Lemur traits and Madagascar ecology
Coping with an island environment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8312209 |
|---|---|
| Authors | P C Wright (0000-0002-9443-383X, Stony Brook University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1999 |
| Volume | 110 |
| Issue | S29 |
| Pages | 31-72 |
| Publication date | 1999-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(1999)110:29+<31::aid-ajpa3>3.0.co;2-0 |
| PMID | 10601983 |
| OpenAlex | W1979305072 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 164 |
| References cited | 323 |
The last decade's lemur research includes successes in discovering new living and extinct species and learning about the distribution, biogeography, physiology, behavior, and ecology of previously little-studied species. In addition, in both the dry forest and rain forest, long-term studies of lemur demography, life history, and reproduction, have been completed in conjunction with data on tree productivity, phenology, and climate. Lemurs contrast with anthropoids in several behavioral features, including female dominance, targeted female-female aggression, lack of sexual dimorphism regardless of mating system, sperm competition coupled with male-male aggression, high infant mortality, cathemerality, and strict seasonal breeding. Hypotheses to explain these traits include the "energy conservation hypothesis" (ECH) suggesting that harsh and unpredictable climate factors on the island of Madagascar have affected the evolution of female dominance, and the "evolutionary disequilibrium hypotheses" (EVDH) suggesting that the recent megafauna extinctions have influenced lemurs to become diurnal. These hypotheses are compared and contrasted in light of recent empirical data on climate, subfossils, and lemur behavior. New data on life histories of the rain forest lemurs at Ranomafana National Park give further support to the ECH. Birth seasons are synchronized within each species, but there is a 6-month distribution of births among species. Gestation and lactation lengths vary among sympatric lemurs, but all lemur species in the rain forest wean in synchrony at the season most likely to have abundant resources. Across-species weaning synchrony seen in Ranomafana corroborates data from the dry forest that late lactation and weaning is the life history event that is the primary focus of the annual schedule. Lemur adaptations may assure maximum offspring survival in this environment with an unpredictable food supply and heavy predation. In conclusion, a more comprehensive energy frugality hypothesis (EFH) is proposed, which postulates that the majority of lemur traits are either adaptations to conserve energy (e.g., low basal metabolic rate (BMR), torpor, sperm competition, small group size, seasonal breeding) or to maximize use of scarce resources (e.g., cathemerality, territoriality, female dominance, fibrous diet, weaning synchrony). Among primates, the isolated adaptive radiation of lemurs on Madagascar may have been uniquely characterized by selection toward efficiency to cope with the harsh and unpredictable island environment.
Biology · Lemur · Primate · Animal Behavior and Reproduction · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Ecology · Primate Behavior and Ecology
Ecomorphology and Behavior of Giant Extinct Lemurs from Madagascar
Dental Ontogeny and Life-History Strategies
Comparing the use of live trees and deadwood for larval foraging by aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) at Kianjavato and Torotorofotsy, Madagascar
Diurnal resting in brown lemurs in a dry deciduous forest, northwestern Madagascar
Cathemerality in wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) in the spiny forest of Tsimanampetsotsa National Park
Body mass of wild ring-tailed lemurs in Berenty Reserve, Madagascar, with reference to tick infestation
Dietary modification by common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) during seasonal drought conditions in western Madagascar
Are lemurs’ low basal metabolic rates an adaptation to Madagascar’s unpredictable climate?
