scholarly journals Mouse lemurs’ and degraded habitat

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Knoop ◽  
Lounès Chikhi ◽  
Jordi Salmona
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Degraded Forest ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Tree Hole ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Lemur Species

AbstractMadagascar is known for its unique biodiversity including its endemic primates, the lemurs. This biodiversity is threatened by deforestation, forest degradation and anthropogenic disturbances. Several mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus) have been shown to cope with habitat disturbances and degradation. However, there are 24 recognized mouse lemur species living in very different habitats, and it is not clear whether all these species respond similarly to forest degradation. Here, we review the literature on mouse lemur use of degraded habitat. We further question whether mouse lemurs show variation in degraded habitat use, with respect to forest type, conservation status and distribution range. We show that data on degraded forest (DF) use is available for 14 species and geographically aggregated in a few locations. However, data are scarce for most species, and lacking for almost half of the currently recognized species. Our results however confirm that most mouse lemur species are able to cope with, but do not necessarily respond positively to habitat degradation. We found no variation in degraded habitat use, with respect to forest type, conservation status and distribution range. However, we identified food resources availability, understory structure, predation, and tree hole availability to be the most frequently invoked factors potentially influencing DF use. The relative frequency of these four factors vary among forest types suggesting that differences may exist but still require research efforts for ecological and environmental differences among regions to be fully understood.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSLittle differences in the use of degraded forest (DF) between forest types, distribution ranges or conservation status.Varying factors potentially affecting DF use, such as food resources, forest structure, tree hole availability and predation.

scholarly journals RADseq data reveal a lack of admixture in a mouse lemur contact zone contrary to previous microsatellite results

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelmer Wijtze Poelstra ◽  
B. Karina Montero ◽  
Jan Lüdemann ◽  
Ziheng Yang ◽  
S. Jacques Rakotondranary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Contact Zone ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Microsatellite Data ◽  
Ancestral Gene ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Lemur Species

Despite being one of the most fundamental biological processes, the process of speciation remains poorly understood in many groups of organisms. Mouse lemurs are a species-rich genus of small primates endemic to Madagascar, whose diversity has only recently been uncovered using genetic data and is primarily found among morphologically cryptic, allopatric populations. To assess to what extent described species represent reproductively isolated entities, studies are needed in areas where mouse lemur taxa come into contact. Hybridization has previously been reported in a contact zone between two closely related mouse lemur species (Microcebus murinus and M. griseorufus) based on microsatellite data. Here, we revisit this system using RADseq data for populations in, near, and far from the contact zone, including many of the individuals that had previously been identified as hybrids. Surprisingly, we find no evidence for admixed nuclear ancestry in any of the individuals. Re-analyses of microsatellite data and simulations suggest that previously inferred hybrids were false positives and that the program NewHybrids can be particularly sensitive to erroneously inferring hybrid ancestry. Using coalescent-bases analyses, we also show an overall lack of recent gene flow between the two species, and low levels of ancestral gene flow. Combined with evidence for local syntopic occurrence, these data indicate that M. murinus and M. griseorufus are reproductively isolated. Finally, we estimate that they diverged less than a million years ago, suggesting that completion of speciation is relatively rapid in mouse lemurs. Future work should focus on the underpinnings of reproductive isolation in this cryptic primate radiation, which are mostly unknown. Our study also provides a cautionary tale for the inference of hybridization with microsatellite data.

Habitat Use by Arboreal Mammals along an Environment Gradient in North-eastern Victoria

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
AF Bennett ◽  
LF Lumsden ◽  
JSA Alexander ◽  
PE Duncan ◽  
PG Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Environmental Gradient ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Distributional Pattern ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Arboreal Mammal

A total of 1487 observations of nine species of arboreal mammal, Acrobates pygmaeus, Phascolarctos cinereus, Petauroides volans, Petaurus australis, P. breviceps, P. norfolcensis, Pseudocheirusperegrinus, Trichosurus caninus and T. vulpecula, were made during surveys of the vertebrate fauna of northeastern Victoria. Habitat use by each species was examined in relation to eight forest types that occur along an environmental gradient ranging from sites at high elevation with a high annual rainfall, to sites on the dry inland and riverine plains. Arboreal mammals were not evenly distributed between forest types. Three species (P. australis, P. volans and T. caninus) were mainly associated with moist tall forests; two species (P. norfolcensis and T. vulpecula) were primarily associated with drier forests and woodlands of the foothills; the remaining three species (A. pygmaeus, P. breviceps and P. peregrinus) occurred widely throughout the forests. The composition of the arboreal mammal assemblage changed along the environmental gradient, but species displayed gradual changes in abundance with forest type rather than marked discontinuities in distributional pattern. The highest overall frequencies of occurrence of arboreal mammals were in forests typically dominated by a mixture of eucalypt species. The position at first sighting of an animal, and the relative height in the forest stratum, were used to describe the micro-habitats utilised. In general, the microhabitats occupied by each species are consistent with the distribution of their known food resources.

scholarly journals What drives variation in habitat use by Anolis lizards: habitat availability or selectivity?

