Goodman's mouse lemur

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Goodman's mouse lemur
GoodmanMouseLemur.jpg
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Cheirogaleidae
Genus: Microcebus
Species:
M. lehilahytsara
Binomial name
Microcebus lehilahytsara
Roos & Kappeler, 2005 [3]
Microcebus lehilahytsara range map.svg
Distribution of M. lehilahytsara [1]

Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara) is a species of mouse lemur from the region near Andasibe in eastern Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Steven M. Goodman. "Lehilahytsara" is a combination of the Malagasy words which mean "good" and "man". The finding was presented August 10, 2005, along with the discovery of the northern giant mouse lemur (Mirza zaza) as a separate species. [4]

Contents

In 2005, Goodman was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for his discovery and further research in Madagascar. [5]

Description

Mouse lemurs are among the smallest primates, and Goodman's mouse lemur is no exception. [6] Although not the smallest overall, Goodman's mouse lemur has a head-body length comparable to M. berthae which is the smallest known primate. [6] The average size ranges from 45 to 48 grams (1.6 to 1.7 oz), with males being slightly larger than females. [6] Goodman's mouse lemur is mainly maroon with a white underbelly and orange tint on their backs. [6]

Goodman's lemurs undergo daily torpor as well as winter torpor. [7] [8] Their tails are able to store fat which is useful in preparing for winter torpor. [6] Although, almost all females experience torpor each winter, not all males go into winter torpor annually. [8] For those males that do enter winter torpor, they exit torpor on average 20 days prior to females. [8] This is likely so males can better prepare for mating which happens almost immediately following the ending of female winter torpor. [8] The males that do not go into winter torpor are often older males that are better able to compete against younger males in procuring a mate, although they often still undergo daily torpor. [8]

Social behavior

Goodman's mouse lemurs spend most of their waking time alone. [7] They are generally only found in pairs during reproduction and in altercations. [7] Approximately 51% of these altercations involve food. [7] Although females tend to be smaller than males, when fighting over food, females often come out as the winners. [6] [7] [8] This is because females are more dominant than males in Goodman's mouse lemurs. [7] [8] Because females are more dominant, males tend to have a greater foraging area. [7] In some cases, the male's feeding area can be up to four times the size of females feeding area. [7] It has been proposed that the larger area is due to being chased away from better feeding grounds by the dominant females. [7] [8]

However, not all social behavior is negative in Goodman's mouse lemur. Oftentimes groups of two to four lemurs of the same sex will gather together to sleep. [7] This is likely to conserve heat. [7] Most often in a group of females, those that share a sleeping space are related, however, groups of males do not show much if any relation with those they sleep with. [7] In addition to mutualistic sleeping behavior, these lemurs share another positive social interaction. During the mating season, males and females must come together fairly peacefully. This happens in the spring shortly after waking up from winter torpor. [8] The males have large testes, which implies that as opposed to male-male competition in fighting, they are much more likely to undergo sperm competition which limits some of the social aspects of breeding that many other animals undergo. [6] The male Goodman's Mouse Lemur is known to have more bodyweight than the female during the reproductive season. However, other times, how much these species weigh can vary according to the season. [7] [9] [8]

Phylogeny

The genus Microcebus is shown to have diverged approximately ten to nine million years ago. [10] This split allowed for greater radiation of mouse lemurs. The mouse lemurs split into three distinct clades. [10] Goodman's mouse lemur has been grouped with five other species due to mitochondrial DNA sequencing. [10] 540 thousand years ago, M. marohita initially split from the other four mouse lemur populations within that clade. [10] The most recent split was about 52 thousand years ago when M. lehilahytsara and M. mittermeieri became two distinct species. [10]

Correlated with the most recent speciation was a climatic change period. [10] It has been proposed that this climate change likely would have desiccated the central highlands of Eastern Madagascar. [10] The change in climate and habitat is likely the cause of the recent speciation. [10] Evidence for this is that the habitat for Goodman's mouse lemur does not overlap with any other mouse lemurs. [11] The habitat would have changed in such a way that the lemurs that would become Goodman's mouse lemur would be the only ones that could survive in that habitat. Their diet varies from insects to fruits, flowers, nectar, gum and leaves. Not only food choices are diverse, but also their metabolism, body temperature and body mass can vary from time to time depending on the season and the conditions of the environment. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheirogaleidae</span> Family of lemurs

The Cheirogaleidae are the family of strepsirrhine primates containing the various dwarf and mouse lemurs. Like all other lemurs, cheirogaleids live exclusively on the island of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray mouse lemur</span> Small primate from Madagascar

