Understanding the ecological and genetic factors that shape variation in life history traits is a central challenge in life history studies. This challenge is particularly acute in populations structured by age and sex. Although numerous studies receive their theoretical rationale from a life history perspective, only a few empirical studies show how life history traits are shaped by biotic and abiotic factors, and how these traits, in turn, affect population growth and evolutionary dynamics. At present, insights into the proximate mechanisms that shape life history schedules within populations come from a handful of easily manipulated and/or captive organisms that have relatively "fast" life history schedules. Understanding of which life history traits are key determinants of fitness remains poorly characterized for long-lived, slowly sexually maturing species such as most primates. The research aims of this proposal are: (1) To determine how life history traits are influenced by genetic, sex-specific, and ecological factors in a species with a slow life history schedule; (2) To determine which of these life history traits are currently under selection; (3) To determine patterns of phenotypic variation/covariation in these life history traits (4) To determine patterns of additive genetic, environmental, maternal, and cohort variation/covariation in these life history traits.
The data for this project come from a continuously monitored population of wild lemur, Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi). Molecular, demographic, and quantitative genetic techniques will be employed to characterize the ecological and genetic factors that shape variation and covariation in life history traits. Results generated from this project will contribute to the development of demographic models that are capable of making realistic projections of population persistence by incorporating relevant ecological and genetic data. Results from this project will also be used to inform conservation decisions and management strategies by ascertaining which demographic traits influence population growth. As such, results from this proposal will have both theoretical and applied implications for conservation biology. Madagascar citizens will be trained in capture methods, and project results will be incorporated into the academic curriculum at Boston University.