Relationships between steroid hormones in hair and social behaviour in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)
Infanticide and partial cannibalism in free-ranging Coquerel’s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)
Unusual sleeping site selection by southern bamboo lemurs
Are rainforest owl monkeys cathemeral? Diurnal activity of black-headed owl monkeys, Aotus nigriceps, at Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru
Daytime deliveries observed for the ring-tailed lemurs of the berenty reserve, Madagascar
Within-species differences in primate social structure
Female feeding priority in bonobos, Pan paniscus , and the question of female dominance
Urinary C‐peptide and total triiodothyronine as energetic biomarkers for studies of lemurs
Female dominance in captive gray mouse lemurs ( Microcebus murinus )
Frugivory in four sympatric lemurs
The effect of extreme weather events on hair cortisol and body weight in a wild ring‐tailed lemur population ( Lemur catta ) in southwestern Madagascar
Spatiotemporal distribution of individuals as an indicator for the social system of Lepilemur sahamalaza
Activity patterns in seven captive lemur species
Anogenital gland secretions of Lemur catta and Propithecus verreauxi coquereli
Lemur responses to edge effects in the Vohibola III classified forest, Madagascar
Habitat and ecological niche characteristics of the elusive Hairy‐eared Dwarf Lemur ( Allocebus trichotis ) with updated occurrence and geographic range data
Exploratory analysis reveals arthropod consumption in 10 lemur species using DNA metabarcoding
Unpredictable environments, opportunistic responses
Nutrient balancing in a fruit‐specialist primate, the black‐and‐white ruffed lemur ( Varecia variegata )
Morphometrics and pattern of growth in wild sifakas ( Propithecus edwardsi ) at ranomafana national park, madagascar
Health Correlates of Extended Longevity in Captive Ring‐Tailed Lemurs ( Lemur catta )
Volatile components of lemur scent secretions vary throughout the year
Quantifying the severity of hurricanes on extinction probabilities of a primate population
Leaf chemistry as a predictor of primate biomass and the mediating role of food selection
Life history traits and parental care in Lepilemur ruficaudatus
Dietary flexibility of the greater bamboo lemur ( Prolemur simus ), a specialized feeder, in eastern Madagascar
Consistency in Verreaux's sifaka home range and core area size despite seasonal variation in resource availability as assessed by Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Environmental and Temporal Effects on Vocal Activity in a Nocturnal Primate
Effects of forest structure and composition on food availability for Varecia variegata at Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Why “monogamy” isn't good enough
Patterns of female dominance in Propithecus diadema edwardsi of Ranomafana national park, Madagascar
Sex differences in scent marking in Propithecus edwardsi of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Synchronization of weaning time with peak fruit availability in squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri collinsi ) living in Amazonian Brazil
Infant transport and mother–infant contact from 1 to 26 weeks postnatal in Coquerel's sifaka ( Propithecus coquereli ) in northwestern Madagascar
Lactating Coquerel's sifaka ( Propithecus coquereli ) exhibit reduced stress responses in comparison to males and nonlactating females
Sex and seasonal differences in diet and nutrient intake in Verreaux's sifakas ( Propithecus verreauxi )
Survey and comparison of major intestinal flora in captive and wild ring‐tailed lemur ( Lemur catta ) populations
Social system of the Alaotran gentle lemur ( Hapalemur griseus alaotrensis )
Activity budgets and activity rhythms in red ruffed lemurs ( Varecia rubra ) on the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar
Trends in forest fragment research in Madagascar
Habitat use by the island lemurs of Nosy Be, Madagascar
Resource seasonality and reproduction predict fission–fusion dynamics in black‐and‐white ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata )
Nutritional correlates of the “lean season”
Niche separation in Varecia variegata rubra and Eulemur fulvus albifrons
Population demography and social structure changes in Eulemur fulvus rufus from 1988 to 2003
Testing Bergmann's rule and the resource seasonality hypothesis in Malagasy primates using GIS‐based climate data
Loud calling, spacing, and cohesiveness in a nocturnal primate, the Milne Edwards' sportive lemur ( Lepilemur edwardsi )
Diet and nutrition in wild mongoose lemurs ( Eulemur mongoz ) and their implications for the evolution of female dominance and small group size in lemurs
Intraspecific variation in hair δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) with known individual histories, behavior, and feeding ecology
