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Research Sites:
Marojejy National Park, Camp 2 (775m), Long. South 49° 45.7’ Lat. East 14° 26.0’, Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely, 47o 18' - 47o 37' E 21o 02' - 21o 25' S

Research Project:
Acoustic and Olfactory Communication in Wild Rainforest Sifakas

Research Focus:

My research primarily examines vocal and olfactory communication in rainforest sifakas (including P. candidus, P. diadema diadema, and P. edwardsi). Sex differences in communication, both vocal and olfactory, is a theme underlying much of my dissertation research on the silky sifaka.

Conservation (population density surveys, conservation education) and social behavior (e.g. female dominance, allocare) are also strong interests.

In prior research on the silky sifaka, (robust) sex and (moderate) individual differences were documented in the acoustic structure of 'Zzuss!' alarm vocalizations. 'Totem-tree' scent-marking, the repeated preferential scent-marking of particular trees, was also documented in the silky sifaka. Totem-tree scent-marking results predominantly from males over-marking and counter-marking the scent-marks of other group members. Although males have more types of scent-marks (Male:3, Female:1) and mark at double the rate of females, female scent-marks are responded to far more often than those of males.


Research
Assistants:
John Anderson, currently Masters Student, University of Florida
Katherine Bannar-Martin, currently Masters Student, University of Toronto
Casey Coke, currently Enrichment Coordinator, Vanderbilt University
Susan Longest, currently PhD Student, University of Chicago
Hannah Parathian, currently PhD Student, Oxford Brookes University
Claire Santorelli, currently PhD Student, University of Chester
Emily Sluzas, currently (Summer/Fall 2007) in the field in Marojejy National Park
Benjamin Stingle, currently MBA Student, Harvard University
Lanto H. Andrianandrasana, DEA

Recent
Publications:

ER Patel and MJ Owren (2007). Acoustics and behavioral contexts of “gecker” vocalizations in young rhesus macaques (Macaca mullata). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 121(1): 575 – 585.

ER Patel (In Press). Non-maternal infant care in wild silky sifakas (Propithecus candidus). Lemur News 2007.

ER Patel (2006). Activity budget, ranging, and group size in silky sifakas. Lemur News 11: 42 – 45.

ER Patel (2005). Silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus) predation by a Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox). Lemur News 10: 25-27.

ER Patel, JJ Marshall, and H Parathian (2005). Silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus) conservation education in northeastern Madagascar. Laboratory Primate Newsletter 44(3): 8-11.

ER Patel (Accepted with revisions). Logging of rare rosewood and palisandre (Dalbergia spp.) within Marojejy National Park, Madagascar. Madagascar Conservation and Development

ER Patel (In Prep.). Olfactory communication in prosimians: A review.

Patel, E.R., Hawkins, F., and Meyers, D. (In Press). Silky sifaka.

World's Top 25 Most Endangered Primates. Primate Conservation Contributing author of “silky sifaka” in Mittermeier et al. (2006) Lemurs of Madagascar: Second Edition, Tropical Field Guide Series. Washington, DC: Conservation International.

Contributing author of “silky sifaka” in Garbutt, N. (2007). Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide. London: A&C Black.

Contributing author of “silky sifaka” in Rowe, N. (In Press). All the World’s Primates.

LH Andrianandrasana, ER Patel, and PC Wright (2007). A comparison of scent overmarking in two species of wild rainforest sifakas: silky sifakas (Propithecus candidus) and Milne-Edwards’ sifakas (Propithecus edwardsi). Folia Primatologica. Prosimian Congress.

ER Patel and MJ Owren (2006). Dissecting the acoustic umbilical cord: Selective maternal responsiveness to particular acoustic features of rhesus macaque (Macaca mullata) infant gecker vocalizations. American Journal of Primatology 68(1): 139.

ER Patel (2006). Appealing to hearts and minds: Silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus) conservation education in north-eastern Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology 68(1): 87.

JD Anderson, ER Patel, MT Irwin, and MJ Owren (2006). Species differences in the acoustic structure of zzuss alarm vocalizations of silky sifakas (Propithecus candidus) and diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema). American Journal of Primatology 68(1): 71-72.

ER Patel (2006). Scent-marking in wild silky sifakas (Propithecus candidus): Sex differences and seasonal effects in usage and response across multiple scent-mark types. International Journal of Primatology 27(Suppl 1): 496.

ER Patel, JD Anderson, and MJ Owren (2006, Oral Presentation). Exploring the function of “Zzuss” alarm vocalizations in wild silky sifakas: Moderate evidence for individual distinctiveness. International Journal of Primatology27 (Suppl 1): 504.

ER Patel, JD Anderson, MT Irwin, and MJ Owren (2005). Quantifying the vocal repertoire of wild adult diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema diadema) in Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology 66(Suppl 1): 48.

ER Patel, JD Anderson, and MJ Owren (2005). Sex differences in the acoustic structure in a monomorphic primate: Wild silky sifakas (Propithecus candidus) of Northeastern Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology 66(Suppl 1): 46-47.

Patel ER, Coke CS, Ritchie A, Santorelli C (2003). Assessing production specificity of free-ranging silky sifaka (Propithecus diadema candidus) “antipredator” vocalizations: weak evidence for specialized “aerial predator” but not “terrestrial predator” calls. American Journal of Primatology 60 (Suppl 1): 71-72.

Patel ER, Coke CS, Ritchie A, Santorelli C (2003). Alloparental care (including allonursing) in free-ranging silky sifakas (Propithecus diadema candidus) in a primary northeastern montane rainforest in Madagascar. American Journal of Primatology 60 (Suppl 1): 71-72.


Project Sponsors:
John Wallace Dallenbach Fellowship, Dept. of Psychology, Cornell University
Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation at Conservation International
Mario Einaudi Foundation at Cornell University
Institute of African Studies at Cornell University
Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at Cornell University
American Society of Primatologists, Conservation Committee,Seneca Park Zoo, Primate Conservation Inc., National Geographic



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Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-Dec-2007 11:22:40 EST
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