors contributed to current biome distribution is thus a crucial issue to understand their complex interactions on wider time scales and to improve predictions and conservation strategies. This is particularly important in biodiversity hotspots, such as Madagascar, dominated by large open habitats whose origins are increasingly debated. Although a dominant narrative argues that Madagascar was originally entirely covered by woodlands, which were destroyed by humans, a number of recent studies have suggested that past climatic fluctuations played a major role in shaping current biome distributions well before humans arrived. Here, we address the question of the origin of open habitats in the Daraina region in northern Madagascar, using a multiproxy approach combining population genetics modeling and remote-sensing analyses. We show that (i) contrary to most regions of Madagascar, the forest cover in Daraina remained remarkably stable over the past 60 y, and (ii) the golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli), a forest-dwelling lemur, underwent a strong population contraction before the arrival of the first humans, hence excluding an anthropogenic cause. Prehuman Holocene droughts may have led to a significant increase of grasslands and a reduction in the species' habitat. This contradicts the prevailing narrative that land cover changes are necessarily anthropogenic in Madagascar but does not preclude the later role played by humans in other regions in which recent lemur bottlenecks have been observed.
Collapse
|
24
|
Leaf nutritional quality as a predictor of primate biomass: further evidence of an ecological anomaly within prosimian communities in Madagascar. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646741200003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:The correlation between the biomass of forest primates and a chemical index of the average nutritional quality of leaves in tropical forests has been repeatedly documented since 1990. We tested the role played by protein : fibre on lemur biomass in a gallery forest in southern Madagascar. Plant species abundance was determined based on transect censuses. We calculated an average ratio of protein-to-fibre in leaves and an abundance-weighted ratio, i.e. the mean weighted by the basal area of tree species, to be compared with the figures available for other forest ecosystems in Madagascar and a number of anthropoid habitats. Lemur densities were evaluated through compilation of previous studies made from prior to 1975 and up until 2011 based on strip censuses and/or identification of all groups supplemented with new censuses. A high mean ratio of protein to fibre (> 0.4) supports high folivore biomass at 390 kg km−2 (reaching 630 kg km−2 in the closed-canopy forest area) compared with primate communities in other Malagasy forests (protein : fibre: < 0.5; folivore biomass: < 440 kg km−2), as predicted. However, the data corroborate the finding that the total biomass of lemur communities as well as the biomass of folivorous lemur species are low compared with those of African and Asian primate communities for a given protein : fibre ratio. Tree diversity and leaf production do not consistently explain this pattern. In contrast, the extinction of large folivorous lemurs during the past two millennia presumably allowed too little time for smaller-sized species to evolve equally effective morphological and physiological specializations for processing a large range of fibrous foods.
Collapse
|
25
|
Population genetics and abundance of the Endangered grey-headed lemurEulemur cinereicepsin south-east Madagascar: assessing risks for fragmented and continuous populations. ORYX 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605311000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractKnowledge of both population size and genetic diversity is critical for assessing extinction risk but few studies include concurrent estimates of these two components of population biology. We conducted an investigation of population density and size, and genetic variation and past demographic events, of the Endangered grey-headed lemurEulemur cinereicepsin south-east Madagascar. We estimated lemur density using line-transect surveys and used satellite imagery to calculate forest fragment area in three localities. We collected tissue samples from 53 individuals and used 26 polymorphic microsatellite loci to obtain measures of population structure (divergence and diversity) across these localities. We tested the probability of past bottleneck events using three models. Contrary to expectation, there were no significant differences in population density across localities. Genetic diversity decreased, but not significantly, with decreasing habitat area and population size. We found a higher likelihood of past bottleneck events in the fragmented coastal populations. The low population size and prior decline in diversity in coastal patches are consistent with their isolation, anthropogenic disturbance, and exposure to cyclone activity. The similarities in the estimates of density between continuous and fragmented sites may indicate recent population growth in the fragments but these populations nevertheless remain at risk from reduced levels of genetic variation. These patterns should be confirmed with more extensive sampling across the limited range ofE. cinereiceps.
