University of Antananarivo

About: University of Antananarivo is a education organization based out in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Lemur. The organization has 1561 authors who have published 1703 publications receiving 30922 citations. The organization is also known as: Tananarive University & Antananarivo University.

Intraspecific Phylogeny of the House Shrews, Suncus murinus-S. montanus Species Complex, Based on the Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Gene

Abstract: . A phylogenetic tree was reconstructed based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene nucleotide sequences of 169 individuals of house shrews (Suncus murinus and S. montanus) from 44 localities in East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, and islands in the western Indian Ocean. Shrews from China (Zhejiang), Japan (Okinawa), Vietnam, and Indonesia (Java) formed a monophyletic group with less genetic variation. Therefore, the shrews of these regions appeared to have originated from one or a few localities. Contrary to this, shrews from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Pakistan consisted of several haplogroups. This finding suggests immigration movements to these areas. Fascinating findings were also obtained concerning the islands in the western Indian Ocean. First, shrews on Zanzibar Island (Tanzania) had almost the same haplotype as those in southwestern Iran. Therefore, the house shrew in Zanzibar may have immigrated from Iran (or vice versa). Second, shrews from Madagascar and Grande Comore Island shared the...

First record of Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Comoros Archipelago with description of Sergentomyia (Vattieromyia) pessoni n. sp. and S. (rondanomyia) goodmani comorensis n. ssp.

Abstract: No Phlebotomine sandflies had ever been reported in the Comoros Archipelago, including the three islands of the Republic of the Union of Comoros (Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan) and the French oversea department of Mayotte. During three field surveys carried out in 2003, 2007 and 2011, we provided the first record of Phlebotomine sandflies in this area. A total of 85 specimens belonging to three species were caught: a new species S. (Vattieromyia) pessoni n. sp. (two females from Grande Comore), a new subspecies of Sergentomyia (Rondanomyia) goodmani (80 specimens from Grande Comore and one from Anjouan) and Grassomyia sp. (two females from Moheli). The individualisation of these taxa was inferred both from morphological criteria and sequencing of a part of the cytochrome b of the mitochondrial DNA. These taxa are closely related to Malagasy sandflies.

Exploratory analysis reveals arthropod consumption in 10 lemur species using DNA metabarcoding

Abstract: Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc) can fulfill major nutritional requirements for primates, particularly in terms of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals Yet, for many primate species we know very little about the frequency and importance of arthropod consumption Traditional methods for arthropod prey identification, such as behavioral observations and fecal dissections, offer limited taxonomic resolution and, as a result, underestimate true diversity Metabarcoding arthropod DNA from primate fecal samples provides a promising but underused alternative Here, we inventoried arthropod prey diversity in wild lemurs by sequencing two regions of the CO1 gene Samples were collected opportunistically from 10 species of lemurs inhabiting three national parks in southern Madagascar using a combination of focal animal follows and live trapping In total, we detected arthropod DNA in 98 of the 170 fecal samples analyzed Although all lemur species included in these analyses showed evidence of arthropod consumption, those within the family Cheirogaleidae appeared to consume the highest frequency and diversity of arthropods To our knowledge, this study presents the first evidence of arthropod consumption in Phaner pallescens, Avahi peyrierasi, and Propithecus verreauxi, and identifies 32 families of arthropods as probable food items that have not been published as lemur dietary items to date Our study emphasizes the importance of arthropods as a nutritional source and the role DNA metabarcoding can play in elucidating an animal's diet

Distribution and conservation status of the endangered Montagne d’Ambre fork-marked lemur (Phaner electromontis)

Abstract: The geographic distribution of a species can provide insights into its population size, ecology, evolution, and how it responded to past (and may respond to future) environmental change Improving our knowledge of the distribution of threatened species thus is a high priority in assessing their conservation status However, there are few data available for many recently described yet understudied and potentially threatened primate taxa, making their conservation difficult Here, we investigated the distribution of the Montagne d'Ambre fork-marked lemur, Phaner electromontis, a threatened nocturnal primate endemic to northern Madagascar and classified as Endangered by the IUCN Because fork-marked lemurs are highly vocal, we used acoustic surveys to assess the species' presence-absence and relative population density within 66 distinct forest survey sites in northern Madagascar Further, we compared data among five forest types within the study area and investigated the relationship between relative population density and climate variables We report the presence of P electromontis in 22 study sites; several of these populations were unknown previously Although we found P electromontis most frequently in dry-transitional forests, our results suggest that geography (spatial autocorrelation) rather than environmental variables explains the species' distribution We hypothesize that environmental unpredictability and gummivory, combined with the presence of several distinct Phaner species in the studied area, could explain the observed distribution