Demography, life history, and social structure in Propithecus diadema edwardsi from 1986–2000 in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Energy management in crowned sifakas ( Propithecus coronatus ) and the timing of reproduction in a seasonal environment
Ecogeographic size variation in small‐bodied subfossil primates from Ankilitelo, Southwestern Madagascar
Timely estrus in wild brown mouse lemur females at Ranomafana national park, southeastern Madagascar
Even adult sex ratios in lemurs
Feeding behavior and nutrient intake in spiny forest‐dwelling ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) during early gestation and early to mid‐lactation periods
Demographic and life‐history patterns in a population of ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) at Beza Mahafaly Reserve, Madagascar
Ontogenetic correlates of diet in Malagasy lemurs
Growth and the development of sexual size dimorphism in lorises and galagos
Life history space”
Seasonal variability in the diet and feeding ecology of black‐and‐white ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata ) in Ranomafana National Park, southeastern Madagascar
Evaluating ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) from southwestern Madagascar for a genetic population bottleneck
Circadian rhythms in diet and habitat use in red ruffed lemurs ( Varecia rubra ) and white‐fronted brown lemurs ( Eulemur fulvus albifrons )
Dental topography indicates ecological contraction of lemur communities
Females are the ecological sex
Behavioral thermoregulation in a gregarious lemur, Eulemur collaris
Ecogeographic size variations in sifakas
Lemur habitat and dental senescence in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Multimodal signaling in wild Lemur catta
Mutual mate choice in a female‐dominant and sexually monomorphic primate
(Un‐)expected nocturnal activity in “Diurnal” Lemur catta supports cathemerality as one of the key adaptations of the lemurid radiation
Edge effects and their influence on lemur density and distribution in Southeast Madagascar
Gait‐specific metabolic costs and preferred speeds in ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta) , with implications for the scaling of locomotor costs
Evolutionary disequilibrium and activity period in primates
Stable isotope analyses reveal dense trophic species packing and clear niche differentiation in a malagasy primate community
Big times for dwarfs
Perception of Interannual Covariation and Strategies for Risk Reduction among Mikea of Madagascar
Beyond Mean and Variance
Feeding behavior of lactating brown lemur females (Eulemur fulvus) in Mayotte
Demography, range use, and behavior in black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) at Ampasikely, northwest Madagascar
Food availability and male deference in the female‐dominant ring‐tailed lemur, Lemur catta
Patterns of male scent-marking inPropithecus edwardsi of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Lemur Distribution in Relation to Treefall Canopy Gaps in Masoala National Park, Northeast Madagascar
Seasonality, body condition, and timing of reproduction inPropithecus verreauxi verreauxi in the Kirindy Forest
Chemical Properties of the Diets of Two Lemur Species in Southwestern Madagascar
Spatial Ecology of the Endangered Milne-Edwards’ Sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi)
The Effects of Climate Seasonality on Behavior and Sleeping Site Choice in Sahamalaza Sportive Lemurs, Lepilemur sahamalaza
Rates of Agonism by Diurnal Lemuroids
Photorefractoriness and Recovery of Photosensitivity in a Seasonal Nonhuman Primate (Microcebus murinus)
Berenty 2006
Reproductive Schedules of Female Microcebus rufus at Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Gray-brown Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus griseorufus) as an Example of Distributional Constraints through Increasing Desertification
Dietary Flexibility and Feeding Strategies of Eulemur
Baboon mothers and infants
Size, Sexual Dimorphism, and Polygyny in Primates
Sexual Behavior of Pan paniscus under Natural Conditions in the Lomako Forest, Equateur, Zaire
AMS 14 C Dates for Extinct Lemurs from Caves in the Ankarana Massif, Northern Madagascar
Study of the variability of erythrocyte enzymes in captive and wild populations of the black lemur (Eulemur macaco macaco). An indispensable preliminary in captive breeding programmes
Divergent Systems of Agonistic Behaviour in Lemurid Primates
Monogamy in Mammals
Resource Competition in Wild Populations of Ringtailed Lemurs (Lemur Catta)
Predicting group size in primates
Primate ecology and social organization
The Evolution of Behaviors Regulating Density and Age-Specific Sex Ratios in a Primate Population
The Socioecology of Primate Groups
The Evolution of Monogamy in Large Primates
Why Are Diurnal Primates Living in Groups?