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 877-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Johnson ◽  
R. Kirby ◽  
S. Wang ◽  
J.B. Losos
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Habitat Availability ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Forest Types

Geographic variation in habitat availability may drive geographic variation in a species’ habitat use; alternatively, species adapted to particular habitat characteristics may use a habitat regardless of its availability within an environment. In this study, we investigated habitat use of two sympatric species of Anolis lizards that are morphologically specialized to use different microhabitats. We examined variation in microhabitat use and availability among four distinct forest types. In each forest type, we quantified available microhabitats (i.e., perch diameter, angle of inclination, and visibility), as well as microhabitats actually used by each species. We found that species consistently differed in microhabitat use, corresponding to each species’ morphological specializations. However, microhabitat use of both species varied among sites. This variation in Anolis gundlachi Peters, 1876 reflected differences in microhabitat availability, while the variation in Anolis krugi Peters, 1876 resulted from differential microhabitat selectivity. These results indicate that both habitat availability and habitat preferences must be examined in multiple localities for a species to understand the causes of variation in its habitat use.

scholarly journals Sympatric Mouse Lemurs in Nort-West Madagascar: A New Rufous Mouse Lemur Species (Microcebus ravelobensis)

1998 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleke Zimmermann ◽  
Sabine Cepok ◽  
Nasolo Rakotoarison ◽  
Vera Zietemann ◽  
Ute Radespiel
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Lemur Species

First indications of a highland specialist among mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) and evidence for a new mouse lemur species from eastern Madagascar

Primates ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Radespiel ◽  
Jonah H. Ratsimbazafy ◽  
Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona ◽  
Herimalala Raveloson ◽  
Nicole Andriaholinirina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Lemur Species

scholarly journals Linking cognition to ecology in wild sympatric mouse lemur species

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1963) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Henke-von der Malsburg ◽  
Peter M. Kappeler ◽  
Claudia Fichtel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Ecological Adaptations ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Lemur Species

Cognitive abilities covary with both social and ecological factors across animal taxa. Ecological generalists have been attributed with enhanced cognitive abilities, but which specific ecological factors may have shaped the evolution of which specific cognitive abilities remains poorly known. To explore these links, we applied a cognitive test battery (two personality, ten cognitive tests; n = 1104 tests) to wild individuals of two sympatric mouse lemur species ( n = 120 Microcebus murinus, n = 34 M. berthae ) varying in ecological adaptations but sharing key features of their social systems. The habitat and dietary generalist grey mouse lemurs were more innovative and exhibited better spatial learning abilities; a cognitive advantage in responding adaptively to dynamic environmental conditions. The more specialized Madame Berthe's mouse lemurs were faster in learning associative reward contingencies, providing relative advantages in stable environmental conditions. Hence, our study revealed key cognitive correlates of ecological adaptations and indicates potential cognitive constraints of specialists that may help explain why they face a greater extinction risk in the context of current environmental changes.

scholarly journals Conservation Status of Forest Types Vary Greatly in Myanmar - the Most Forested Country in the Indo-burma Biodiversity Hotspot

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumalika Biswas ◽  
Qiongyu Huang ◽  
Khine Khine Swe ◽  
Franz-Eugen Arnold ◽  
Myat Su Mon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Alos Palsar ◽  
Ecosystem Goods And Services ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Machine Learning Model ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Research Gap

Abstract Diverse forests with distinct forest types, harbor exceptional biodiversity and provide many ecosystem goods and services, making some forest types more economically valuable and prone to exploitation than others. The high rates of deforestation in Southeast Asia endanger the existence of such vulnerable forest types. Myanmar, the region’s largest forest frontier provides a last opportunity to conserve these vulnerable forest types. However, the exact distribution and spatial extent of Myanmar’s forest types has not been well characterized. To address this research gap, we developed a national scale Forest Type map of Myanmar at 20m resolution, using moderate resolution, multi-sensor satellite images (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-PALSAR), extensive field data, and a machine learning model (RandomForest). We mapped nine major forest types and developed a Conservation Status Score to evaluate the conservation status of the mapped forest types. Swamp, Mangrove, Dry Deciduous, Lowland Evergreen and Thorn forests were ranked as the five least conserved forest types. We also identified the largest remaining patch for each of the five least conserved forest types and determined their protection status to inform future forest conservation policy. In most cases, these patches lay outside protected areas indicating areas that may be prioritized for future conservation.

