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Research Sites:
Ranomafana National Park, other sites in Madagascar

Research Project:
The Ranomafana Propithecus Project, Packard Project, World Heritage Project, Peretti Project

Research Focus:

Patricia C. Wright's research in tropical ecology, primatology, and conservation biology includes a long term study (1986 - present) of the behavioral ecology of Propithecus diadema edwardsi, the Milne Edward's sifaka, in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Wright, her students and post docs investigate demography, feeding behavior, parasite loads, infant development, genetics, tooth wear, reproductive behavior, predation pressure, and aging in this wild community of four adjacent rain forest sifaka groups. Current research includes investigating the tooth eruption patterns, and ontogeny of various lemur species, the nutritional composition of lemur foods, the relationship between lemur foods and medicinal plants, the role of parasites on populations, and the effect of habitat disturbance on lemur populations. Wright's long term database on individual lemurs, weather patterns, and plant phenology is maintained at SUNY Stony Brook. Wright also conducts biodiversity surveys in tropical forests of Madagascar to address conservation problems.

In addition, Wright has built a new international research station (Centre ValBio) outside Ranomafana National Park, and is in the process of building a residence hall for students.


Research
Assistants:
Remy Rakotovao, Raymond Rakotozafy, Georges LaDaDa

Publications (selected):

Deppe, A., and Wright, P.C. (in press, 2007). Object permanence in four species of lemur: Red-fronted brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus), mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz), ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and grey bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus). Animal Cognition.

Hogg, K., Wade, S., and Wright, P. C. (in press, 2007). Parasites of nine lemur species from Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Journal of Wildlife Medicine.

Wright, P.C., Hogg,K., Arrigo-Nelson, S.J., and Rabetafaka, L. (in press, 2007). Seasonality in ectoparasite infections of the wild lemurs of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. In: Primate Self-Medication (M. Huffman and Colin Chapman, eds.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wright, P.C. (in press, 2007). Two decades of lemur research and conservation: The Elwyn L. Simons Influence, In: Tribute to Elwyn L. Simons (J. Fleagle, E. Seiffert, and A. Oakley, eds.). Springer: New York.

Wright , P.C., Johnson, S., Lehman, S., Irwin, M., Arrigo-Nelson, S., Raharison, J-L., Razafindratsita, T., Ratsimbazafy, J., and Ratelolahy, F. (2007). The Crisis of Prolemur simus, the greater bamboo lemur. Primate Conservation.

Wright, P. C. (2006). Considering Climate Change in Lemur Conservation. In: Lemur Ecology (M. Sauther, and L. Gould, eds). Springer Press: New York.

Karpanty, S. and Wright, P.C. (2006). Predation on Lemurs in the Rainforest of Madagascar by Multiple Predator Species: Observations and Experiments In: Primate Anti-Predator Strategies (S.L. Gursky, and K.A.I. Nekaris, eds.), pp. 75-97. Springer Press: New York.

King, S.J., Arrigo-Nelson, S.J., Pochron, S.T., Semprebon, G.M., Godfrey, L.R., Wright, P.C., and Jernvall, J. (2005) Hanging on to the edge: Maintenance of primate tooth function and offspring survival. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102 (46): 16579-16583.

Irwin, M.T., Johnson, S.E. and Wright, P.C. (2005). The State of Lemur Conservation in Southeastern Madagascar: Population and Habitat Assessments for Diurnal Lemurs Using Surveys, Satellite Imagery and GIS. Oryx 39(2): 204-217.

Johnson, S.E., Gordon, A.D., Stumpf, R.M., Overdorff, D.J., and Wright, P.C. (2005). Morphological variation in brown lemurs (Eulemur albocollaris and E. fulvus rufus). International Journal of Primatology 26(6): 1399-1416.

Godfrey, L.R., Samonds, K.E., Wright, P.C., and King, S.J. (2005). Schultz's unruly rule: Dental developmental sequences and schedules in small-bodied, folivorous lemurs. Folia Primatologica 76: 77-99.

Lehman S., and Wright, P.C. (2005). Ecogeographic size variations in sifakas: A test of the resource seasonality and resource quality hypotheses. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 126:318-328.

Pochron, S.T., and Wright, P.C. (2005). Testes size and body weight in the Milne-Edwards’ sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi) of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, relative to other strepsirhine primates. Folia Primatologica 76: 37-41.

Pochron S.T., Morelli T.L., Scirbona, J., and Wright, P.C. (2005). Sex Differences in Scent Marking in Propithecus edwardsi in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascasr. American Journal of Primatology 66: 97-110.

Pochron, S.T., Morelli, T.L., Terranova, P., Scirbona, J., Cohen, J., Rakotonirina, G., Ratsimbazafy, R., Rakotosoa, R., and Wright, P.C. (2005). Patterns of male scentmarking in Propithecus edwardsi of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology 65(2): 103-115.

Wright, P.C., Andriamihaja, B.R., and Raharimiandra, S. (2005). Tanala Synecological Relations with Lemurs in Southeast Madagascar. In: Commensalism and Conflict: the primate – human interface. (J. D. Paterson and J. Wallis, eds.). New York: Kluwer Press.

Wright P.C., Razafindratsita T., Pochron S.T., and Jernvall J. (2005). The key to frugivory in Madagascar. Tropical Fruits and Frugivores: The Search for Strong Interactors ( J. Dew, and H. Boubli, eds.). The Netherlands, Springer Press, pp 121-138.

Please see Publication List for all of Wright's Madagascar publications


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