Dispersal, pair formation and social structure in gibbons ( Hylobates lar )
Sexual dimorphism, socionomic sex ratio and body weight in primates
On the mating system of the cooperatively breeding saddle-backed tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis)
Food partitioning among Malagasy primates
Testis weight, body weight and breeding system in primates
Social behavior of the pygmy chimpanzees
An Ecological Model of Female-Bonded Primate Groups
Ecology, Sexual Selection, and the Evolution of Mating Systems
The Relation between Ecology a Social Structure in Primates
Costs of maternal care
Sexual Dimorphism, the Operational Sex Ratio, and the Intensity of Male Competition in Polygynous Primates
Growth, weaning and maternal investment from a comparative perspective
The evolution of female social relationships in nonhuman primates
A Review of Predation on Lemurs
Ecological constraints on group size
Contest and scramble competition
Low‐Level Forest Disturbance Effects on Primary Production, Leaf Chemistry, and Lemur Populations
Sexual dimorphism in primate teeth
The Social Systems of Gregarious Lemurs
Female mate choice, male migration, and the threat of infanticide in ringtailed lemurs
The Evolution of human behavior
The Woman That Never Evolved
Group encounters and territoriality in wild Alaotran gentle lemurs (Hapalemur griseus alaotrensis)
Meiotic study of hybrids in the genusEulemur and taxonomic considerations
Saddle-back tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis) reproductive strategies
Ecological correlates to activity and habitat use of two prosimian primates
Special relationships instead of female dominance for redfronted lemurs,Eulemur fulvus rufus
Resting metabolic rates ofLepilemur ruficaudatus
Behavioral and endocrine characteristics of the reproductive cycle in wild muriqui monkeys,Brachyteles arachnoides
Seasonal variation in activity and diet in a small‐bodied folivorous primate, Hapalemur griseus, in southeastern Madagascar
Seed handling by three prosimian primates in southeastern Madagascar
Milk composition reflects pattern of material care in prosimian primates
Metrical comparisons of three species of mouse lemur
Aggressive competition between males, female-controlled polygyny and sexual monomorphism in a Malagasy primate, Propithecus verreauxi
Parental Investment and Sexual Selection
Evolutionary Ecology and Human Behavior
Infanticide among animals
Ecological Aspects of Social Evolution
Primate Social Systems
Red howler monkey birth data II
Dispersal by Propithecus verreauxi at Beza Mahafaly, Madagascar
Parental behavior and infant development in ruffed lemurs ( Varecia variegata ) in a northeast Madagascar rain forest
Female social dominance and basal metabolism in a malagasy primate, Propithecus verreauxi
Eight‐year study of social and ecological correlates of mortality among immature baboons of Mikumi National Park, Tanzania
Cytogenetic study of Allocebus trichotis , a Malagasy prosimian
Preliminary report on the activity cycle and diet of the red‐bellied Lemur ( Lemur rubriventer ) in Madagascar
Photopigments underlying color vision in ringtail lemurs ( Lemur catta ) and brown lemurs ( Eulemur fulvus )
Ecogeographic size variation among the living and subfossil prosimians of Madagascar
Infanticide among ringtailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar
Red howler monkey birth data I
Differential patterns in flower feeding by Eulemur fulvus rufus and Eulemur rubriventer in Madagascar
Social relations in semi‐free‐ranging sifakas ( Propithecus verreauxi coquereli ) and the question of female dominance
Consumption of cyanogenic bamboo by a newly discovered species of bamboo lemur
Interbirth interval variation in three sympatric species of neotropical monkey
Infanticide and the evolution of pair bonds in nonhuman primates
Primate ecology, rainforest conservation, and economic development
Infanticide
Satellite imagery, human ecology, anthropology, and deforestation in Madagascar
Ecological correlates to social structure in two lemur species in Madagascar
The meanings of weaning
Quarternary extinctions
Infant Killing in Primates
Ruth Behar's Biography in the Shadow
A preliminary study of kinship and social organization in a semi-free-ranging group ofLemur catta
Why Be Vigilant? The Case of the Alpha Animal
Troop fission in femaleLemur catta at berenty reserve, Madagascar
Diet of the Brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus rufus) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
A new interpretation of the social organization and mating system of the Callitrichidae
Seasonally and site specificity of mechanical dietary patterns in two malagasy lemur families (Lemuridae and Indriidae)
The influence of birth timing upon infant growth and survival in Captive Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatto)
A comparative study of breeding seasonality and litter size in eleven taxa of captive lemurs (Lemur andVarecia)
Maternal responses to dead and dying infants in wild troops of ring-tailed lemurs at the Berenty Reserve, Madagascar
Life history patterns of new world monkeys
Effects of Fruit Patch Availability on Feeding Subgroup Size and Spacing Patterns in Four Primate Species at Tinigua National Park, Colombia
Patterns of paternal care in primates
Does female social precedence characterize captive aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
Similarities, differences, and seasonal patterns in the diets ofEulemur rubriventer andEulemur fulvus rufus in the Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Demography of agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis)
Natural Disasters and Primate Populations
Male life history and intergroup mobility among ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta)
Antipredator behavior in troops of free-rangingLemur catta at Beza Mahafaly special reserve, Madagascar
Social Relationships Among Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) in Two Free-Ranging Troops at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar
Demography and life history of free-rangingPropithecus diadema edwardsi in ranomafana national park, madagascar
Percussive Foraging
Social boundaries in a Malagasy Prosimian, the Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi)
The enigma of antipredator behavior in lemurs
| Unique citing works | 164 |
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| Citations per year | 6,31 |
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