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Title: Primate hibernation: The past, present, and promise of captive dwarf lemurs
Abstract The dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleusspp.) of Madagascar are the only obligate hibernators among primates. Despite century‐old field accounts of seasonal lethargy, and more recent evidence of hibernation in the western fat‐tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius), inducing hibernation in captivity remained elusive for decades. This included the Duke Lemur Center (DLC), which maintains fat‐tailed dwarf lemurs and has produced sporadic research on reproduction and metabolism. With cumulative knowledge from the field, a newly robust colony, and better infrastructure, we recently induced hibernation in DLC dwarf lemurs. We describe two follow‐up experiments in subsequent years. First, we show that dwarf lemurs under stable cold conditions (13°C) with available food continued to eat daily, expressed shallower and shorter torpor bouts, and had a modified gut microbiome compared to peers without food. Second, we demonstrate that dwarf lemurs under fluctuating temperatures (12–30°C) can passively rewarm daily, which was associated with altered patterns of fat depletion and reduced oxidative stress. Despite the limitations of working with endangered primates, we highlight the promise of studying hibernation in captive dwarf lemurs. Follow‐up studies on genomics and epigenetics, metabolism, and endocrinology could have relevance across multidisciplinary fields, from biomedicine to evolutionary biology, and conservation.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2314898
PAR ID:
10617613
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ANNALS of the New York Academy of Sciences
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
ISSN:
0077-8923
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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