Dissertation Research: Behavior and Ecology of the Aye-Aye (Daubentonia Madagascariesis)

一名博士生将对马达加斯加岛上特有的夜间活动灵长类动物Aye-aye的摄食生态和行为进行为期18个月的研究。之前还没有对这种动物进行过长期的实地研究。Aye-aye有许多独特的形态特征，包括手部的丝状中指，不断生长的门牙，腹股沟乳腺，相对于任何原猴灵长类动物的身体尺寸，它的大脑尺寸最大，它是马达加斯加唯一的身体大小具有性别二态的灵长类动物。它的夜间活动和食虫习性使它有别于其他体重相似的灵长类动物。与人类一样，与近亲物种相比，艾耶伊人的大脑比其身体大小要大得多。由于较大的大脑可能允许更复杂的感觉运动过程，允许开发其他物种无法获得的文具或隐藏的食物，因此Daubentonia和人类可能在开发难以获得的资源方面与密切相关的灵长类动物有更大的不同。研究其与环境的关系有助于我们寻找与人类社会行为发展相关的一般规律。由于猕猴是世界上最濒危的灵长类物种之一，对其行为和生态的研究对于制定这一独特物种的保护管理计划非常重要。

A doctoral student will conduct an eighteen-month study on the feeding ecology and behavior of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a nocturnal primate endemic to the island of Madagascar. No long term field studies have previously been conducted on this animal. The aye-aye has a considerable number of unique morphological characteristics, including a filiform middle finger on the hand, continuously growing incisor teeth, inguinal mammary glands, the largest brain size relative to body size of any prosimian primate, and it is the only Malagasy primate that is sexually dimorphic in body size. Its nocturnal and insectivorous habits set it apart from other primates of similar body weight. Like humans, the aye-aye has a significantly larger brain for its body size than closely related species. Since a large brain size may allow for more complex sensorimotor processes, permitting the exploitation of stationery or hidden foods not available to other species, Daubentonia and humans may each differ from closely related primates in their greater capacity to exploit difficult-to-access resources. Studies on the aye-aye's relationship to its environment may contribute to our search for general principles pertinent to the development of human social behavior. Since the aye-aye is one of the most endangered species of primates in the world, study of its behavior and ecology are of extreme importance in developing conservation management plans for this unique species.