Dissertation Research: Species Boundaries and Conservation Units in the Family Lemuridae

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The researchers will use diagnostic molecular techniques to investigate species boundaries, hybrid zones, and conservation units in three endangered species from the family Lemuridae, Eulemur fulvus (brown lemur),Eulemur macaco (black lemur), and Varecia variegata variegata (black and white ruffed lemur). Diagnosis is an objective methodology which allows for the straightforward assessment of fixed differences between populations. In order for diagnosis to be achieved, fixed and different attributes must be found between populations. These attributes will be used to characterize populations as distinct from one another which can help in the researchers' exploration of evolutionary processes that impact species boundaries, hybrid zones, and conservation units. In this study, the researchers will use rapidly evolving DNA as their source for diagnostic characters.Diagnosis will be used to assess the impact hybrid zones have on two species in the genus Eulemur. Purported hybrids between E. f. fulvus and E. m. macaco in the northwest of Madagascar and between E. f. albocollaris(white-collared lemur) and E. f. rufus (red-fronted lemur) in the southeast of the island will be examined using the maternal mitochondrial (d-loop, cytochrome - b and 12S) and maternal and paternal nuclear markers.Diagnostic mitochondrial DNA (d-loop) will also be used to determine conservation units in Varecia variegata variegata , to determine which wild caught individuals should be introduced into the captive population, and to determine the most genetically appropriate animals for introduction into asmall wild Varecia variegata variegata population.