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DLC Director Anne Yoder named Guggenheim Fellow

By Lexi Kadis Originally published in The Chronicle on April 10, 2018 titled “Two Duke professors named Guggenheim Fellows” Two Duke professors have been awarded 2018 Guggenheim Fellowships to pursue studies in their fields. Christopher Bail, Douglas and Ellen Lowey associate professor of sociology and public policy, and Anne Yoder, Braxton Craven professor of evolutionary […]

A new initiative for lemurs in Madagascar

Andrea Katz, who served as the Duke Lemur Center Curator since 2006, has just moved into a new and exciting role: Program Manager, Madagascar Conservation Initiatives! Working with the Government of Madagascar, she will undertake a program to advance animal husbandry, welfare, and breeding programs for ex situ lemur populations in Madagascar. Lemur collections are […]

Notes from the Field: Dwarf and mouse lemur research in Anjajavy, Madagascar

by Marina Blanco, Ph.D. Post-Doctoral Project Coordinator, DLC-SAVA Conservation We recently conducted a research mission at Anjajavy, targeting two small-bodied nocturnal lemurs: Microcebus (mouse lemurs) and Cheirogaleus (dwarf lemurs). Broadly speaking, there are two projects we are interested in: (1) we would like to include Anjajavy’s mouse lemurs to our comprehensive database to help elucidate […]

For a glimpse of a world ruled by women, look at lemurs. (They keep the men in check.)

By Elizabeth Anne Brown. Originally published in the Durham News & Observer on March 20, 2018. Liesl, a 9-year-old ring-tailed lemur with the attitude of an Amazon warrior, is the undisputed matriarch of the North Carolina pine forest her family calls home. She and her troop preside over 14 acres of land, foraging alongside squirrels […]

VIDEO: What mouse lemurs can teach us about the aging brain

Like humans, mouse lemurs sometimes develop amyloid brain plaques and other Alzheimer’s-like symptoms as they age. Because mouse lemurs are primates, they are a closer genetic match to humans than mice or rats are. The Duke Lemur Center’s non-invasive research on these tiny primate cousins could help explain the initial stages of Alzheimer’s and other […]

Some lemurs are loners, others crave connection

By Robin Smith. DURHAM, N.C. — If lemurs were on Facebook, Fern would have oodles of friends, liking and commenting on their posts. Captain Lee, on the other hand, would rarely send a friend request. Best buddies Fern and Alena at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina. Photo by Ipek Kulahci. These are […]

What lemur guts can tell us about human bowel disease

Why is lemur research important? A newly published study by Dr. Erin McKenney, one of our Director’s (Anne Yoder’s) recent graduates, highlights just TWO reasons: “McKenney and her fellow researchers recently discovered that the gut microbiomes of two of the lemur species share surprising similarities with those of humans who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s […]

A Tale of Two Feces: Field Work in Marojejy

By Lydia Greene, DLC researcher and Duke Ph.D. student Feces is seldom the most palatable topic to discuss around the dinner table, but for lemur researchers, it’s often unavoidable. Take, for example, a recent mission to Marojejy National Park conducted by myself and DLC/SAVA project coordinator, Marina Blanco. We went to Marojejy together to collect […]