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.

Mineralogical analysis of ferralitic soils in Madagascar using NIR spectroscopy

Abstract: The applicability of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as tool for estimating mineral soil constituents was assessed over a wide range of highly weathered soils in Madagascar. The predictions were based on two types of methods, chemometric methods using multivariate calibration models from partial least squares (PLS) regressions, and the use of spectral signatures of specific minerals. The predictions of mineralogical properties of soils using chemometric methods were poor, except for the quantification of iron oxides extracted with citrate-bicarbonate dithionite (CBD) (R2cv = 0.80). Soil minerals (kaolinite, gibbsite, goethite and hematite) were also estimated by NIRS but with less accuracy (R2cv = 0.50–0.80). The predictions of kaolinite and gibbsite contents were improved by the use of the peak intensity of the first derivative spectra, situated at around 2205 nm for kaolinite and 2265 nm for gibbsite. The results indicate that NIRS can be used as a rapid analytical technique to simultaneously estimate the main minerals of highly weathered ferralitic soils with acceptable accuracy.

A novel cassava-infecting begomovirus from Madagascar: cassava mosaic Madagascar virus.

Abstract: Cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) are implicated in cassava mosaic disease (CMD), the main constraint to cassava production in Africa. Here, we report the complete nucleotide sequences of the DNA-A and DNA-B of a newly characterized CMG found infecting cassava in Madagascar, for which we propose the tentative name cassava mosaic Madagascar virus. With the exception of two recombinant regions that resembled a CMG, we determined that the non-recombinant part of the DNA-A component is distantly related to the other CMGs. Whereas the DNA-B component possesses one recombinant region originating from an unidentified virus, the rest of the genome was seen to be closely related to members of the species East African cassava mosaic Zanzibar virus (EACMZV). Phylogenetic analysis based on complete genome sequences demonstrated that DNA-A and DNA-B components are outliers related to the clade of EACMV-like viruses and that DNA-A is related to the monopartite tomato leaf curl begomoviruses described in islands in the south-west Indian Ocean.

Amphibians and reptiles of the Ankaratra Massif: Reproductive diversity, biogeography and conservation of a montane fauna in Madagascar

Abstract: The Ankaratra Massif in central Madagascar includes rainforest between ca. 1500 and 2000 m elevation and montane savannah and heathland between ca. 2000 and 2642 m elevation. It is populated by 15 species of amphibians and 12 species of reptiles, all of which were observed in our surveys between 1992–2001. Additionally, the Ankaratra material housed in several herpetological collections was revised. Examination of type material showed that Scaphiophryne madagascariensis is the name to be applied to the scaphiophrynine microhylid frog occurring at Ankaratra; the previously used name S. pustulosa is a junior synonym, while populations from the Andringitra Massif so far considered as S. madagascariensis do not belong to this species. Reproductive behaviour and advertisement calls are described for S. madagascariensis. Two other frog species (Boophis williamsi, Mantidactylus pauliani) were observed for the first time for almost 30 years; their live coloration and morphology are described. The skink A...