EvAnth Alum publishes lemur research

sifaka infant

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University scientists have given us another way to tell which endangered lemur species are most at risk from deforestation -- based on the trillions of bacteria that inhabit their guts.

In a new study, researchers compared the gut microbes of 12 lemur species across the island of Madagascar, where thousands of acres of forest are cleared each year to make way for crops and pastures.

The team found that some lemurs harbor microbes that are more specialized than others for the forests where they live, to help lemurs digest their leafy diets.