Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Parasite Ecology and Behavioral Socioecology Among Two Primate Species

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An important theme in many primatological studies is the role that natural selection plays upon the shaping of behavioral patterns. However, theoretical approaches to primate life history and behavioral ecology have vastly overlooked the influences of parasites on primates. To illustrate the magnitude of this under representation, there are more parasitic organisms than nonparasitic organisms. Parasite distributions are ubiquitous, inhabiting almost every environment available. Thus, parasites are representative of a very liberal spectrum of biodiversity. Parasites infect essentially all multi-cellular species, and considering their wide distribution and importance in shaping ecosystems, parasites are disproportionately understudied and not well understood. Many researchers make reference to the importance parasites have played in shaping primate evolutionary histories. However, parasites are usually not a primary topic of most primatological studies and are given only a brief mention.The major objective of this study is to understand the interplay between two species of primate hosts, ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), and the parasites they harbor in a natural setting at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. Under the auspices of this broad task are four specific goals. The first goal is to examine how each species' socioecology affects parasite type and prevalence, including seasonal fluctuations of parasites among each primate species. The second goal is to examine the behaviors that ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifaka utilize to potentially eliminate, avoid, or reduce parasite infections. The third goal is to determine how social rank and sex affects individual parasite prevalence for both species. Finally, this project seeks to understand how an anthropogenically-altered habitat affects all of these patterns. These goals will be achieved by utilizing ethological and parasitological methodologies. The broader impacts of this study can benefit the local Mahafaly people, and the ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifaka that live in and around the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve. Sympatric associations are becoming exceedingly prevalent as human populations grow and encroach on nonhuman primate habitats. Understanding the interactions between humans and their nonhuman primate counterparts are interesting from behavioral, epidemiological, evolutionary, ecological, and anthropological perspective. As the intimacy between humans and nonhuman primates increase, so does the likelihood of zoonotic transmissions, which can have devastating effects for humans and nonhuman primate alike. The intensity of such a scenario increases if this arena includes endangered species. The results of the proposed study will be helpful to the local Mahafaly people and our Malagasy collaborators. Local Mahafaly guides will be incorporated into this study, as their knowledge and expertise regarding the local ecology and landscape of this region is fundamental to the project's success. From an academic perspective, the researchers are committed to working with Malagasy collaborators on conservation initiatives and future publications. Investing in source-country scholars is extremely important for their future academic endeavors and the future of sustaining endemic animal and plant populations.