| lemur responses to edge effects in the vohibola iii classified forest, madagascar. | forest edges are dynamic zones characterized by the penetration (to varying depths and intensities) of conditions from the surrounding environment (matrix) into the forest interior. although edge effects influence many tropical organisms, they have not been studied directly in primates. edge effects are particularly relevant to lemurs because of the highly fragmented forest landscapes found in madagascar. in this study, data are presented regarding how the densities of six lemur species (avahi l ... | 2006 | 16477598 |
| mapping the social network: tracking lice in a wild primate (microcebus rufus) population to infer social contacts and vector potential. | studies of host-parasite interactions have the potential to provide insights into the ecology of both organisms involved. we monitored the movement of sucking lice (lemurpediculus verruculosus), parasites that require direct host-host contact to be transferred, in their host population of wild mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus). these lemurs live in the rainforests of madagascar, are small (40 g), arboreal, nocturnal, solitary foraging primates for which data on population-wide interactions are dif ... | 2012 | 22449178 |
| lemur habitat and dental senescence in ranomafana national park, madagascar. | not only can teeth provide clues about diet, but they also can be indicators of habitat quality. conspecific groups living in different habitats with different kinds of foods may exhibit different rates of dental attrition because their teeth are less well adapted to some foods than to others. ecological disequilibrium describes the situation in which animals live in habitats to which they are relatively poorly adapted. we test whether dental senescence, the wear-related decrease in dental funct ... | 2012 | 22610898 |
| ecological fragmentation effects in mouse lemurs and small mammals in northwestern madagascar. | habitat loss and fragmentation are major ecological forces threatening animal communities across the globe. these issues are especially true in madagascar, where forest loss is ongoing. we examined the effects of forest fragmentation on the distribution and abundance of sympatric, endemic gray, and golden-brown mouse lemurs (microcebus murinus and microcebus ravelobensis), the endemic western tuft-tailed rat (eliurus myoxinus), and the invasive black rat (rattus rattus) in two regions in northwe ... | 2020 | 31608491 |
| séance: reference-based phylogenetic analysis for 18s rrna studies. | marker gene studies often use short amplicons spanning one or more hypervariable regions from an rrna gene to interrogate the community structure of uncultured environmental samples. target regions are chosen for their discriminatory power, but the limited phylogenetic signal of short high-throughput sequencing reads precludes accurate phylogenetic analysis. this is particularly unfortunate in the study of microscopic eukaryotes where horizontal gene flow is limited and the rrna gene is expected ... | 2014 | 25433763 |
| tracking year-to-year changes in intestinal nematode communities of rufous mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus). | while it is known that intestinal parasite communities vary in their composition over time, there is a lack of studies addressing how variation in component communities (between-hosts) manifests in infracommunities (within-host) during the host lifespan. in this study, we investigate the changes in the intestinal parasite infracommunities in wild-living rufous mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) from ranomafana national park in southeastern madagascar from 2010 to 2012. we used high-throughput barco ... | 2015 | 25892063 |
| unpredictable environments, opportunistic responses: reproduction and population turnover in two wild mouse lemur species (microcebus rufus and m. griseorufus) from eastern and western madagascar. | small-bodied, nocturnal mouse lemurs (microcebus) are widespread across diverse forest habitats in madagascar. they are strict seasonal breeders and can, depending on the habitat and species, undergo daily or prolonged torpor to minimize energy expenditure during periods of food and water scarcity. duration of reproduction, number of litters per season and timing of births vary across individuals and species. the "polyestry-seasonality" hypothesis proposes that the duration of reproduction and n ... | 2015 | 26031477 |
| population- and individual-level dynamics of the intestinal microbiota of a small primate. | longitudinal sampling for intestinal microbiota in wild animals is difficult, leading to a lack of information on bacterial dynamics occurring in nature. we studied how the composition of microbiota communities changed temporally in free-ranging small primates, rufous mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus). we marked and recaptured mouse lemurs during their mating season in ranomafana national park in southeastern mountainous rainforests of madagascar for 2 years and determined the fecal microbiota com ... | 2016 | 27060114 |
