...Lemurs in Madagascar: 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. ~ The major features of these biomes is that they are wet, warm, and have high levels of biodiversity. The rainforest has four different layers. (Forest floor, understory layer, canopy layer and emergent layer) 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of changes. ~ The biggest change in Madagascar is the deforestation of the rain forest. It disrupts the eco-system, its home, and the food supply. 3. Which type of lemur are adapting to the changes? Which type of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? ~The bamboo lemur is the type of lemur that is not adapting very easy to the changes. The ring tailed lemur seems to be adapting well because it has the ability to adapt better. 4. What behavioral and physical traits are being favored in lemurs in the changing Madagascar environment? ~Some behavioral and physical traits that are being favored are their small bodies, long noses, and large eyes. 5. Why might lemurs not evolve to adapt to the changes in Madagascar? ~They won’t adapt because of the deforestation of the rainforest. Deforestation occurs at a rate of just under 1 percent a year. 16 species of lemurs have disappeared since humans arrived. They are threatened by distinction today. 6. Which biochemical cycles may be altered by anthropogenic activities on Madagascar, and...
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...Lemurs in Madagascar Melissa Cotham SCI/275 September 8, 2013 Stacey Laub Lemurs in Madagascar 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. Madagascar’s biggest biome is a tropical rainforest. A tropical rainforest biome primarily consists of warm weather, wet plants, and fungi ridden soils. There are three important layers of a tropical rainforest. The emergent layer, 50 m up; where vegetation grows in full sunlight. The canopy (middle) layer, 3-40 m up; provides protection of too harsh of sun to low light plants below. Finally the understory (ground level) where plants and animals only receive 2-3 percent of light from above. 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. Changes happening in Madagascar that are posing threats are the rapid environmental changes caused by humans. The changes that which humans are making are for the ‘sake-of-human-kind’. Although these changes may benefit humans, we are depleting the resources of the lemurs. For example the bamboo lemur (that eats only bamboo); will no longer be in existence, once all of the bamboo tress has been destroyed. 3. Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? The lemurs that are adapting well are the lemurs with the ability to thrive in secondary habitats...
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...Lemurs in Madagascar SCI/ 275 March 16, 2014 Lemurs in Madagascar 1.) What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the latest features of at least one of these biomes. Using the world’s terrestrial map in Wiley Plus, Madagascar’s biomes includes; tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, and desert. Madagascar is largely made up of the tropical rain forest biome. Its features include warm weather throughout the year with rainfall occurring almost daily. In the rainforest, human population growth and industrial expansion threatens its survival. 2.) What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Provide details about the sources, time scale, and type of change. The changes that are happening in Madagascar that poses a challenge for lemurs, are the rapid environmental changes caused by humans. Deforestation of the rain forest disrupts the eco- system. As a result, the changes are occurring at a rapid pace, faster than the resources can replenish themselves. 3.) Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? The type of lemur that is adapting to change is the ring- tailed lemur. The ring- tailed lemur is able to adjust because of its ability to adjust to secondary habitats. On the hand, bamboo lemurs are not adjusting well to the changes. They thrive on eating the bamboo found in the forest. Once the bamboo are depleted, they will not be able to survive. 4.) What behavioral...
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...Level Material Lemurs in Madagascar Assignment View the “Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video. Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each. 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. The biome of Madagascar is a tropical rainforest. The first layer is the top of trees. The second layer is where you find lots of leaves that block most of the sunlight. The last layer is the ground of the forest. 2. Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. Human destruction, such as logging, is happening at a much faster pace than evolutionary change. The amount of change occurring in Madagascar as a result of human activities is happening at such a rapid pace, in fact, that the environment and evolutionary process just can’t cope. 3. What behavioral and physical traits are being favored in lemurs in the changing Madagascar environment? The types of lemurs adapting to changes are the ones who are able to adapt well to secondary habitats (habitats altered by humans). One example is the ring-tailed lemur. They are incredibly adaptable. Lemurs who cannot adapt well...
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...Material Lemurs in Madagascar Assignment View the “Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video. Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each. 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. Madagascar’s biome is a tropical rainforest. One feature of the tropical rainforest biome is its temperature, which is pretty much warm all year with some rain or precipitation daily helping keeping everything green. The Madagascar biome has three layers. The first layer would be the tops of the trees that cover the rainforest. The second layer would be its canopy which has small pockets that let in sunlight. The final and third layer is the ground floor that has the least amount of vegetation due to the lack of light. 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. The changes happening in Madagascar that are posing challenges for lemurs are mostly due to human destruction like logging rather than evolutionary changes. Some lemurs such as the bamboo lemur eats leaves from the trees, as these trees are cut down and the tropical rainforests are destroyed, these species of lemurs will lose their source of food. 3. Which types of lemurs are adapting...
