Dissertation Research: A Genetic Characterization of the White Sifaka (Propithecus Verreauxi Verreauxi, Strepsirhini, Primates)

研究人员将使用一种遗传标记（称为微卫星位点），使他们能够区分个体标记的自由放养狐猴（白色狐猴）种群中的亲子关系和亲属关系。通过建立个体繁殖成功与社会人口因素（如群体规模、年龄、社会地位）之间的因果关系，研究人员希望为理解这些动物如何寻求最大化的成功提供一个框架。进化在很大程度上是通过种群内的差异生存和繁殖来进行的。 长期以来，对这些参数的估计仍然难以捉摸。 微卫星标记的发现和使用为评估野生种群中的这些参数提供了一种有效和非侵入性的方法。 采用微卫星标记的研究可以提供一个更强大的描述，其中环境，社会和人口因素影响个体的生存能力和繁殖力。 这样的知识可以用来诊断和管理动物种群的增长（具有实质性的保护意义），以及帮助完善生物学原则的行为适应。

Riley9902146The investigators will use a type of genetic marker (called microsatellite loci) that will enable them to distinguish parentage and kin relationships within an individually marked population of free-ranging lemurs, the White Sifaka. By establishing a causal relationship between individual reproductive success and socio-demographic factors (e.g. group size, age, social position), the researchers hope to provide a framework for understanding how these animals seek to maximize that success.Evolution largely proceeds by differential survival and reproduction within a population. For too long, estimates of these parameters have remained elusive. The discovery and use of microsatellite markers provides an efficient and non-invasive way to assess these parameters in wild populations. Studies employing microsatellite markers can provide a more robust depiction of which environmental, social, and demographic factors impinge on individual viability and fecundity. Such knowledge may then be used to both diagnose and manage animal population growth (with substantial conservation implications) as well as aid in the refinement of biological principles governing behavioral adaptation.