A doctoral student will conduct an eighteen-month study on the feeding ecology and behavior of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a nocturnal primate endemic to the island of Madagascar. No long term field studies have previously been conducted on this animal. The aye-aye has a considerable number of unique morphological characteristics, including a filiform middle finger on the hand, continuously growing incisor teeth, inguinal mammary glands, the largest brain size relative to body size of any prosimian primate, and it is the only Malagasy primate that is sexually dimorphic in body size. Its nocturnal and insectivorous habits set it apart from other primates of similar body weight. Like humans, the aye-aye has a significantly larger brain for its body size than closely related species. Since a large brain size may allow for more complex sensorimotor processes, permitting the exploitation of stationery or hidden foods not available to other species, Daubentonia and humans may each differ from closely related primates in their greater capacity to exploit difficult-to-access resources. Studies on the aye-aye's relationship to its environment may contribute to our search for general principles pertinent to the development of human social behavior. Since the aye-aye is one of the most endangered species of primates in the world, study of its behavior and ecology are of extreme importance in developing conservation management plans for this unique species.
