| Giant Subfossil Lemurs | Extant Strepsirrhines | Taxonomic and Conservation Status of Lemur catta from Andringitra | Population Genetics of Mouse Lemurs | Educational Outreach |
The Malagasy carnivores are a morphologically, ecologically, and behaviorally diverse group for which taxonomic and phylogenetic resolution has been elusive. There are at least three distinguishable morphological and ecological types among the seven recognized genera of Malagasy carnivores: the mongooses, civets, and a third morphological type, represented by the monotypic genus Cryptoprocta, that is unique. Thus far, published cladistic analyses of these animals have yielded results that hypothosize anywhere from 2 to 4 invasions of carnivores to Madagascar. We are currently collaborating with Drs. John Flynn and Sarah Zehr of the Field Museum of Natural History on a molecular-phylogenetic and evolutionary investigation of the Malagasy carnivores. The results will be compared with patterns that we have observed in the primates, and with similar data from other endemic mammals, to determine if there are generalized dispersal patterns (temporal and/or geographic) that appear to typify the Malagasy terrestrial mammalian fauna.
| Giant Subfossil Lemurs | Extant Strepsirrhines | Taxonomic and Conservation Status of Lemur catta from Andringitra | Population Genetics of Mouse Lemurs | Educational Outreach |
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