Molecular liver fingerprint reflects the seasonal physiology of the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) during winter

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blandine Chazarin ◽  
Margaux Benhaim-Delarbre ◽  
Charlotte Brun ◽  
Aude Anzeraey ◽  
Fabrice Bertile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glucose Intolerance ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Microcebus Murinus ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Pathological State ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Mouse Lemurs

Grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) are a primate species exhibiting strong physiological seasonality in response to environmental energetic constraint. They notably store large amounts of lipids during early winter (EW), which are thereafter mobilized during late winter (LW), when food availability is low. In addition, they develop glucose intolerance in LW only. To decipher how the hepatic mechanisms may support such metabolic flexibility, we analyzed the liver proteome of adult captive male mouse lemurs, which seasonal regulations of metabolism and reproduction are comparable to their wild counterparts, during the phases of either constitution or use of fat reserves. We highlight profound changes that reflect fat accretion in EW at the whole-body level, however, without triggering an ectopic storage of fat in the liver. Moreover, molecular regulations would be in line with the lowering of liver glucose utilization in LW, and thus with reduced tolerance to glucose. However, no major regulation was seen in insulin signaling/resistance pathways, which suggests that glucose intolerance does not reach a pathological stage. Finally, fat mobilization in LW appeared possibly linked to reactivation of the reproductive system and enhanced liver detoxification may reflect an anticipation to return to summer levels of food intake. Altogether, these results show that the physiology of mouse lemurs during winter relies on solid molecular foundations in liver processes to adapt fuel partitioning while avoiding reaching a pathological state despite large lipid fluxes. This work emphasizes how the mouse lemur is of primary interest for identifying molecular mechanisms relevant to biomedical field.

scholarly journals Radiotelemetry of a female jaú, Zungaro jahu (Ihering, 1898) (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), passed upstream of Funil Dam, rio Grande, Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves ◽  
Luiz Gustavo Martins da Silva ◽  
Alexandre Lima Godinho
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Diel Activity ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Daytime Activity ◽  
The Times ◽  
Migratory Movements

Jaú, Zungaro jahu (Ihering, 1898), a large migratory catfish endemic to the rio da Prata basin, has a fragile conservation status and its ecology is poorly known. We radio-tracked a female jaú with a total length of 1.5 m that was passed upstream of Funil Dam, rio Grande, to describe its migratory movements, habitat use, linear home range, and diel activity. To track the fish, we made five tracking trips in the period from April, 2003 to January, 2004. In addition to the main body of Funil Reservoir, the fish also used a reservoir-river transition zone located in a branch of Funil Reservoir that flooded part of rio das Mortes. Most of the times, we found the fish in the former beds of streams flooded by the reservoir, at depths that ranged from 8-9 m in the reservoir-river transition zone to 18-21 m in Funil Reservoir. Linear home range of the fish was 31.4 km. The onset of activity occurred early in the evening, but we also detected daytime activity. The conclusion from our study was that the passed adult female jaú used reservoir habitats, migrated between the main body and the reservoir-river transition zone, preferred deep habitats, showed a relatively short home range, and had diurnal and nocturnal activities.

scholarly journals The effects of a national highway on the Endangered golden-brown mouse lemur Microcebus ravelobensis in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm S. Ramsay ◽  
Andriamahery Razafindrakoto ◽  
Shawn M. Lehman
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Population Subdivision ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
North West ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Interior Forest ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dispersal Events

AbstractAlthough roads are often assumed to be barriers to the dispersal of arboreal species, there has been little empirical testing of this assumption. If arboreal animals are unable to cross roads, population subdivision may occur, or resources may become inaccessible. We tested the hypothesis that Route Nationale 4 (RN4), a paved highway, was a barrier to movement and dispersal of the Endangered golden-brown mouse lemur Microcebus ravelobensis in Ankarafantsika National Park, in north-west Madagascar. During June–August 2015 we conducted a capture–mark–recapture study at three sites: two adjacent to RN4 and one within intact forest without a potential barrier. During 2,294 trap nights we captured 120 golden-brown mouse lemurs 1,032 times. In roadside habitats we captured significantly more males than females, whereas the opposite was the case in interior forest habitat. We detected eighteen crossings of highway transects by nine individuals; however, all potential dispersal events involved males. In roadside habitat, movement was significantly inhibited in both males and females. We present some of the first data on the effects of roads on movement patterns in arboreal Malagasy mammals, showing species- and sex-biased effects of roads as dispersal barriers. Our findings indicate that roads may not be complete barriers to dispersal in lemurs. We recommend that conservation managers and scientists examine explicitly the effects of roads and natural arboreal bridges in Madagascar in future studies.

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