My introductory lectures for Reserve Planning in the Tropics course at Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki

1. (Terrestrial) Malagasy mammals
Tuomas Aivelo
18.9.2012
University of Helsinki

2. Overview on mammal diversity
Tenrecs: 34
Lemurs: 99
Bats: 46
Euplerids: 10
Rodents: 30
Invasive species: ~10

3. Mammal
colonisation
of
Madagascar

4. Invasives
Black rat, house mouse, dog, cat, pig, zebu,
shrew, human…

5. Tenrecs

34 species, 10 in
Ranomafana

Shrewlike, small,
insectivores

6. Bats

46 (of which 35
endemic)

8 species in
Ranomafana

Both African and
Asian colonisations

7. Carnivores

10 species – 6 species
in Ranomafana

Euplerids – related to
mongooses

8. Lemurs
99 species
13 in Ranomafana

9. Many recently
extinct species

Giant aye-aye – 10 kg

Megaladapis – 50 kg

Pachylemur – 12 kg

Archaeolemur – 10 kg

Hadropithecus – 30 kg

Mesopropithecus – 10 kg

Babakotia – 30 kg

Paleopropithecus – 30 kg

Archaeoindris – 160 kg

10. Lemurs not the only group of extinct
mammals
Hippopotamus
madagascariensis
lemerlei
Laloumena
Bibymalagasia

11. Parasitism -
The force that shapes the world
Tuomas Aivelo
18.9.2012

12. All the organisms in the world have parasites.
More than half of the organisms in the world
are parasites.

13. 1. Systematics: What are the parasites?
2. Ecology: Patches and vectors
3. Evolution: Host-parasite interaction
4. Conservation biology: Vicious circle

14. +
What is parasitism?
Mutualism
Symbiosis
Closeness
Commensalism
Ectopara Endoparas
Parasitoidi ites
Predation sites
sm
-

15. Classifying of parasites

Micro- and macroparasites

Ecto-, meso- and endoparasites

Bacterial, protistan, metazoans

By taxa they parasitize

Direct or indirect life cycles

Mode of transmission

16. What does the world look like for
a parasite?

17. Ways of transmission

Direct

Through freeliving stage

Via vector
?

Through skin

From mouth

18. Factors affecting transmission (in
mouse lemurs)

Testosterone and stress hormones

Activity, home range

Susceptibility, immunocompetence, body
condition

Sharing sleeping nests

Hibernation/torpor

Gestation

Nutrition

Amount of parasite species around

19. Expanding to community level

Many parasite species are highly host-
specific

Then again, many are not, but target larger
groups

Eg. primates, mammals, vertebrates,...

Role of invasive species?
in

20. Parasite-host interaction

The puzzle: Parasite should use as much
as possible its host without compromising
its own habitat
= Take all you can without killing your host

Sounds familiar?
TRAGEDY OF COMMONS!

21. Vicious cycle
Infection
Decrease
in host
condition
Up-regulating
immune
defence
More susceptible
to pathogens
New infection

22. Fragmentation
Infection
Decrease
in host
condition
Up-regulating
immune
defence
More susceptible
to pathogens
New infection

23. Factors affecting transmission (in
mouse lemurs)

Testosterone and stress hormones

Activity, home range

Susceptibility, immunocompetence, body
condition

Sharing sleeping nests ?

Hibernation/torpor

Gestation ?

Nutrition ?

Amount of parasite species around

24. Effective contacts

Invasive species might be vectors

Fragmentation increases contacts of
animals with humans

Indirectly or directly

Difficult to tell apart different effects of
fragmentation

25. Broader question marks

Cycle of epidemics

How does the parasite cycle differ in
fragmented areas?

Will the epidemics be harsher / more frequent?

Host switchs

Do fragmented areas drive parasites to more
switches between hosts?