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...haven’t been I’m with you but I have heard of a strange animal called an Aye-Aye. Do anybody knows what’s an Aye-Aye? Well that’s why I’m standing in front of you today to show and tell you about this strange creature and where it came from. II. I will inform you about the information I picked up from my 12th grade teacher, national geographic, and from bbc. III. The Aye-Aye is an amusing animal that is an educational topic to study and tell others about. IV. First I will explain what’s an Aye-Aye, its behavior and lifestyle, and then its habitat and superstition. What is an Aye-Aye? Are they dangerous or an effect to our surroundings? Why does it look like that? Well I’ll tell you why. I. An Aye-Aye is a related to the lemur and is a standout amongst the most abnormal primates on the planet, to such an extent that it was initially named a rodent. A. An Aye-Aye are related to chimpanzees, apes, and humans. Aye-Ayes are dim tan or dark and are recognized by a ragged tail that is bigger than their body. They additionally have huge eyes, slim fingers, and vast, delicate ears. Aye-Ayes have pointed claws on all their fingers and toes with the exception of their opposable enormous toes, which empower them to dangle from limbs. B. The Aye-aye can be found in a number of locations including Madagascar. It has an average life span of 20 years and is now protected by the law. It has various great morphological adjustments to its unordinary encouraging propensities...
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...Lemurs of Madagascar, currently in its third edition, is a reference work and field guide for the lemurs of Madagascar, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, and the cover art and illustrations were drawn by Stephen D. Nash. The book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and also helps travelers identify species they may encounter. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists. The first edition was reviewed favorably in the International Journal of Primatology, Conservation Biology, and Lemur News. Reviewers, includingAlison Jolly, praised the book for its meticulous coverage of each species, numerous high-quality illustrations, and engaging discussion of lemur topics, including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinct subfossil lemurs. Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, including ecotourists and lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in the American Journal of Primatology, where it received similar favorable comments, plus praise for its updates and enhancements. The third edition was reviewed favorably in Lemur News; the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book, but was concerned that the edition was not as...
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...This report discusses the observations of the two different primates’ behavioral traits to understand human behavior. The observed primates were the Black and Ruffed Lemur, also known as Varecia variegata, and the Squirrel Monkey, known as the Saimiri. Both were located at the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, San Jose, on July 20, 2017 from 10:17 am to 12:30 pm. The Black and White Ruffed Lemur had patches of white and black hair. The white patches surround both the head and the lower body, while the rest is covered in black hair. The lemur features a long tail that strikes upward to balance its movements. The claws grasp onto objects such as branches and food. It had eyes with a small pupil and yellow colored lenses. An interesting behavior was...
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...Madagascar Rainforest Madagascar, located approximately 400 kilometers east of Africa is the world's fourth largest island. Because of its isolation it is occupied by some of the most unusual and rare species of plants and animals on earth. Madagascar was at one time formerly an independent kingdom; became a French colony in 1896 and regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule(Science 1990). The main historical problem with international trade has been the correlated destruction of the environment. This is especially true when it comes to the issue of deforestation. In Madagascar, (Economic Geography, 1993) people have been cutting down the forests for decades. Throughout the past century, much of the rainforests of Madagascar have disappeared. People have begun moving out of the cities, industries have started to expand, and the use of land for farming (particularly coffee) has dramatically increased. All of these phenomenons have led to the destruction of the forest of Madagascar. Many plants and animal species have been severely endangered due to the deforestation (New Scientist 1990). With a current population near 14 million and growing at roughly 3% yearly combined with a per capita income of $230 per year, the major threats to the remaining forest are driven by subsistence needs and cutting for fuel. This has become a major issue, not only because of the value...
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...Associate Level Material Lemurs in Madagascar Assignment View the “Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video. Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each. 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. Madagascar’s biomes are tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, and savanna. One feature of the tropical rain forest biome is its temperature, which is usually warm year around with precipitation daily. This biome has three layers. The first layer is where you can find the tops of trees. The second layer, or canopy layer, is where you will find a vast amount of leaves that let only a small amount of sunlight in. The last layer is the ground layer of the rainforest which is usually clear of vegetation because of the amount of light that is blocked by the canopy layer. 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. The changes happening in Madagascar that are posing challenges for lemurs is due mostly to the destruction of tropical rainforest by humans than by evolutionary change. Some lemurs, such as the bamboo lemur, eat leaves from tree. As the trees are cut down and the tropical rainforests are destroyed, these species of lemurs will lose their source...
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...Major features that define strepsirrhines and haplorrhines might be transmitted through a number of characteristics, including such as brain size, dental formula, nocturnal or diurnal vision, types of locomotion and many other. Haplorrhines are defined as primates with larger brain size that leads to the longer term of development, longer lifetime and a higher lever of social interaction within the group. A dental formula has shown as the one with less number of premolars, that in its turn have a different form and presented with a Y5 pattern. Haplorrhines have a flat nose that followed by the loss of rhinarium. Haplorrhines have a color diurnal vision, good for day time activity. They are also defined as primates with sexual dimorphism. Among the other defining characteristics are the prehensile tail and protective bone around eyes. Strepsirrhines have retained three premolars and tooth comb. A number of teeth are 36. They rely on a sense of smell, using rhinarium. They have nasal passages and large olfactory bulb in the front of the brain. Strepsirrhines are more active at night time, with a very large eyes orbits and nocturnal vision as a preadaptation. Another trait is a combination of nails and claws, including toilet-claw on the second digit of feet. Smaller brain size affects the shorter term of development and lifetime. Parvorders – platyrrhini (New World Monkeys) and cercopithecoidea (Old World Monkeys) are two that have a number of characteristics that distinguish...