| the lack of female dominance in golden-brown mouse lemurs suggests alternative routes in lemur social evolution. | female dominance is a well-known trait of lemurs, although it has not been reported from all species and is still often unexplored, especially in the nocturnal species. we examined the intersexual dominance relationships in microcebus ravelobensis, a congener of m. murinus who is well known for its female dominance. given the many similarities in biology, it was predicted that m. ravelobensis should also possess female dominance. seventeen unfamiliar male-female pairs were formed with animals ca ... | 2013 | 23180122 |
| teeth, sex, and testosterone: aging in the world's smallest primate. | mouse lemurs (microcebus spp.) are an exciting new primate model for understanding human aging and disease. in captivity, microcebus murinus develops human-like ailments of old age after five years (e.g., neurodegeneration analogous to alzheimer's disease) but can live beyond 12 years. it is believed that wild microcebus follow a similar pattern of senescence observed in captive animals, but that predation limits their lifespan to four years, thus preventing observance of these diseases in the w ... | 2014 | 25354041 |
| are tropical small mammals physiologically vulnerable to arrhenius effects and climate change? | there is some urgency in the necessity to incorporate physiological data into mechanistic, trait-based, demographic climate change models. physiological responses at the individual level provide the mechanistic link between environmental changes and individual performances and hence population dynamics. here we consider the causal relationship between ambient temperature (ta) and metabolic rate (mr), namely, the arrhenius effect, which is directly affected by global warming through increases in ... | 2014 | 24457919 |
| survey of giardia and cryptosporidium in lemurs from the ranomafana national park, madagascar. | we detected cryptosporidium sp. by direct immunofluorescence in fecal samples from greater bamboo lemurs (prolemur simus) and eastern rufous mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) inhabiting the ranomafana national park, madagascar. this is the first report of an occurrence of these potentially zoonotic parasites in free-ranging lemurs in the rain forest of madagascar. | 2013 | 23778635 |
| lumbar vertebral body bone microstructural scaling in small to medium-sized strepsirhines. | bone mass, architecture, and tissue mineral density contribute to bone strength. as body mass (bm) increases any one or combination of these properties could change to maintain structural integrity. to better understand the structural origins of vertebral fragility and gain insight into the mechanisms that govern bone adaptation, we conducted an integrative analysis of bone mass and microarchitecture in the last lumbar vertebral body from nine strepsirhine species, ranging in size from 42 g (mic ... | 2013 | 23355518 |
| molecular phylogeny of the lemur family cheirogaleidae (primates) based on mitochondrial dna sequences. | cheirogaleidae currently comprises five genera whose relationships remain contentious. the taxonomic status and phylogenetic position of both mirza coquereli and allocebus trichotis are still unclear. the taxonomic status of the recently discovered microcebus ravelobensis (a sympatric sibling species of microcebus murinus) and its phylogenetic position also require further examination. a approximately 2.4-kb mitochondrial dna sequence including part of the coiii gene, complete nd3, nd4l, and nd4 ... | 2001 | 11286490 |
| experimental evidence for olfactory predator recognition in wild mouse lemurs. | although primates have remarkable olfactory capabilities, their ability for olfactory predator recognition is still understudied. we investigated this cognitive ability in wild gray and golden-brown mouse lemurs (microcebus murinus and m. ravelobensis) that were confronted with four different olfactory stimuli, derived from two malagasy predators (fossa and barn owl) and two local nonpredator species (brown lemur and sifaka). the predator response was tested (1) in a systematic cage setup and (2 ... | 2011 | 21557286 |
| timely estrus in wild brown mouse lemur females at ranomafana national park, southeastern madagascar. | the small-bodied nocturnal mouse lemurs (genus microcebus) occupy a variety of habitats in madagascar. gray (m. murinus) and brown (m. rufus) mouse lemurs have been widely studied both in the wild and captivity. whereas captive studies revealed an endogenous regulation of reproduction entrained by photoperiod, field studies have suggested that reproductive activation could be affected by additional climatic, physical, or social conditions. i collected data on wild brown mouse lemur females at ra ... | 2011 | 21469075 |
