Article
Neurosciences
Chun Lum Andy Ho, Claudia Fichtel, Daniel Huber
Summary: The gray mouse lemur is considered an ideal model system for studying early primate physiology and behavior, sharing similar ecological niches and anatomical traits with early euprimates. Studies have shown that mouse lemurs have cognitive abilities and cortical functional organization comparable to haplorhines. Their small brain size provides actual lower limits for miniaturization of functional brain circuits within the primate clade.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Schmidtke
Summary: The ability to associate memorized objects with their location in space declines during normal aging and can be affected by neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates object-location paired-associates learning in grey mouse lemurs, finding that old adults show a significant decline in performance compared to young adults.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Christoph Abel, Peggy Giertz, Yedidya R. Ratovonamana, Thomas Puettker, S. Jacques Rakotondranary, Bettina M. Scheel, Tobias L. Lenz, Joerg U. Ganzhorn
Summary: Species can either maintain a certain social organization in different habitats or show different social organizations in similar habitats. The reasons underlying this variability are not always clear but might have consequences for population dynamics, especially under changing environmental conditions. Our study revealed that the social organization of mouse lemurs in Madagascar converges towards random spatial distributions with declining food availability, suggesting that social organization is shaped by both phylogenetic origin and ecological conditions.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Blandine Chazarin, Margaux Benhaim-Delarbre, Charlotte Brun, Aude Anzeraey, Fabrice Bertile, Jeremy Terrien
Summary: This study analyzed the liver proteome of grey mouse lemurs during winter to understand how they adapt to environmental energetic constraints. The results showed profound hepatic changes related to fat accumulation and reduced glucose utilization. However, no major regulation was seen in insulin signaling pathways. The study also found that fat mobilization may be linked to the reactivation of the reproductive system while enhanced liver detoxification may anticipate the return to summer food intake levels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Kerriann M. Casey, Caitlin J. Karanewsky, Jozeph L. Pendleton, Mark R. Krasnow, Megan A. Albertelli
Summary: The study discusses a case of an aged gray mouse lemur, revealing various medical issues such as bone disorders and chronic renal disease. It introduces some experiments conducted for aging research in gray mouse lemurs.
COMPARATIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Eric F. Wuesthoff, Todd K. Fuller, Christopher Sutherland, Jason M. Kamilar, Rindrahatsarana Ramanankirahina, Romule Rakotondravony, Sarah Rouse, Ute Radespiel
Summary: This study investigated the spatial distributions and densities of mouse lemurs in northwestern Madagascar, revealing that habitat types have different impacts on the two species, suggesting that the generalist species utilizes a wider range of habitats more evenly compared to the specialist species.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Caterina Marques Gomila, Frederik Kiene, Annette Klein, Sharon E. E. Kessler, Sarah Zohdy, Romule Rakotondravony, Lance A. A. Durden, Ute Radespiel
Summary: This study investigated the yearly variations in ectoparasite infestations of two small primates and analyzed the potential effects of environmental and host-related factors. The results showed significant monthly and yearly variations in infestation rates and species richness of ectoparasites, with impacts of habitat, temperature, rainfall, species, sex, and body mass. This study highlights the importance of broad ecological long-term studies on primate-parasite interactions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Kerstin E. Schmidt, Fred Wolf
Summary: Recent studies indicate that the structural layout of brain in different species is determined by phylogenetic traits, independent of lifestyle or physical characteristics. Further research proposing experiments on intracortical connectivity in rodents has been suggested.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jelmer W. Poelstra, Jordi Salmona, George P. Tiley, Dominik Schussler, Marina B. Blanco, Jean B. Andriambeloson, Olivier Bouchez, C. Ryan Campbell, Paul D. Etter, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Kelsie E. Hunnicutt, Amaia Iribar, Eric A. Johnson, Peter M. Kappeler, Peter A. Larsen, Sophie Manzi, JosE M. Ralison, Blanchard Randrianambinina, Rodin M. Rasoloarison, David W. Rasolofoson, Amanda R. Stahlke, David W. Weisrock, Rachel C. Williams, LounEs Chikhi, Edward E. Louis Jr, Ute Radespiel, Anne D. Yoder
Summary: Mouse lemurs are cryptic primates found throughout Madagascar, with a recent surge in recognized species leading to concerns of oversplitting. Research in northeastern Madagascar with high microendemism and predicted habitat loss revealed marked differences among mouse lemur lineages, supporting the recognition of an undescribed lineage as a separate species. The rapid evolution of reproductive isolation in sympatric lineages suggests a complex evolutionary history in the mouse lemur clade.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Clara Hozer, Fabien Pifferi
Summary: This study examined the relationship between endogenous period and biomarkers of aging, finding that a deviation of endogenous period from 24 h led to increased oxidative stress, decreased IGF-1 concentrations, and impaired learning performances. These results support the circadian resonance theory, demonstrating a connection between endogenous period and lifespan, aging, and biological performance.
CHRONOBIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Lance A. Durden, Sharon E. Kessler, Ute Radespiel, Alida F. Hasiniaina, Alexandr A. Stekolnikov, Kayleigh Chalkowski, Sarah Zohdy
Summary: During 2010-2011, a study in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar collected eight species of ectoparasites from 225 gray mouse lemurs, with the ixodid tick Haemaphysalis lemuris being the most common. Tick infestation was significantly higher in August compared to October, while louse infestation was higher in October. Male lemurs had more lice than females, but reproductive status did not predict tick infestation.
JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Robotics
Qi Li, Letian Qian, Shuhan Wang, Peng Sun, Xin Luo
Summary: Trajectory optimization combined with whole-body control is a widely accepted approach for dynamic gait control of quadruped robots. However, there are still open issues in this framework, such as the lack of a unified description of inter-limb coordination and motion compliance during gait transitions. In this study, the reduced antero-posterior sequence gait parametrization approach is introduced, along with a whole-body impedance controller, to address these issues and achieve robust locomotion with various gaits and smooth gait transitions.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Zoology
Yohann Chaudron, Fabien Pifferi, Fabienne Aujard
Summary: Gray mouse lemur, a species with relatively slow aging, presents similarities to human pathological aging in terms of cognitive decline, brain atrophy, amyloidosis, and glucoregulatory imbalance. Studying aging in mouse lemurs offers promising insights for understanding, preventing, and treating pathological aging in humans, with potential focus on nutrition as a nonpharmacological antiaging strategy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kent A. Stevens, Scott Ernst, Daniel Marty
Summary: The study introduces a generalized concept called coupling length, which does not require any assumption about the gait or overstepping of the trackmaker. By systematically analyzing a trackway in terms of coupling length, both the size and gait of the trackmaker can be estimated.
SWISS JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jean-Basile Andriambeloson, Marina B. Blanco, Ando Andriantsalohimisantatra, Tahiry Rivoharison, Nathan Walker, Chris Birkinshaw, Anne D. Yoder
Summary: The study reveals that Goodman's mouse lemurs thrive in the seasonally cold and arid forest fragments in the Central Highlands, indicating that they may be among the most tolerant and adaptable lemur species in Madagascar. Research on the behavioral ecology of this species could help understand their ecological and metabolic adaptability and predict their long-term survival prospects. This points towards an exciting research program focusing on ecological tolerance as a mechanism for long-term species survival.
Article
Biology
Noah T. Dunham, Allison McNamara, Liza J. Shapiro, Taylor Phelps, Jesse W. Young
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Jesse W. Young, Brad A. Chadwell
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Gregoire Boulinguez-Ambroise, Anthony Herrel, Gilles Berillon, Jesse W. Young, Raphael Cornette, Adrien Meguerditchian, Cyrille Cazeau, Laurence Bellaiche, Emmanuelle Pouydebat
Summary: Young olive baboons exhibit near-maximal levels of grasping strength at a very early age, likely due to wider phalanges and digit joints. The mature proportions and shape of forelimb elements appear in full adulthood, while hind limb proportions and shape are observed earlier during development. These differences in limb performance and morphology reflect the different functional roles of forelimbs and hind limbs, possibly evolved under different ecological pressures.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Inga Kristaponyte, Nichole L. Beebe, Jesse W. Young, Sharad J. Shanbhag, Brett R. Schofield, Alexander Galazyuk
Summary: The study showed that pharmacological activation of mGluR2/3 in the mouse IC resulted in increased sound-evoked firing in both GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons, as well as elevated spontaneous excitability, indicating a widespread distribution of mGluR2/3 in the IC.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. D. Foster, B. Block, F. Capobianco, J. T. Peabody, N. A. Puleo, A. Vegas, J. W. Young
Summary: The length of the moment arm significantly influences the spring-like behavior of the Achilles tendon, as well as stress and elastic energy storage estimates at running and sprinting speeds. Short Achilles tendon moment arms are related to increased elastic energy storage, providing mechanical rationale for the relationship between calcaneal length and running economy found in previous studies. Speed and kinematics may moderate tendon performance, suggesting a complex relationship between lower limb geometry and foot strike pattern.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Jesse W. Young, Brad A. Chadwell, Noah T. Dunham, Allison McNamara, Taylor Phelps, Tobin Hieronymus, Liza J. Shapiro
