Dissertation Research: The Behavior and Ecology of Two Species of Lemur

该项目将涉及两种同域原猿灵长类动物的研究，它们在形态上非常相似，但每一种都表现出不同的社会结构——一种是一夫一妻制的，另一种是多雄性多雌性的群体。学生将测试关于父亲照顾婴儿、家庭范围的大小、领土边界的防御和资源开发的假设是否与根据灵长类动物社会结构的当前理论所预测的一样。这些动物是严重濒危的，它们目前是保护的目标。人们对其中一个物种知之甚少，而对另一个物种则几乎一无所知。对自然环境中密切相关的物种进行研究，最终将有助于更好地理解形态和行为之间的关系以及这些关系的发展。具体来说，这项研究将考虑一夫一妻制，通常被认为是非人类灵长类动物中一种不灵活的社会结构，实际上是否比一般认为的更灵活。

This project will involve the study of two sympatric prosimian primates that are morphologically very similar, yet each exhibits a different social structure--one species is monogamous and the other is found in multi-male multi-female groups. The student will test whether hypotheses concerning paternal care of infants, size of home range, defense of territorial borders, and exploitation of resources are as predicted according to current theories of primate social structure. These animals are seriously endangered, and they are currently targeted for conservation. Little is known about one species and virtually nothing about the second. Research on closely related species in their natural environment will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the relationship between morphology and behavior and the development of these relationships. Specifically, this study will consider whether monogamy, generally considered an inflexible social structure in the non- human primates, is actually more flexible than generally acknowledged.