Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Evolution of the Reproductive System in Strepsirrhine Primates

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Reproduction is central to the existence of every organism, and reproductive biology has long been a central issue in primatology. Of particular interest is the study of reproduction in lemurs, a highly endangered primate radiation confined to the island of Madagascar, and lorises, their understudied African relatives. This study will analyze the many anatomical, behavioral, and physiological differences among lemurs and lorises and the social and ecological traits that influence these differences. The proposed research will address three major topics of great significance to understanding primate biology and evolution: (1) comparative anatomy of the reproductive system, (2) evolutionary changes in the reproductive system, and (3) rates of evolution. The anatomical, behavioral, and ecological characters generated in this study will be used to test functional and evolutionary hypotheses about the reproductive system that could not be tested with existing data. New anatomical descriptions and photographs will be published for 24 species and numerous subspecies of lemur and loris, constituting a major advance in our knowledge of their anatomy. The proposed research has far-reaching impact on many fronts. It involves international, collaborative research between scientists from America and Madagascar that will result in the training of American graduate students and undergraduate students (including females and minorities) as well as students in Madagascar. The results of this study of the evolution of primate reproduction will be of major importance both for the conservation of endangered species in the wild as well as the maintenance of captive colonies involved in a wide range of both basic and biomedical research. The results of this study will be incorporated immediately into educational programs both in the USA and in Madagascar as well as the extensive outreach programs at Duke University Primate Center. Because this research involves attractive and endangered species, the results of this work are likely to be of considerable public interest and will reach a broad public audience.