Support of a Tarsier Colony at Duke University Primate Center

眼镜猴是一种仅在东南亚发现的稀有濒危灵长类动物。现存的三个物种都是树栖动物，它们隐秘的夜间习性使它们的生物学在很大程度上不为人所知。眼镜猴引起人们极大兴趣的另一个原因是，它们与其他灵长类动物的关系尚未得到解决。杜克大学灵长类动物中心维持着两种眼镜猴的殖民地。这是为了学术分析而在美国聚集的第一批大型眼镜猴殖民地。该中心在确定动物的最佳环境条件方面迈出了重要的一步，目前有一个健康的群体，有几只怀孕的雌性。近年来，神经解剖学、DNA杂交、DNA测序和生物化学等方面的重大技术进步为解决眼镜猴的关系和生物学问题提供了新的途径。杜克灵长类动物研究中心处于灵长类动物学研究的前沿，聚集了广泛的科学人才，研究眼镜猴行为、解剖学、生殖、生物化学和生理学等问题。所有的活动都是通过对活着的、流产的、死产的或自然死亡的对象进行良性的、非侵入性的研究来完成的。这项计划为香港殖民地提供为期两年的部分资助。

Tarsiers are a small family of rare and endangered primates found only in Southeast Asia. The three extant species are all arboreal, and their secretive, nocturnal habits make their biology largely unknown. Tarsiers are also of great interest because their relationships to other primates are unresolved. The Duke University Primate Center maintains colonies of two tarsier species. These are the first large tarsier colonies assembled in the U.S. for purposes of scholarly analysis. The Center has made important steps in determining optimal environmental conditions for the animals and currently has a healthy colony with several pregmant females. Recent major technological advances in neuroanatomy, DNA hybridization, DNA sequencing and biochemistry provide new approaches to help resolve the question of the relationships and biology of tarsiers. The Duke Primate Center is at the leading edge of research in primatology and has assembled a broad spectrum of scientific talent to study questions of tarsier behavior, anatomy, reproduction, biochemistry and physiology. All activities are accomplished through benign, non-invasive study of the living subjects, or of those that were miscarried,stillborn, or have died of natural causes. This project provides funds for partial support of the colony for two years.