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...Associate Level Material Lemurs in Madagascar Assignment View the “Lemurs in Madagascar – Surviving on an Island of Change” video. Using the information found in this video, and in Ch. 5 and 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science, answer the following questions in 25 to 100 words each. 1. What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the major features of at least one of these biomes. Use the textbook for biome examples. Madagascar’s biomes are grassland and the temperate (or tropical) rain forest. As described in our reading, the temperate rain forest has rain fall that exceeds 50 inches per year, has coastal fog, and has mild winters and cool summers. The forest floor is covered with debris from the trees that provide cover like a canopy or ceiling. Vegetation in the rain forest usually grows high off of the ground because of the nutrient-poor soil, limited sunlight, and small amount of rain that reaches the ground. 2. What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Give details about the sources, time scale, and types of change. Climate, logging and hunting are changes to the environment that pose challenges for lemurs. Loggers move into the area and remove trees that provide housing and food for these mammals. There are many lemur species that are negatively affected by these changes. One specific species of lemur (bamboo lemur) identified in the video could become extinct. Their diet is so specific that a reduction...
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...that they lived in warm climates and were adapted to life in and around trees which supports the arboreal hypothesis proposed by Sir Grafton Elliot Smith and Frederic Wood Jones. The hypothesis explains that primates were adapted to live in trees thus the necessity of grasping hands and feet for grabbing branches, and binocular vision which led to better depth perception important for judging distance between trees. Grade I - The Lemuroids Evolving out of the late Paleocene and early Eocene Epoch . The Lemuroids were the first of the early primates to resemble primates that are living today. Equipped with a slightly larger brain, flat nails and changes to their cranial structure that indicate that they relied more on their vision than their predecessors. Grade II - The Tarsiers Eocene Epoch, a time period when the climate was pretty warm and several land bridges stretched between the continents. It is also during this epoch that major changes to fault lines occured. The Separation of Antartica and Australia created the circum-atlantic current which sparked a change in circulation patterns in the ocean resulting in global cooling, eventually leading to the Ice Age. This is when the Tarsiers came to be, most likely originating in asia Grade III - The Monkeys During the next major epoch, the Oligoscene, major geological changes that effected primate evolution. Though the continents were positioned close to where they are today but north and south amerca were not connected...
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...Lemurs in Madagascar: Surviving on an Island of Change Transcript Speakers: Ian Tattersall, Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Michelle Sauther, Frank Cuozzo (Rain trickling, lemur sounds: squeaking and calling) (Music playing in background) IAN TATTERSALL: I think everybody who is involved with lemurs is concerned for the future. We’re in a finite island that cannot infinitely be exploited and ravaged. And if present trends continue, the outlook for any of the natural habitat or any of the lemurs is fairly poor. (Birds chirping) Lemurs are members of the order primates, that is to say the large group of mammals to which human beings also belong. And they’d found they are uniquely in Madagascar and on a couple of the adjacent islands of the Comoros group. (Music playing in background) An evolutionary radiation is the diversification of different species from the same ancestor and once a new kind of organism like a primate comes into a new environment as happened in Madagascar about sixty million years ago; there are many, many different ways in which that environment can be exploited. It’s very hard to say exactly how many species of lemur there are because new species are being described all of the time. But in general terms, there now looks to be about thirty to thirty-five species of lemurs and it shows us just what the potential of primates is to occupy an enormous range of different habitats. (Music playing in background) Habitat destruction takes place...
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...primate I chose is the Slow Loris. The slow Loris, which belongs to the Lorisidae family (Gron). And are part of the Strepsirhines primates and are located in Asia and tropical Africa (Stanford 170). They all range in size and weight, with an approximate life span of 25 years--in captivity (Gron). The slow Loris is completely covered in fur, which hides their ears and their short stump like tail (Gron). They have small round heads with large round eyes (Gron). Since they are primarily nocturnal their large eyes help with visibility (Gron). During the daytime the slow Loris can be found curled up on a nest--usually a tree cavity (Stanford 170). Starting from their small forehead up to their pink nose the slow Loris has a light colored strip of fur in between their eyes. Moreover, their fur color varies through the seasons (Gron). And their fingers are slightly long for their hand must serve as a strong clamp to be able to hold onto tree branches. Since they nest in tree cavities they do not spend a lot of time on land and move very slow (O’Neil). Them living on trees and moving a slow pace limits their access to prey, therefore, slow lorises are mainly omnivorous (Stanford 170). They will occasionally hunt small prey such as insects, eggs, or baby birds (Stanford 170). The slow loris communicates vocally and olfactorily--by scent. Their elbows contain glands that release oils that have a specific odor that allows them to communicate, moreover, the slow lorises urinate as they move...
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