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.

Survey and comparison of major intestinal flora in captive and wild ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) populations.

Abstract: A survey to identify the major intestinal species of aerobic bacteria, protozoa and helminths was conducted on captive and wild populations of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Samples were collected from 50 captive lemurs at 11 zoological institutions in the United States. In Madagascar, 98 aerobic bacteria samples and 99 parasite samples were collected from eight sites chosen to cover a variety of populations across the species range. Identical collection, preservation and lab techniques were used for captive and wild populations. The predominant types of aerobic bacteria flora were identified via five separate tests. The tests for parasites conducted included flotation, sedimentation and FA/GC. Twenty-seven bacteria unique to either the captive or wild populations were cultured with eight of these being statistically significantly different. Fourteen bacteria common to both populations were cultured, of which six differed significantly. Entamoeba coli was the only parasite common to both the captive and wild populations. Giardia spp., Isospora spp., strongyles-type ova, Entamoeba spp. and Entamoeba polecki were found only in captive samples. Cryptosporidium, Balantidium coli, pinworm-type ova, and two fluke-like ova were seen only in wild samples. In addition, samples were compared for both bacteria and parasites from three unique field sites in Madagascar. In this three-site comparison, six types of bacteria were statistically significantly different. No significant differences regarding parasites were seen. Significant differences were found between the captive and wild populations, whereas fewer differences were found between sites within Madagascar. Although we isolated Campylobacter and Giardia, all animals appeared clinically healthy.

The ecology and conservation status of Madagascar's endemic freshwater crayfish (Parastacidae; Astacoides)

Abstract: SUMMARY 1 Freshwater crayfish of the genus Astacoides are endemic to the highlands of eastern Madagascar Very little is known about their ecology and how this affects their vulnerability to threats Working in the Fianarantsoa forest corridor, we used a combination of ecological research (>29 000 crayfish caught and released) and interviews (>130 interviews in 38 villages) to investigate the ecology and status of four of the seven described species 2 Astacoides species studied showed very slow growth, with growth rates of Astacoides granulimanus and Astacoides crosnieri among the slowest known in any species of crayfish We found individuals of all three species for which we had growth data which we estimate at more than 20-years old The size at which females became ovigerous varied among species Astacoides betsileoensis withheld reproduction until a large size (only 30% of females were gravid at 60-mm carapace length, compared with 90% for A granulimanus) This is likely to make A betsileoensis particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and we found that only 10% of individuals measured in a market (n ¼ 909) would have reproduced before being caught compared with 35% of the more common A granulimanus (n ¼ 30 561) 3 Habitat loss is a serious threat to the genus; even A granulimanus, the most widespread species, was only found in rivers or streams flanked by natural vegetation Astacoides caldwelli, the rarest species in this study, was found only at low altitudes (<800 m) in rivers draining forested catchments Habitat loss is particularly rapid in low elevation forest A crosnieri was restricted to swampy land that is rapidly being converted to rice fields Introduced Asian snakehead fish (Channa maculata) may pose a hitherto unrecognised threat to some species, particularly A betsileoensis 4 Madagascar’s freshwater habitats have great significance for global biodiversity yet conservation effort, as in much of the world, has focused on terrestrial ecosystems Until recently almost nothing was known about the ecology of Astacoides crayfish, a diverse and economically important genus Here, we show that members of the genus vary markedly in their reproductive biology, growth rates, habitat requirements and the threats they face We suggest that habitat loss is an urgent threat, especially to A caldwelli and A crosnieri,

The evolution of fruit colour: phylogeny, abiotic factors and the role of mutualists

Abstract: The adaptive significance of fruit colour has been investigated for over a century While colour can fulfil various functions, the most commonly tested hypothesis is that it has evolved to increase fruit visual conspicuousness and thus promote detection and consumption by seed dispersing animals However, fruit colour is a complex trait which is subjected to various constraints and selection pressures As a result, the effect of animal selection on fruit colour are often difficult to identify, and several studies have failed to detect it Here, we employ an integrative approach to examine what drives variation in fruit colour We quantified the colour of ripe fruit and mature leaves of 97 tropical plant species from three study sites in Madagascar and Uganda We used phylogenetically controlled models to estimate the roles of phylogeny, abiotic factors, and dispersal mode on fruit colour variation Our results show that, independent of phylogeny and leaf coloration, mammal dispersed fruits are greener than bird dispersed fruits, while the latter are redder than the former In addition, fruit colour does not correlate with leaf colour in the visible spectrum, but fruit reflection in the ultraviolet area of the spectrum is strongly correlated with leaf reflectance, emphasizing the role of abiotic factors in determining fruit colour These results demonstrate that fruit colour is affected by both animal sensory ecology and abiotic factors and highlight the importance of an integrative approach which controls for the relevant confounding factors

Temporal trends in sexually transmitted infection prevalence and condom use following introduction of the female condom to Madagascar sex workers

Abstract: We followed 1000 sex workers in Madagascar for 18 months to assess whether adding female condoms to male condom distribution led to increased protection levels and decreased sexually transmitted infections (STIs). For months 1-6, participants had access to male condoms only; in the final 12 months, they had access to male and female condoms. We interviewed participants about condom use every two months and tested for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis every six months. Following six months of male condom distribution, participants used protection in 78% of sex acts with clients. Following female condom introduction, protection at months 12 and 18 rose to 83% and 88%, respectively. Aggregate STI prevalence declined from 52% at baseline to 50% at month 6. With the female condom added, STI prevalence dropped to 41% and 40% at months 12 and 18, respectively. We conclude female condom introduction is associated with increased use of protection to levels that reduce STI risk.