Publications by authors named "S Jacques Rakotondranary"
Article Synopsis
- * The article proposes a comprehensive approach to accurately define species boundaries, using integrated evidence and focusing on geographic isolation, specifically applied to the mouse lemurs, a debated group of primates.
- * The study reveals that previous estimates of species diversity were inflated, mainly mistaking geographic variation for new species, and suggests that a clearer understanding of species limits can inform better conservation strategies.
Morphological variability or inter-observer bias? A methodological toolkit to improve data quality of multi-researcher datasets for the analysis of morphological variation.
Am J Biol Anthropol
January 2024
Objectives: The investigation of morphological variation in animals is widely used in taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. Using large datasets for meta-analyses has dramatically increased, raising concerns about dataset compatibilities and biases introduced by contributions of multiple researchers.
Materials And Methods: We compiled morphological data on 13 variables for 3073 individual mouse lemurs (Cheirogaleidae, Microcebus spp.
Adenoviruses (AdVs) are important human and animal pathogens and are frequently used as vectors for gene therapy and vaccine delivery. Surprisingly, there are only scant data regarding primate AdV origin and evolution, especially in the most basal primate hosts. We detect and sequence AdVs from faeces of two Madagascan lemur species.
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- Microsatellites have been widely used to study genetic diversity but their high mutation rates can create uncertainty in deeper evolutionary analyses, particularly in hybridization studies.
- This study employed RADseq data to investigate interspecific hybridization in a contact zone between two mouse lemur species in Madagascar, re-evaluating earlier findings suggesting hybridization based on microsatellite data.
- Findings showed no evidence of hybrid ancestry, indicating that previous claims of hybrid individuals were likely false positives, leading to the conclusion that the two species are fully reproductively isolated and changing our understanding of how reproducible isolation occurs in primates.
Increasing anthropogenic disturbances in Madagascar are exerting constrains on endemic Malagasy lemurs and their habitats, with possible effects on their health and survival. An important component of health is the gut microbiome, which might be disrupted by various stressors associated with environmental change. We have studied the gut microbiome of gray-brown mouse lemurs (), one of the smallest Malagasy primates and an important model of the convergent evolution of diseases.
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