The gray mouse lemur, grey mouse lemur or lesser mouse lemur is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Weighing 58 to 67 grams, it is the largest of the mouse lemurs, a group that includes the smallest primates in the world. The species is named for its mouse-like size and coloration and is known locally as tsidy, koitsiky, titilivaha, pondiky, and vakiandry. The gray mouse lemur and all other mouse lemurs are considered cryptic species, as they are nearly indistinguishable from each other by appearance. For this reason, the gray mouse lemur was considered the only mouse lemur species for decades until more recent studies began to distinguish between the species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-brown mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The golden-brown mouse lemur, also known as the (Lac) Ravelobe mouse lemur, is part of the Cheirogaleidae family, and the smallest species of lemur. It is arboreal, nocturnal and usually social. It get its name from the color of its body. Like several other mouse lemurs, like the brown mouse lemur, it is a small primate that has a brown dorsal side and a whitish-grey for its ventral side of the body. All lemurs live in Madagascar. This species was discovered in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambirano mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The Sambirano mouse lemur is a small, recently discovered primate and like the other mouse lemurs can only be found on the island of Madagascar. The dorsal side is both cinnamon and rufous-cinnamon and is grey ventrally. It has vibrissae that are dark in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant mouse lemur</span> Genus of small primates from Madagascar

The giant mouse lemurs are members of the strepsirrhine primate genus Mirza. Two species have been formally described; the northern giant mouse lemur and Coquerel's giant mouse lemur. Like all other lemurs, they are native to Madagascar, where they are found in the western dry deciduous forests and further to the north in the Sambirano Valley and Sahamalaza Peninsula. First described in 1867 as a single species, they were grouped with mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs. In 1870, British zoologist John Edward Gray assigned them to their own genus, Mirza. The classification was not widely accepted until the 1990s, which followed the revival of the genus by American paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall in 1982. In 2005, the northern population was declared a new species, and in 2010, the World Wide Fund for Nature announced that a southwestern population might also be a new species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern giant mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The northern giant mouse lemur, or northern dwarf lemur, is a species of lemur discovered in 2005. They are part of the primate order, and classified in the family Cheirogaleidae. Previously, both populations of giant mouse lemurs were believed to belong to one species. The northern giant mouse lemurs are small nocturnal lemurs endemic to Madagascar. They weigh about 300 grams (11 oz), and have long, bushy tails and relatively small ears. Their large testicles are an indication of their promiscuous copulation system. These lemurs have been found to use communal sleeping nests including multiple males, which is an uncommon behaviour in lemurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolly's mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

Jolly's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur from Mananjary and Kianjavato in Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Alison Jolly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mittermeier's mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

Mittermeier's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve in Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simmons' mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

Simmons' mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from Betampona Special Reserve, Analalava Special Community Reserve near Foulpointe, and Zahamena National Park in Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern rufous mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The northern rufous mouse lemur, northern brown mouse lemur, or Tavaratra mouse lemur is found in northern Madagascar from the Ankarana Special Reserve in the west to the Manambato River in the northeast, and up to the Irodo River in the north of the Analamerana Special Reserve. The complete distribution range of M. tavaratra is still to be defined as some areas surrounding the described distribution have not been visited yet. For example, M. tavaratra has been reported to possibly occur from the Irodo up to the Montagne des Français. Its known distribution cover four protected areas – the Ankarana Special Reserve, and the Analamerana Special Reserve both managed by Madagascar National Parks, the Loky-Manambato protected area (Daraina), and the Andavakoeira-Andrafiamena protected area, both Managed by the NGO Fanamby

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reddish-gray mouse lemur</span> Species of mammal

The reddish-gray mouse lemur also known as the gray-brown mouse lemur or rufous-gray mouse lemur, is a small, solitary-but-social, nocturnal and omnivorous primate from the Western Madagascar in the region around Beza Mahafaly Reserve, north to Lamboharana. Like the other lemur species, the reddish-grey mouse lemur is endemic to Madagascar. They generally live in the drier regions of the island. It is categorized as least concerned in the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Berthe's mouse lemur</span> Species of mammal

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur or Berthe's mouse lemur is the smallest of the mouse lemurs and the smallest primate in the world; the average body length is 9.2 cm (3.6 in) and seasonal weight is around 30 g (1.1 oz). Microcebus berthae is one of many species of Malagasy lemurs that came about through extensive speciation, caused by unknown environmental mechanisms and conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouse lemur</span> Genus of mammals

The mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs of the genus Microcebus. Like all lemurs, mouse lemurs are native to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danfoss's mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

Danfoss's mouse lemur, or the Ambarijeby mouse lemur, is a species of mouse lemur endemic to Madagascar. It lives in western deciduous forest within a limited range between the Sofia River and the Maevarano River. This species has been found in substantial populations in the Ambarijevy, Anjajavy, and Beanamaolo forests in Madagascar. Their lifespan is about 5 years but can live up to 10 years. They are part of the infraorder called lemuriformes which represents 20% of the entire primates diversity and over 60% of the mammalian genera of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacArthur's mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

MacArthur's mouse lemur, or the Anjiahely mouse lemur, is a species of mouse lemur known only from Makira Natural Park in northeastern Madagascar.