| different competitive potential in two coexisting mouse lemur species in northwestern madagascar. | interspecific competition has been suggested to influence the biogeographic distribution patterns of species. a high competitive potential could entail species-specific advantages during resource acquisition that could translate into a higher potential for range expansion. we investigated whether differences in the competitive potential of the morphologically similar and partially sympatric gray mouse lemur (microcebus murinus) and golden-brown mouse lemur (microcebus ravelobensis) may help to e ... | 2011 | 21412995 |
| lice and ticks of the eastern rufous mouse lemur, microcebus rufus, with descriptions of the male and third instar nymph of lemurpediculus verruculosus (phthiraptera: anoplura). | sucking lice and ticks were collected from live-trapped eastern rufous mouse lemurs, microcebus rufus geoffroy, in and around the periphery of ranomafana national park, southeastern madagascar, from 2007 to 2009. samples of 53 sucking lice (insecta: phthiraptera: anoplura) and 28 hard ticks (acari: ixodidae) were collected from 36 lemur captures representing 26 different host individuals. all of the lice were lemurpediculus verruculosus (ward) (6 males, 46 females, 1 third instar nymph). only th ... | 2010 | 20950093 |
| leaf nest use and construction in the golden-brown mouse lemur (microcebus ravelobensis) in the ankarafantsika national park. | the use of leaf nests has been documented in several mouse lemur species over the last few decades, including the golden-brown mouse lemur. nest construction, however, has only rarely been observed and detailed descriptions of this process are lacking so far. we aim to determine the relative importance of leaf nests as shelters for the golden-brown mouse lemur, and to test predictions concerning the role of thermoregulation, safety (i.e., protection of infants), and of interspecific competition ... | 2010 | 19787662 |
| assessing reproductive profiles in female brown mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) from ranomafana national park, southeast madagascar, using fecal hormone analysis. | studies on reproductive endocrinology in wild primate populations have greatly increased in the last decades owing to the development of noninvasive techniques that can be applied under field conditions. however, small-bodied nocturnal species are not well represented on the long list of primates surveyed in the wild, and reproductive inferences regarding these animals in their natural habitats have not benefited from direct observations of hormonal changes. we collected fecal samples from femal ... | 2009 | 19206167 |
| natural and anthropogenic determinants of genetic structure in the largest remaining population of the endangered golden-brown mouse lemur, microcebus ravelobensis. | genetic differentiation between natural populations is best understood as a result of both natural and anthropogenic factors. genetic studies on large populations still living under relatively undisturbed conditions are extremely valuable to disentangle these influences. the effect of three natural (geographic distance, landscape, dispersal) factors and two anthropogenic factors (road, savannah) on gene flow was analyzed in the largest remaining forest region in the range of the endangered golde ... | 2008 | 18512699 |
| acoustic divergence in the communication of cryptic species of nocturnal primates (microcebus ssp.). | a central question in evolutionary biology is how cryptic species maintain species cohesiveness in an area of sympatry. the coexistence of sympatrically living cryptic species requires the evolution of species-specific signalling and recognition systems. in nocturnal, dispersed living species, specific vocalisations have been suggested to act as an ideal premating isolation mechanism. we studied the structure and perception of male advertisement calls of three nocturnal, dispersed living mouse l ... | 2008 | 18462484 |
| using extant patterns of dental variation to identify species in the primate fossil record: a case study of middle eocene omomys from the bridger basin, southwestern wyoming. | patterns of extant primate dental variation provide important data for interpreting taxonomic boundaries in fossil forms. here i use dental data from several well-known living primates (as well as data from selected eocene forms) to evaluate dental variation in middle eocene omomys, the first north american fossil primate identified by paleontologists. measurements were collected from a sample of 148 omomyid dental specimens recovered from bridger b localities in the bridger basin, wyoming. most ... | 2008 | 18246298 |