Collapse
|
26
|
Muchlinski MN, Godfrey LR, Muldoon KM, Tongasoa L. Evidence for dietary niche separation based on infraorbital foramen size variation among subfossil lemurs. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2011; 81:330-45. [PMID: 21266824 DOI: 10.1159/000323277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The size of the infraorbital foramen (IOF) has been used in drawing both phylogenetic and ecological inferences regarding fossil taxa. Within the order Primates, frugivores have relatively larger IOFs than folivores or insectivores. This study uses relative IOF size in lemurs to test prior trophic inferences for subfossil lemurs and to explore the pattern of variation within and across lemur families. The IOFs of individuals belonging to 12 extinct lemur species were measured and compared to those of extant Malagasy strepsirhines. Observations matched expectations drawn from more traditional approaches (e.g. dental morphology and microwear, stable isotope analysis) remarkably well. We confirm that extinct lemurs belonging to the families Megaladapidae and Palaeopropithecidae were predominantly folivorous and that species belonging to the genus Pachylemur (Lemuridae) were frugivores. Very high values for relative IOF area in Archaeolemur support frugivory but are also consistent with omnivory, as certain omnivores use facial touch cues while feeding. These results provide additional evidence that the IOF can be used as an informative osteological feature in both phylogenetic and paleoecological interpretations of the fossil record.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena N Muchlinski
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Crowley BE, Godfrey LR, Irwin MT. A glance to the past: subfossils, stable isotopes, seed dispersal, and lemur species loss in Southern Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2010; 73:25-37. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
28
|
Uhrin M, Kaňuch P, Krištofík J, Paule L. Phenotypic plasticity in the greater mouse-eared bat in extremely different roost conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.073.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
|
29
|
Historical demography of a wild lemur population (Propithecus verreauxi) in southwest Madagascar. POPUL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-010-0206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
30
|
Muldoon KM. Paleoenvironment of Ankilitelo Cave (late Holocene, southwestern Madagascar): implications for the extinction of giant lemurs. J Hum Evol 2010; 58:338-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2009] [Revised: 12/27/2009] [Accepted: 01/18/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
31
|
Quéméré E, Louis EE, Ribéron A, Chikhi L, Crouau-Roy B. Non-invasive conservation genetics of the critically endangered golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli): high diversity and significant genetic differentiation over a small range. CONSERV GENET 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-009-9837-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
32
|
Lawler RR. Testing for a historical population bottleneck in wild Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) using microsatellite data. Am J Primatol 2008; 70:990-4. [PMID: 18618601 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The degree to which historical human activities negatively impacted past and present lemur species is a long-standing question in primatology. At present, most evidence addressing this issue comes from archaeology, paleontology, and behavioral studies. Genetic data provide another source of evidence. In this study, six microsatellite loci, genotyped on more than 360 wild Verreaux's sifaka, are used in order to test the hypothesis that this population experienced a population bottleneck in the last 2000 years. Excess heterozygosity is compared with the heterozygosity expected under mutation-drift equilibrium in order to test for the genetic signature of a rapid population contraction in the past. The results indicate that the sifaka population did not experience a population bottleneck. Various methodological and conceptual implications of this result are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Lawler
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Biodiversity, phylogeography, biogeography and conservation: lemurs as an example. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2007; 78:420-43. [PMID: 17855791 DOI: 10.1159/000105153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The lemurs of Madagascar represent a spectacular example of adaptive radiation among primates. Given the special setting under which they evolved (i.e. long isolation, geographical location, geological relief), they provide excellent models for study in many realms, and at different levels and scales, including diversity. At the same time, they occur in a 'hottest hot spot' region for biodiversity conservation. Although there is no single definition of biodiversity, the most commonly used units to measure biodiversity are species-species richness, species abundance and, for conservation purposes in particular, species endemism. However, what a species actually is or how, precisely, it should be defined are unresolved issues. Many species concepts have been proposed and several have been used in primatology in recent years. Nowadays, one of the more common approaches to measuring diversity, and eventually inferring species status, is to look at genetic diversity as reflected by mitochondrial DNA differences. Not enough attention has been paid, however, to the different levels at which genetic differences may occur. Lemurs provide instructive examples to highlight the questions involved in species recognition and definition. Using lemurs as examples, I will highlight the strengths and limitations of some analytical tools, including phylogeography and cladistic biogeography and, I will, in particular, emphasize the questions arising at the interface of scientific and conservation perceptions, both of which influence decisions in the field of biodiversity preservation.
Collapse
|