The Anosy mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from the Manantantely Forest and Ivorona Forest in southeastern Madagascar, near Tôlanaro. Specimens were first collected in April 2007, and its discovery was announced in 2013 along with the Marohita mouse lemur. It is a relatively large mouse lemur and lives in the same region as the gray mouse lemur (M. murinus) and the reddish-gray mouse lemur (M. griseorufus), all three of which are found within 10 km (6.2 mi) of each other and are nearly identical in appearance. It has dark brownish fur on its back and light-colored fur on its underside. Nothing is known about its behavior. Its conservation status has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although its known habitat has degraded since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marohita mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The Marohita mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from the Marohita Forest in eastern Madagascar, near the village of Marolambo. Specimens were first collected in December 2003, and its discovery was announced in 2013 along with the Anosy mouse lemur. It is a large mouse lemur, weighing up to 89 g (3.1 oz), and lives within the same area as the Goodman's mouse lemur (M. lehilahytsara), Simmons' mouse lemur (M. simmonsi), and the brown mouse lemur (M. rufus), all four of which are nearly identical in appearance. Its fur is rufous on its back and grayish-beige on its underside. Nothing is known about its behavior. Its conservation status was evaluated as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2012, before it was formally described, because its only known habitat had severely degraded between 2003 and 2012.

The Bemanasy mouse lemur, Microcebus manitatra, is a species of mouse lemur described in 2016 from Madagascar. It was discovered by a team of researchers at the German Primate Center. It was initially discovered among closely related species such as Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, Boraha mouse lemur, and Ganzhorn's mouse lemur. Morphological similarity made it impossible to identify them as distinct species. A genetic study was done in collaboration with scientists at the University of Kentucky, the Duke Lemur Center and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar. The mtDNA sequencing revealed that the species was unique.

References

  1. 1 2 Dolch, R.; Schüßler, D.; Radespiel, U.; Blanco, M. (2022). "Microcebus lehilahytsara". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T210364856A210364962. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Mittermeier, R.; Ganzhorn, J.; Konstant, W.; Glander, K.; Tattersall, I.; Groves, C.; Rylands, A.; Hapke, A.; Ratsimbazafy, J.; Mayor, M.; Louis, E.; Rumpler, Y.; Schwitzer, C. & Rasoloarison, R. (December 2008). "Lemur Diversity in Madagascar" (PDF). International Journal of Primatology. 29 (6): 1607–1656. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.888.2333 . doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9317-y. hdl:10161/6237. S2CID   17614597.
  4. ↑ Kappeler, PM, Rasoloarison, RM, Razafimanantsoa L, Walter, L and Roos, C (July 2005). "MORPHOLOGY, BEHAVIOURANDMOLECULAREVOLUTIONOFGIANT MOUSELEMURS(MIRZASPP.)GRAY,1870,WITHDESCRIPTIONOFANEW SPECIES". Primate Report. 71: 3–26.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "Steven Goodman". www.macfound.org. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kappeler; Rasoloarison; Razafimanantsoa; Walter; Roos (2005). "Morphology, Behaviour and Molecular Evolution of Giant Mouse Lemurs (Mirza spp.) Gray, 1870, with Description of a New Species". Primate Report. 71.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Jurges; Kitzler; Zingg; Radespiel (2013). "First Insights into the Social Organisation of Goodman's Mouse Lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara) – Testing Predictions from Socio-Ecological Hypotheses in the Masoala Hall of Zurich Zoo". Folia Primatologica. 84 (1): 32–48. doi:10.1159/000345917. PMID   23363617.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Karanewsky; Bauert; Wright (2015). "Effects of Sex and Age on Heterothermy in Goodman's Mouse Lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara)". International Journal of Primatology. 36 (5): 987–998. doi:10.1007/s10764-015-9867-8. S2CID   16187782.
  9. ↑ Ezran, Karanewsky, Camille, Caitlin. "The Mouse Lemur, a Genetic Model Organism for Primate Biology, Behavior, and Health". Genetics society of America. O. Hobert.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Toder, AD; Cambell, CR; Blanco; dos Reis; Ganzhorn; Goodman; Hunnicutt; Larsen; Kappeler; Rasoloarison; Ralison; Swofford; Weisrock (2016). "Geogenetic patterns in mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus) reveal the ghosts of Madagascar's forests past". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 113 (29): 8049–8056. Bibcode:2016PNAS..113.8049Y. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1601081113 . PMC   4961119 . PMID   27432945.
  11. ↑ Roos; Kappeler (2006). "Distribution and Conservation Status of Two Newly Described Cheirogaleid Species Mirza zaza and Microcebus lehilahytsara". Primate Conservation. 21: 51–53. doi: 10.1896/0898-6207.21.1.51 . S2CID   67754666.
  12. ↑ KJ, Gron. "Mouse lemur (Microebus) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology". Primate factsheets. Retrieved 11 February 2009.

Arvedlund, M. & Nielsen, L.E. (1996) Do the anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris (Pisces: Pomacentridae) imprint themselves to their host sea anemone Heteractis magnifica (Anthozoa: Actinidae)? Ethology, 102, 197–211⟨⟩

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