| edge effects and their influence on lemur density and distribution in southeast madagascar. | edge effects are caused by the penetration of abiotic and biotic conditions from the matrix into forest interiors. although edge effects influence the biogeography of many tropical organisms, they have not been studied directly in primates. edge effects are particularly relevant to lemurs due to the loss of 80-90% of forests in madagascar. in this study, data are presented on how biotic edge effects influenced the distribution and density of lemurs in the vohibola iii classified forest in southe ... | 2006 | 16323178 |
| social organization of the golden brown mouse lemur (microcebus ravelobensis). | our study provides the first data on the social organization of the golden brown mouse lemur, a nocturnal primate discovered in northwestern madagascar in 1994. the study was carried out in two 6-month field periods during the dry season, covering time before and during the mating season. the spatial and temporal distributions of the sexes in the population were investigated by mark/recapture and radiotelemetry. focal observations and the determination of sleeping associations provided further i ... | 2004 | 14669235 |
| seasonal changes in general activity, body mass and reproduction of two small nocturnal primates: a comparison of the golden brown mouse lemur ( microcebus ravelobensis) in northwestern madagascar and the brown mouse lemur ( microcebus rufus) in eastern madagascar. | to investigate for the first time the relationship between contrasting patterns of seasonal changes of the environment and activity, body mass and reproduction for small nocturnal primates in nature, we compared a population of golden brown mouse lemur ( microcebus ravelobensis) in a dry deciduous forest of northwestern madagascar and of the brown mouse lemur ( microcebus rufus) in an evergreen rain forest of eastern madagascar. both species live under similar photoperiodic conditions. golden br ... | 2003 | 14593515 |
| spatial distribution and population composition of the brown mouse lemur (microcebus rufus) in ranomafana national park, madagascar, and its implications for social organization. | through a 16-mo mark-recapture trap study, i examined aspects of spatial distribution and population composition in the brown mouse lemur, microcebus rufus, a 42 g nocturnal strepsirhine. the study took place in the rainforest of ranomafana national park in southeastern madagascar. sherman live traps were set monthly for a variable number of nights in a quasi-grid 50 m apart. captured individuals were marked for future identification and released at site of capture. more males than females were ... | 2000 | 10811440 |
| a possible role of plantations for primate conservation in madagascar. | the utilization of eucalyptus plantations by seven sympatric species of prosimians was studied in the eastern rainforest of madagascar. the species were avahi laniger, cheirogaleus major, hapalemur griseus, indri indri, lemur fulvus, lepilemur mustelinus, and microcebus rufus. none of the lemurs was ever found in young eucalyptus plantations with little undergrowth. this was mainly due to the lack of travel opportunities within the shrub layer and between the shrubs and the canopy. food (mainly ... | 1987 | 31973503 |
| olfactory predator recognition in the brown mouse lemur (microcebus rufus) in ranomafana national park, madagascar. | predator odors such as urine and feces are known to elicit antipredator behaviors in prey including avoidance, fear, and curiosity. we measured how wild brown mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) responded to odors of mammalian, avian, and snake predators as well as nonpredator controls. the first experiment took place under controlled conditions in a laboratory where we recorded the occurrence of four behavioral categories (ignore, curiosity, alert, and fear) in response to a single odor. subjects e ... | 2020 | 32770568 |
| brown mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) may lack opportunities to learn about predator calls. | diurnal primates commonly modify their behaviour in response to predator vocalizations, but little is known about how nocturnal primates perceive predator calls. mouse lemurs do not innately perceive predator calls as dangerous but may learn to do so in the wild. i hypothesized that wild brown mouse lemurs (microcebus rufus) in ranomafana national park, madagascar, differentiate between predator and non-predator vocalizations and exposed 29 adult subjects to calls of 3 sympatric predators (gosha ... | 2020 | 32146461 |
| causative agent of canine heartworm (dirofilaria immitis) detected in wild lemurs. | the lemurs of madagascar are threatened by human activities. we present the first molecular detection of canine heartworm (dirofilaria immitis) in a wild non-human primate, the mouse lemur (microcebus rufus). zoonotic d. immitis infection has been associated with clinical pathology that includes serious and often fatal cardiac and pulmonary reactions. with human encroachment and associated increases in free-roaming dog populations in madagascar, we examined lemurs for zoonotic canid pathogens. d ... | 2019 | 31061793 |