Predator Recognition in Wild and Captive-Born Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus)

据推测，捕食对灵长类动物的行为和感觉系统的进化产生了重大影响。然而，很少有实验研究调查野生灵长类动物如何应对捕食者，并且对野生夜行灵长类动物的捕食者-猎物相互作用知之甚少。鼠狐猴（Microcebus）是马达加斯加特有的小型夜行和独居灵长类动物，容易被大量捕食。这项拟议中的研究将检验野生鼠狐猴使用哪些感官模式（视觉、听觉和嗅觉）来识别捕食者，以及捕食者提供的感官信息是否会引起行为改变。在马达加斯加Ranomafana国家公园，研究人员将在野外和更严格的实验室条件下，向野生褐鼠狐猴（M. rufus）展示三种捕食者类型（哺乳动物、鸟类和蛇）的模型、气味和叫声，以确定哪一种会引起恐惧或回避反应。每天晚上用活陷阱捕捉狐猴，并在当晚晚些时候再次释放。首先，29种不同的捕食者和控制线索将在一个实验箱中呈现给至少20只已知的野生狐猴。每只狐猴每晚接受一次4分钟的试验，每条线索只会出现一次，然而，频繁地重新捕捉同一只狐猴将确保在这项研究中，许多狐猴将会看到大多数线索。记录11种恐惧和非恐惧行为的发生。同样的线索将在更自然的条件下与森林中的陷阱一起呈现，以检查鼠狐猴是否会避开带有捕食者模型或气味的陷阱。将进一步向圈养出生的个体提供线索，以调查识别机制是否从出生就存在或可能需要学习。这将是第一个将相对较大的野生灵长类动物样本置于三种捕食者类型和三种感官模式下的研究。认知、感觉和识别过程在灵长类动物和一般动物中知之甚少。此外，鼠狐猴可能是5000多万年前灵长类祖先的近亲，这一发现可能为了解捕食如何影响早期灵长类动物的进化提供洞见。马达加斯加是世界上最贫穷的国家之一。它的特点是其动植物的高度地方性，持续的刀耕火种农业已经摧毁了80%的森林覆盖。这项研究的发现将有助于更好地了解鲜为人知的濒危褐鼠狐猴，并有助于制定有效的保护和物种管理措施。此外，这项研究将涉及两名研究生，一名来自美国大学，另一名来自马达加斯加大学。除了学习最新的领域方法外，还可以形成有价值的国际合作。此外，两名马达加斯加当地村民将被雇用和培训为研究技术人员。对于未来的保护工作，重要的是让当地科学家和非科学家参与研究，并获得获得知识和技能的机会。

Predation is hypothesized to have had substantial impact on the evolution of primate behavior and sensory systems. However, few studies have investigated experimentally how wild primates deal with predators, and very little is known about predator-prey interactions in wild nocturnal primates. Mouse lemurs (Microcebus) are tiny nocturnal and solitary primates endemic to Madagascar and are subject to heavy predation. The proposed study will examine which sensory modalities (vision, hearing and smelling) wild mouse lemurs employ to recognize predators and if sensory information provided by predators induces a behavioral change. Models, odors, and vocalizations of three predator types (mammalian, avian and snake) will be presented to wild brown mouse lemurs ( M. rufus) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, under field and more controlled laboratory conditions to determine which evokes fear or avoidance responses. Mouse lemurs will be captured each evening using live traps, and will be released again later that night. First, twenty-nine different predator and control cues will be presented in an experimental box to a minimum of twenty known wild lemurs. Each lemur will receive one 4-minute trial per night and will be presented with each cue only once, however, frequent recapture of the same individuals will ensure that many individuals will be presented with most of the cues during this study. The occurrence of eleven fear and nonfear behaviors will be recorded. The same cues will be presented under more natural conditions alongside the traps in the forest, to examine whether mouse lemurs avoid traps with predator models or odors. Cues will further be presented to captive-born individuals to investigate whether recognition mechanisms are present from birth or may require learning. This will be the first study subjecting a relatively large sample size of wild primate to three predator types and addressing three sensory modalities. Cognitive, sensory and recognition processes are poorly understood in primates and in animals in general. Furthermore, mouse lemurs are probably the closets living approximation to the ancestral primate from more than 50 million years ago and findings may provide insight into how predation may have affected early primate evolution. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is characterized by a high endemism of its flora and fauna, and ongoing slash-and-burn agriculture has already destroyed 80 percent of its forest cover. Findings from this study will provide a better understanding of the poorly known and threatened brown mouse lemur can help develop effective conservation and species management measures. In addition this study will involve two graduate students, one from an American University and one from a University in Madagascar. In addition to learning the latest field methods, valuable international collaborations can be formed. Furthermore, two local Malagasy villagers will employed and trained as research technicians. For future conservation efforts it is important for local scientists and nonscientists to be involved in research and to receive to opportunity to gain knowledge and skills.