Contact zones and species sympatry in dwarf lemurs (genus <i>Cheirogaleus</i>): the roles of ecological adaptation and sexual selection

Herrera, James P.; Tongasoa, Lydia; Wright, Patricia C.

doi:10.1017/cbo9781139871822.006

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…While great strides have been made in understanding their taxonomy, distribution and behavioural ecology, there is still a pressing need for studies that augment and clarify these existing data [Schwitzer et al, 2013]. Of particular interest are the dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleidae: Cheirogaleus ), a group of small-bodied, nocturnal primates that are widespread throughout Madagascar [Hapke et al, 2005;Herrera et al, 2016]. With the exception of the mouse lemurs, Microcebus [Schmid, 1998;Atsalis, 2000], Cheirogaleus are the only known primates to undergo extended periods of seasonal hibernation; this makes them very difficult to study during the periods they spend hidden within sleeping sites living off fat reserves stored in their tails [Wright and Martin, 1995;Schülke and Ostner, 2007;Mittermeier et al, 2010].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the exception of the mouse lemurs, Microcebus [Schmid, 1998;Atsalis, 2000], Cheirogaleus are the only known primates to undergo extended periods of seasonal hibernation; this makes them very difficult to study during the periods they spend hidden within sleeping sites living off fat reserves stored in their tails [Wright and Martin, 1995;Schülke and Ostner, 2007;Mittermeier et al, 2010]. Unlike other nocturnal lemurs, whose geographic ranges are constrained between river systems (interriver system vicariance [Olivieri et al, 2007;Rakotondranary et al, 2011]), many Cheirogaleus species have large distributions spread throughout most of Madagascar [Mittermeier et al, 2010;Lei et al, 2014;Herrera et al, 2016]. This wide range includes several zones of Cheirogaleus sympatry that make it difficult for biogeographers and conservationists to map speciesspecific ranges and population distributions [Lahann, 2008;Lei et al, 2014].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Range Extension and Behavioural Observations of the Recently Described Sheth's Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus shethi)

Hending¹,

Andrianiaina²,

Rakotomalala³

et al. 2017

IJFP

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Sheth's dwarf lemur, Cheirogaleus shethi, is a small, recently discovered nocturnal primate endemic to northern Madagascar. Unlike many other nocturnal lemurs, C. shethi lives sympatrically with morphologically similar species of its cryptic genus, making it difficult for biologists to determine its population density and distribution. Here, we present new data and observations of this species. During a series of rapid biodiversity assessments in the SAVA region of north-eastern Madagascar, we observed C. shethi in 10 different sites, 9 of which were not previously known to harbour C. shethi populations. More significantly, 2 of these sites, in Analamanara, were situated approximately 20 km south of the previously known southern extremity of this species' distribution. This represents a large increase in the previously limited geographic range of this species. Moreover, our relatively high encounter rates at these sites suggest that C. shethi population densities may be high. We also observed C. shethi in human-altered (e.g., vanilla plantations) and non-forest, savannah environments, suggesting that this species can tolerate disturbed habitats. Our findings therefore provide important additional information on the distribution of C. shethi populations and highlight the necessity of further study for the conservation of this species.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Range Extension and Behavioural Observations of the Recently Described Sheth's Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus shethi)

Hending¹,

Andrianiaina²,

Rakotomalala³

et al. 2017

IJFP

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“…Note that for the lemur genus Cheirogaleus in the southeast, all occurrence records for the genus were pooled. Most records report Cheirogaleus major in this region, although it was recently shown that three different species C. crossleyi , C. sibreei, and C. major occur in the region with uncertain range overlap (Groeneveld et al., ; Herrera, Tongasoa, & Wright, ). Similarly, all records of Microcebus in the northeast were pooled because the taxonomy of this group in the region was only recently revised to include M. mittermeieri and M. macarthuri with uncertain range limits (Louis et al., ; Mittermeier et al., ; Radespiel et al., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the population size of lemurs based on their mutualistic food trees

Herrera

Borgerson

Tongasoa

et al. 2018

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Species’ distributions and abundances are primarily determined by the suitability of environmental conditions, including climate and interactions with sympatric species, but also increasingly by human activities. Modelling tools can help in assessing the extinction risk of affected species. By combining species distribution modelling of abiotic and biotic niches with population size modelling, we estimated the abundance of 19 lemur taxa in three regions, especially focusing on 10 species that are considered Endangered or Critically Endangered. Location Madagascar. Taxa Lemurs (Primates) and angiosperm trees. Methods We used climate data, field samples, and published occurrence data on trees to construct species distribution models (SDM) for lemur food tree species. We then inferred the SDMs for lemurs based on the probability of occurrence of their food trees as well as climate. Finally, we used tree SDMs, topography, distance to the forest edge, and field estimates of lemur population density to predict lemur abundance in general linear models. Results The SDMs of lemur food trees were stronger predictors of the occurrence of lemurs than climate. The predicted probability of presence of food trees, slope, elevation, and distance from the forest edge were significant correlates of lemur density. We found that sixteen species had minimum estimated abundances greater than 10,000 individuals over >1,000km2. Three lemur species are especially threatened, with less than 2,500 individuals predicted for Cheirogaleus sibreei, and heavy hunting pressure for the relatively small populations of Indri indri and Hapalemur occidentalis. Main conclusions Biotic interactors were important variables in SDMs for lemurs, allowing refined estimates of ranges and abundances. This paper provides an analytical workflow that can be applied to other taxonomic groups to substantiate estimates of species’ vulnerability to extinction.

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Conservation Biogeography of the Dwarf Lemurs (Cheirogaleus) of Madagascar, Investigated via Ecological Niche Modelling

Hending

McCabe²,

Cotton³

et al. 2023

Int J Primatol

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Ecological niches are the environmental conditions under which an organism can maintain viable populations. A detailed understanding of an organisms’ ecological niche can provide information on its taxonomy and biogeography, and ecological niche modelling allows researchers to investigate how closely-related species are able to coexist. Ecological niche models also enable conservationists to determine species’ habitat requirements, map distributions, and assess threats. We used this approach to investigate the conservation biogeography of the dwarf lemurs (genus Cheirogaleus), a group of cryptic, nocturnal primates endemic to Madagascar. Using climatic and vegetation-related variables, we constructed ecological niche models for three species to investigate niche overlap among taxa. We also constructed maps of the availability of forest habitat, and we assessed anthropogenic risk and protection. Our ecological niche models and background tests indicated that each of the three analysed Cheirogaleus species occupies distinct environmental space. The area of suitable habitat (realized niche) varied interspecifically (28,889–41,934 km2). This also was mirrored by variation in the percentage of each species’ realized niche within protected areas (20,065–25,266 km2) and near anthropogenic features (5,744–16,999 km2). Our results support the 2020 taxonomy of the dwarf lemurs recognised by the IUCN Red List and provides information on their biogeography. Furthermore, our ecological niche models have highlighted that the habitat of some dwarf lemur species, such as C. crossleyi, are more threatened than other species, such as C. medius and C. major, and these species require urgent conservation attention.

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Contact zones and species sympatry in dwarf lemurs (genus Cheirogaleus): the roles of ecological adaptation and sexual selection

Cited by 3 publications

References 61 publications

Range Extension and Behavioural Observations of the Recently Described Sheth's Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus shethi)

Range Extension and Behavioural Observations of the Recently Described Sheth's Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus shethi)

Estimating the population size of lemurs based on their mutualistic food trees

Conservation Biogeography of the Dwarf Lemurs (Cheirogaleus) of Madagascar, Investigated via Ecological Niche Modelling

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