The Dwarf and Mouse Lemurs of Madagascar

The dwarf and mouse lemurs of Madagascar are two very species-rich lemur genera, yet there is a relative paucity of information on this primate family in published literature. In this first ever treatment of the Cheirogaleidae, international experts are brought together to review and integrate our current knowledge of the behavior, physiology, ecology, genetics and biogeography of these species.

A wide range of direct and indirect research methods that are currently used to study these cryptic nocturnal solitary foragers are described. By uniting often disparate research on captive and free-ranging taxa and synthesizing recent methodological advances, this book provides new insights that will encourage further studies of this fascinating primate family.

This synthesis will provide an incentive for more integrative studies of the Cheirogaleidae in captivity and in the wild, enabling the impacts of deforestation and other factors to be identified and directions for future conservation efforts to be established.

Shawn M. Lehman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Specifically focusing on lemurs in Madagascar, his primary research objective is to integrate evolutionary ecology and conservation biogeography to model primate responses to anthropogenic disturbances.

Uta Radespiel is a senior lecturer at the Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover Germany. Her research center upon determining the factors that drive and influence the evolution of social structures and lemur population dynamics at various spatial scales.

Elke Zimmermann is Professor and Chair of the Institute of Zoology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany. Her research focuses on behavioral ecology with the aim to discovering the processes behind lemur adaptation and evolution.