Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Evolution in the hypervariable environment of Madagascar.

Robert E Dewar1, Alison F Richard

  • 1McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER, England. red30@cam.ac.uk

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 19, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Female social dominance and basal metabolism in a malagasy primate, Propithecus verreauxi.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Social relations in semi-free-ranging sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli) and the question of female dominance.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Application of fecal steroid techniques to the reproductive endocrinology of female verreaux's Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Expert evaluation of traffic signs: conventional vs. alternative designs.

Ergonomics·2019
Same author

Implications of lemuriform extinctions for the Malagasy flora.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2016
Same author

The biogeographic origin of a radiation of trees in Madagascar: implications for the assembly of a tropical forest biome.

BMC evolutionary biology·2015
Same journal

Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Madagascar's climate, marked by unpredictable rainfall, drives unique evolutionary paths in its mammals. This unpredictability influences plant cycles, favoring species with extreme life histories and large body sizes.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Climatology

Background:

  • Madagascar's diverse ecoregions exhibit a unique climatic feature: unpredictable precipitation.
  • This climatic unpredictability contrasts with other regions having similar rainfall levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between Madagascar's distinctive climate and the evolution of its endemic mammalian fauna.
  • To explore how climatic unpredictability has shaped life history traits and species composition.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of climatic data across Madagascar's ecoregions.
  • Examination of life history traits (fastness/slowness) in endemic mammals (Herpestidae, Tenrecidae, primates).
  • Assessment of ecological factors, including fruiting/flowering patterns and body mass prevalence.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Climatic unpredictability correlates with erratic fruiting and flowering seasons.
  • Endemic Malagasy mammals display extreme life history strategies compared to relatives elsewhere.
  • A notable absence of frugivorous birds and mammals, and a prevalence of large-bodied species, are observed.

Conclusions:

  • Madagascar's unpredictable climate is a significant driver of evolutionary adaptations in its mammals.
  • Life history "fastness" and "slowness" are key adaptations to environmental instability.
  • Climatic factors likely explain the island's unique faunal composition, including the lack of frugivores and the prevalence of large-bodied species.