Summary: The research demonstrates that arboreal animals maintain balance on narrow supports by adjusting tail angular momentum. Wild arboreal animals adjust tail movements to adapt to narrow and mobile substrates.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Amir M. Mafi, Matthew G. Russ, Lindsay N. Hofer, Vincent Q. Pham, Jesse W. Young, Jeffrey G. Mellott
Summary: The age-related loss of GABA and the increase of perineuronal nets in the inferior colliculus may contribute to age-related hearing loss. Specifically, perineuronal nets increase on non-lemniscal IC-MG cells during middle-age, and on lemniscal IC-MG cells only in old age. Additionally, the increase of perineuronal nets on lemniscal IC-MG cells occurs primarily on non-GABAergic cells.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karen E. Adolph, Jesse W. Young
Article
Biology
Angela M. Mossor, Jesse W. Young, Michael T. Butcher
Summary: The material properties of limb bones from tree sloths show lower strength and elastic modulus in compression and bending compared to pronograde taxa, supporting the hypothesis that sloth limb bones are modified for enhanced tensile strength.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Nicole M. Schapker, Brad A. Chadwell, Jesse W. Young
Summary: Arboreal environments present unique navigational challenges, but squirrel monkeys have strong adaptations for maintaining stability on supports of varying diameter and compliance.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ellen M. Martin, Jesse W. Young, Connie D. Fellmann, Brian Kraatz, Emma Sherratt
Summary: Highly cursorial animals have specialized morphological adaptations for fast, sustained running. Previous investigations on lagomorphs have identified anatomical trends correlated with cursorial behavior, but the relationship between running behavior and morphology is still unclear. In this study, the researchers expanded the sample size and found that the previously identified morphological gradients associated with running behavior are more complicated when evaluated in a larger sample. They also discovered a novel assessment of morphological integration in the lagomorph appendicular skeleton.
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jesse W. Young, Christopher J. Mayerl, Alekhya Mannava, Claire Lewis, Tianhui Fan, Manas Nair, Christopher Mamone, Nicole M. Schapker, Angela M. Mossor, Rebecca Z. German
Summary: The pace of locomotor development is crucial for evolutionary fitness. This study proposes a novel approach of comparing functionally impaired and functionally proficient fetuses to identify factors contributing to motor development variations.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Samantha H. Magrini, Angela M. Mossor, Rebecca Z. German, Jesse W. Young
Summary: This study used preterm infant pigs as an animal model to investigate the factors that determine bone strength in precocial animals. The results showed that bone strength in preterm infant pigs is not significantly affected by gestation length and birth mass. These findings provide initial evidence for the bone strength of perinatal precocial mammals.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Andrew J. McKamy, Melody W. Young, Angela M. Mossor, Jesse W. Young, Judy A. Avey-Arroyo, Michael C. Granatosky, Michael T. Butcher
Summary: Modern tree sloths are specialized in quadrupedal suspension, with limb musculature designed for slow velocity, large force contractions. This study aimed to determine if two- and three-toed sloths share similar limb kinetics during arboreal suspensory locomotion. The findings revealed that hindlimbs in both species apply large braking forces, consistent with their propulsion patterns. However, two-toed sloths exhibit different limb loading distributions compared to primates, suggesting multiple strategies for suspensory locomotion in arboreal mammals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jesse W. Young, Adam D. Foster, Gabrielle A. Russo, Gregory A. Smith, Michael T. Butcher
Summary: The juvenile stage of life can be dangerous for many animals, as they have to face the same survival pressures as adults despite their smaller size. A study on wild cottontail rabbits found that juvenile rabbits accelerate faster and have higher escape speeds than adults, suggesting mechanisms to increase their reproductive potential and survival.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)