This project provides continuing support for the Duke University Center for the Study of Primate Biology and History (DUPC). The DUPC houses the largest and most diverse collection of prosimian primates in the world. In addition, the DUPC has the largest number of endangered primates housed at a single institution. The DUPC operates as a research resource, providing animals, tissues, and blood samples to scientists on a local, regional, national, and international level. In-house research is conducted by several staff members, as well as visiting scientists, graduate students, post-doctoral students, and permanent faculty members. In the last few years, due in part to the growing strength of the DUPC collection, research on prosimians has increased in scope, intensity, and sophistication, and is now one of the most active and exciting fields of primatology. However, prosimian primates are not a renewable resource. The captive propagation of prosimians has become a necessity in order to underwrite continued research on this fascinating and little-known group of primates. The DUPC is the only university-related research facility in the world devoted exclusively to the study of prosimian primates.
