Doctoral Dissertation Research: Habitat Quality and Stress: Fecal Cortisol Levels in Three Species of Malagasy Lemurs (Varecia variegata, Eulemur Fulvus rufus & Eulemur rubrive

长期暴露于环境和社会压力会抑制脊椎动物的生殖和免疫功能。 灵长类动物一生的繁殖成功率受到这些压力因素的影响，减少更严重的比其他哺乳动物由于繁殖和后代的发展速度缓慢。 特别是狐猴可能对生态压力最敏感，因为马达加斯加的环境非常恶劣和不可预测。 狐猴特有的几个特征（例如，与其他灵长类动物相比，雌性优势，灵活的活动模式，小群体规模）被假设为适应生态压力，并在压力环境中保存能量和最大限度地利用资源。 然而，很少进行实地研究来验证这一假设。人们对自然栖息地的应激反应知之甚少。 皮质醇是一种在应激反应中释放的激素，测量皮质醇可以定量评估野生动物的应激源，并且不需要动物处理。 每年的激素配置文件将被构建，以确定生态和生殖相关的皮质醇排泄。以红腹狐猴（Eulemur rubriventer）为模型，皮质醇作为压力的指标，本研究将探讨如何在Ranomafana国家公园，马达加斯加的食物丰富，繁殖和栖息地质量相互作用。 将探讨以下问题：（1）食物丰富度的波动是否反映在皮质醇水平上？(2)不同的生殖阶段是否反映在皮质醇水平上？(3)婴儿断奶与特定的生态事件同步是否抵消了这一活动的成本？(4)栖息地干扰是否会影响对食物丰富和繁殖的应激反应的持续时间和幅度？除了与理解狐猴进化的相关性外，该项目还将使未来与其他狐猴物种的研究进行比较，这将有助于确定更容易受到压力的物种。 构建马达加斯加灵长类动物的激素谱也将为与不受马达加斯加独特环境影响的其他地区的灵长类动物进行比较提供基础。 这项研究将继续为马达加斯加和非马达加斯加大学生提供实地工作和数据收集方面的实践经验。 马达加斯加学生还将获得学术和财政支持，以完成硕士学位。 公开讲座将促进与当地人民的互动，并将与塔那那利佛大学的教师进行合作。 最终报告将提交给公园管理机构，以促进马达加斯加的保护工作，并促进与该地区其他研究人员的科学合作。

Exposure to prolonged environmental and social pressures can inhibit reproduction and immune function in vertebrates. The lifetime reproductive success of primates impacted by these stressors is reduced more severely than in other mammals due to the slow rate of reproduction and development of offspring. Lemurs in particular may be most sensitive to ecological stress, as Madagascar's environment is notably harsh and unpredictable. Several traits unique to lemurs (e.g., female dominance, flexible activity patterns, small group sizes), when compared with other primates, are hypothesized to be adaptations to ecological stress, and conserve energy and maximize resources in a stressful environment. However, scant field research has been conducted to test this hypothesis. Very little is known about the stress response in natural habitats. Measures of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress, can quantitatively assess stressors in wild animals, and do not require animal handling. Annual hormonal profiles will be constructed to identify ecological and reproductive correlates to cortisol excretion. Using the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) as a model, and cortisol as an indicator of stress, this study will investigate how food abundance, reproduction, and habitat quality interact in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. The following will be explored: (1) Are fluctuations in food abundance reflected in cortisol levels? (2) Are different reproductive stages reflected in cortisol levels? (3) Does synchronizing infant weaning with particular ecological events offset the costs of this activity? (4) Does habitat disturbance affect the duration and magnitude of the stress response to food abundance and reproduction?In addition to its relevance to understanding lemur evolution, this project will enable future comparisons with studies on other lemur species, which will help identify species more vulnerable to stress. Constructing hormonal profiles of Malagasy primates will also provide a basis for comparisons with primates from other regions which are not subject to Madagascar's unique environment. This study will continue to provide hands-on experience in fieldwork and data collection for Malagasy and non-Malagasy university students. Malagasy students will also receive academic and financial support for the completion of Master's degrees. Public lectures will facilitate interaction with local people, and collaboration will occur with faculty from the University of Antananarivo. Final reports will be filed with park agencies to contribute to conservation efforts in Madagascar and promote scientific collaboration with other researchers in the area.