NPR quote from 2016, where I was officially deemed a "lemur expert"!
Lemurs are extraordinarily interesting because of their unusual traits. These traits are what led me to study lemurs, and ultimately how I became an 'expert'.
One of the peculiar lemur traits is female dominance. This trait is unusual in mammalian species because of the basic imbalance in the costs of reproduction between sexes. Because females incur greater metabolic costs in reproduction (pregnancy and lactation are energetically expensive) when compared to males, they are more driven to secure food. Thus, food and feeding is the primary focus of all female mammals. Despite also needing food, males are less reliant on it, and more driven to secure females as mates. This results in female choice of mates, and male competition for access to females. Female mammals often choose males that are larger in body size and have exaggerated traits and weaponry. These traits can become exaggerated over time and lead to larger males that are dominant in mammal societies.
This general trend, however, is not always the case. In naked mole rats and spotted hyenas, females are both larger than and dominant to males. These females use their body size to dominate males. In lemur species, males and females are the same size, and thus, females are able to dominate males socially; something that I find fascinating and have spent years pondering.
Photo credit @ Thorsten Milse
Lemurs are extraordinarily interesting because of their unusual traits. These traits are what led me to study lemurs, and ultimately how I became an 'expert'.
One of the peculiar lemur traits is female dominance. This trait is unusual in mammalian species because of the basic imbalance in the costs of reproduction between sexes. Because females incur greater metabolic costs in reproduction (pregnancy and lactation are energetically expensive) when compared to males, they are more driven to secure food. Thus, food and feeding is the primary focus of all female mammals. Despite also needing food, males are less reliant on it, and more driven to secure females as mates. This results in female choice of mates, and male competition for access to females. Female mammals often choose males that are larger in body size and have exaggerated traits and weaponry. These traits can become exaggerated over time and lead to larger males that are dominant in mammal societies.
This general trend, however, is not always the case. In naked mole rats and spotted hyenas, females are both larger than and dominant to males. These females use their body size to dominate males. In lemur species, males and females are the same size, and thus, females are able to dominate males socially; something that I find fascinating and have spent years pondering.
Photo credit @ Thorsten Milse
